Chapter 3 Flashcards
Genome
Complete set of organism’s genes.
Gene Synthesis
Method for producing DNA.
Genotype
Inherited genetic material.
Phenotype
Observed expression of genetic material.
Development
Combined function of environmental and genetic factors.
Chromosomes
Molecules of DNA that transmit genetic information.
DNA
Molecules that carry all biochemical instructions involved in forming an organism and its functions.
Genes
Sections of chromosomes that are the basic unit of hereditary in all living things.
Crossing Over
Process by which sections of DNA switch from one chromosome to the other.
Endophenotypes
Intermediate phenotypes, including brain and nervous systems, that do not involve overt behavior; mediate bath between genes and behavior.
Regulator Genes
Control activity of other genes, turning off and on. Never function in isolation.
Alleles (Types)
Dominant and Recessive
Homozygous and Heterozygous
Polygenic Inheritance
Inheritance pattern in which traits are governed by more than one gene.
Epigenetic Mechanisms
Are gene expression mediated by environment. Can alter functioning of genes and create stable changes in their expression.
Methylation
Epigenetic mechanism that silences the gene expression most studied in humans.
Behavior Genetics
Science concerned with how variation in behavior and development results from combination of genetic and environmental factors.
Heritable
Characteristics or traits that are genetically transmitted; influenced by heredity.
Shared Environment
Growing up in the same family; genetic relatedness.
Non-Shared Environments
Children could be in same family with non-shared experiences (inside of outside family)
Neurons (Components)
Cell body, dendrites, axon
Synapses
Microscopic junctions between the axon terminal of one neuron and the dendritic branches or cell body of another neuron.
Glial Cells
Cells in the brain providing critical supportive functions. Form myelin sheath around axons.
Myelin Sheath
Fatty sheath that forms around certain axons in the body. Increases speed and efficiency of neuronal information transmission.
Cerebral Cortex
80% of the human brain. “Gray Matter.” Involved in seeing, hearing, thinking, problem solving, emotions.
Lobes
Major areas of the cortex associated with general categories of behavior. Occipital lobe, temporal lobe, parietal lobe, frontal lobe.
Association Areas
Lies between major sensory and motor areas, processing and integrating input from there.
Synaptogenesis
Process by which neurons form synapses with other neurons. Results in trillions of connections.
Synapse Pruning
The normal development developmental process. Abnormal pruning patterns. Synapses rarely activated get eliminated.
Plasticity
Capacity of brain to be modeled or changed by experience.
Experience-Expectant Plasticity
Describes the role of general human experience in shaping brain development.
Experience-Dependent Plasticity
Occurs when neural connections are created and reorganized throughout life as a result of experiences.
Secular Trends
Changes in physical development that have occurred over generations (Changes in height, average earlier start of menstruation, etc.)
Undernutrition
Not getting enough to eat.
