3.18-3.20: Genes and Brain Development Flashcards
The observable characteristics of an individual resulting from the interaction of genotype and environment
Phenotype
The genetic makeup of an organism composed of the organism’s complete set of genes
Genotype
A variant form of a gene; humans have two alleles per gene, one inherited from each parent
Allele
The turning on and off of genes in a particular cell to determine how that cell functions
Gene expression
The study of how the interactions between your genes and the environment regulate gene expression
Epigenetics
The study of how genetic factors influence trait variation between individuals
Behavioral genetics
An indication of how much variation in phenotype across people is due to differences in genotype
Heritability
Twins who share 100% of their genetic material because they developed from the division of a single fertilized egg
Monozygotic twins
Twins who share 50% of their genetic material because they developed from two separate fertilized eggs
Dizygotic twins
The brain’s capacity to physiologically modify, regenerate, and reinvent itself constantly over the course of a lifetime
Neural plasticity
The periods early in life during which very specific experiences must occur to ensure the normal development of a characteristic or bahavior
Critical periods
The neural modification following injury that largely takes the form of brain reorganization
Damage plasticity
The experience of sensations, such as pain, in a limb that no longer exists following its amputation
Phantom Limb
The shaping and reshaping of neural circuits throughout adulthood
Adult plasticity
A cell that has not yet undergone gene expression to differentiate into a specialized cell type such as a skin cell, liver cell, or neuron
Stem cell
