Brain Evolution Flashcards
Lecture 4
What is evolution?
Process and change in the genetic coding of a group of organisms from one generation to the next
How does evolution occur?
Natural selection - high survival traits are passed on
What did evolution bring to humans?
Increased brain size
What is Mendelian genetics?
A method to predict genetic inheritance of offspring
Who proposed the theory of evolution and when?
Darwin 1859
Define phenotype
Observable trait
Define genotype
The genetic material constituting the observable trait
Define gene
An inherited factor
Define Alleles
Two genes that control the same feature
Define homozygous
An organism that possess two identical alleles
Define heterozygous
An organism that possesses two different alleles
What are chromosomes?
A threadlike structure found in the nucleus of the cell
How do chromosomes presented?
In matched pairs; each pair contains one allele which determines a given trait
How many chromosomes do humans have
46 (or a pair of 23)
What is the only exception of identical chromosomes?
Sex chromosomes
What are examples of atypical sex chromosomes?
Turner’s syndrome (X0) Klinefelter’s syndrome (XXY) - an extra female chromosome
What does DNA stand for?
Deoxyribonucleic acid
What is DNA?
A double stranded polymer molecule which contains deoxyribose
What does each strand contain?
A sequence of : Adenine, Thymine, Guanine, Cytosine
What is RNA?
Ribonucleic acid
How is RNA different from DNA?
RNA is a single stranded chain of polymers
What are the methods of cell division?
Mitosis, Meiosis protein synthesis, Genetic mutation
How does mitosis take place?
Creation of two identical daughter cells from one parent cell
How does meiosis occur?
Cell division across generations