The word "incest", which is also called incest in another way, means marriage or an intimate relationship between two blood relatives. An example would be marriage between father and daughter, or between brother and sister. In many cultures, the meaning of the word "incest" is sinful and taboo. Literally, it translates as "criminal". However, it is worth noting that in many countries the marriage bond between cousins and second cousins is quite legal and not prohibited.
Turning to historical data, I would like to draw attention to the peculiar tradition of incest among the royals. Thus, the custom of preserving royal blood appeared, which could not be diluted with the blood of mere mortals. Many ancient dynasties followed these rules.
Why is it forbidden?
Having decided what the word "incest" means, you canmove on to another equally important topic, namely why it is banned. Indeed, why is the marriage of relatives so taboo. Once upon a time, certain rules and traditions obliged them to do this, but now it can be a simple mutual desire. It seems that in the meaning of the word "incest" there is nothing sinful at all, you never know what cockroaches people have in their heads.
All these moral dogmas are just conventions associated with a certain stage in the development of mankind. They depend, first of all, on the culture of the people. In the end, people instinctively should continue their kind, regardless of the choice of partner. However, the meaning of the word "incest" has long been considered taboo and unacceptable in many countries. The main opponent of incest is religion. And thanks to the achievements of modern science, medicine is also actively opposed to this phenomenon.
Inherited diseases
Having decided on the moral component and the meaning of the word "incest", let's turn to the opinion of science on this matter. Now, thanks to advances in medicine, it has become clear why such a phenomenon was massively condemned and condemned in many nations. It turns out that incest leads to a kind of genetic purity.
Any signs that are transmitted genetically, that is, by inheritance, are expressed much brighter in children than in their parents. Even if some of these signs are dormant for many generations, then with a high degree of probabilitythey show up in the fetus. For a child, this can result in congenital deformity or various chronic diseases, which can even cause death.
Inbreeding
This science deals with the study of the probability of the risk of congenital diseases in a child. Turning to more accurate data, expressed in numbers, it is worth noting that the doubling of genes when linking a niece and her uncle is 12.5%, and when mixing the blood of cousins and sisters, about 6%. These numerical characteristics indicate the number of "repeated" genes in the body of a newborn.
From here it directly follows that offspring with diseases are most likely to be born to blood relatives. In natural selection and the process of evolution, as a rule, the he althier, that is, the dominant genes suppress the weak and diseased ones. If we are talking about incest, then the baby simply does not have a choice which genes to take for the successful development of mankind.
Answering the main question about what the word "incest" means, one cannot but consecrate the topic of DNA formation in such a situation. It is important to understand that in you and your relatives, some area may remain recessive (for example, some hereditary disease), but due to mixing of blood, it will appear in a dominant position.
Does incest affect intelligence
It is worth consecrating another important aspect of incest. According to statistics, mental abilities during incest are transmitted from parentsto children. So, there were many musicians in the family of Johann Sebastian Bach, since among his relatives marriages between cousins were considered not uncommon.
However, all this can be considered only indirect signs, since scientists do not confirm the direct connection of any abilities and intelligence, and genetics. Perhaps all this is just another coincidence in the amazing and diverse world that surrounds us. However, this only further arouses interest in its further study. We can only wish you good luck in this matter!
