Topic > The Difference Between Genes and Memes - 733

There must be very few people with a biological or evolutionary background who are not aware of Charles Darwin's work. Charles Darwin proposed that evolution occurs through the process of natural selection. Natural selection is the process by which species adapt to their environment to survive. Species evolve from one to another through a random genetic mutation, if said mutation is beneficial it is preserved and passed on to the next generation to help the survival of that species. As these mutations accumulate over time, they give rise to an entirely different organism. The main premise of his theory is that all creatures are genetically related to varying degrees and that we all share a common ancestor from which we evolved over time. Richard Dawkins developed a theory slightly similar to Darwin's on camouflage. Memes, as described by Dawkins in his book The Selfish Gene, are an idea, tendency, or behavior that is transmitted from one person to another. These memes could be tunes, slogans, clothing fashion, slang, etc…. Genes are passed from one person to another through the reproduction of a sperm and an egg; whereas memes are transmitted from one brain to another through memes, however, they could be transmitted by anyone regardless of their relationship. For this reason, memes also spread much faster than genes since there are no restrictions on the number of people who can acquire a meme. Genes (DNA) are not very flexible and must undergo several mutations in order for them to change radically. However, memes are very flexible and change very easily. For this reason, memes evolve much faster than genes, which is clear in cultural evolutions around the world. Natural selection of genes occurs for greater sexual reproducibility, while memes are positively selected for their greater communicability