Behavioural Genetics Flashcards
It is no longer a question of nature or nurture, what do we now want to know?
- What is the relative contribution of nature and nurture.
- What are the mechanisms by which they interact to affect biology and behaviour.
What was the structure of DNA based on?
150 years of research by other scientists.
How many strands/chains of nucleotides does a DNA molecule have?
2, running in opposite directions and coiled in a. double helix.
What are the designated sex chromosomes in humans?
What do females have?
What do males have?
X & Y
XX
XY
What gender determines the sex of a child?
Male, females contribute the X chromosome but men contribute either X or Y, determining the gender.
Give an example of a condition caused by a mutation that alter a protein?
Sickle cell anaemia
How many base pairs are there in a human chromosome?
Between 50million to 300 million.
When was the Human genome project completed and what is it?
2003 and it sequences the full human genome.
What is a variant of a gene called?
an allele
What 3 categories can genes be?
Dominant, recessive ot intermediate.
What types of conditions does a dominant gene show a strong effect in?
Homo or heterozygous condition
What type of condition does a recessive gene show affects in?
Only homozygous
We inherit our sensitivity to certain types of bitter taste. What evolutionary implications did this have in early humans?
What behavioural implication does this have in modern humans?
Humans with the dominant gene are better able to taste/avoid toxins.
Humans with the dominant gene are more sensitive to the bitter taste of tobacco and vegetables in the cabbage family. This may make them less likely to smoke and less likely to eat broccoli.
What % of variance does the bitter taste gene account for in PTC tasting?
85%.
What physical factors is tasting ability affected by?
What you have had to eat/drink before, the dryness of your mouth and sensitive can change over time.
