Chapter 1.2 Flashcards
Epigenetics
The study of changes in gene expression caused by mechanisms other than changes in the DNA sequence.
Example sentence: Epigenetics plays a role in determining which genes are turned on or off in response to environmental factors.
Genotype
The genetic makeup of an organism; the set of genes it carries.
Example sentence: An individual’s genotype determines their inherited traits.
Mendelian Genetics
The principles of heredity discovered by Gregor Mendel, involving the inheritance of traits determined by individual genes.
Example sentence: Mendelian genetics explains the inheritance of dominant and recessive traits.
Natural Selection
The process by which organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.
Example sentence: Natural selection drives evolutionary change by favoring traits that increase an organism’s fitness.
Neoteny
The retention of juvenile features in the adult organism; important in human evolution.
Example sentence: Neoteny in humans is thought to be related to the evolution of larger brain size.
Phenotype
The physical and physiological traits of an organism, which result from the interaction of its genotype with the environment.
Example sentence: Phenotype can be influenced by both genetic and environmental factors.
Species
A group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring.
Example sentence: Lions and tigers are different species because they cannot produce fertile offspring.
Species-Typical Behavior
Behaviors that are characteristic of a particular species.
Example sentence: Migration is a species-typical behavior observed in many bird species.
Common Ancestor
The most recent individual from which all organisms in a group are directly descended.
Example sentence: The common ancestor of all primates lived millions of years ago.
Culture
The social behavior, norms, and knowledge of a group of people, transmitted through learning.
Example sentence: Language is a key aspect of human culture.
Dualism
The philosophical idea that the mind and body are distinct and separable entities.
Example sentence: Dualism has been a topic of debate in philosophy for centuries.
Embodied Behavior
The concept that cognitive processes are deeply rooted in the body’s interactions with the world.
Example sentence: Embodied behavior theory emphasizes the role of the body in shaping cognition.
Materialism
The doctrine that only material things (physical matter) are real, and everything can be explained in terms of matter and physical phenomena.
Example sentence: Materialism rejects the existence of immaterial substances or entities.
Meme
A unit of cultural information spread by imitation.
Example sentence: Internet memes often go viral and spread rapidly through social media.
Mentalism
The belief that mental processes and consciousness are fundamental and cannot be explained by physical processes alone.
Example sentence: Mentalism emphasizes the importance of subjective experience in understanding the mind.
Mind–Body Problem
The philosophical question of how the mind and body interact and influence each other.
Example sentence: The mind-body problem has puzzled philosophers and scientists for centuries.
Psyche
The human mind, soul, or spirit.
Example sentence: In Greek mythology, Psyche was a mortal woman who became the wife of Eros, the god of love.
Chordate
Animals possessing a notochord at some stage of development, including vertebrates.
Example sentence: Chordates are characterized by the presence of a notochord, which provides support for the body.
Cladogram
A diagram depicting the evolutionary relationships between different species based on their shared characteristics.
Example sentence: Cladograms are used by scientists to illustrate the evolutionary history of organisms.
Common Ancestor
The most recent ancestral form or species from which two different species evolved.
Example sentence: Humans and chimpanzees share a common ancestor that lived millions of years ago.
Connectome
A comprehensive map of neural connections in the brain.
Example sentence: The connectome project aims to map all the connections between neurons in the human brain.
Culture
The social behavior, norms, and knowledge of a group of people, transmitted through learning.
Example sentence: Cultural practices vary widely across different societies and regions.
Segmentation
The division of an animal’s body into repetitive segments.
Example sentence: Segmentation is a common feature in many invertebrates, such as earthworms.
Topographic
Relating to the arrangement or mapping of the physical features of an area.
Example sentence: Topographic maps show the elevation and terrain features of a specific region.
