Chapter 3 Flashcards
Behavioral genetics
An interdisciplinary field of study concerned with genetic contributions to individual differences in behavior and personality.
Genes
The functional units of heredity; they are composed of DNA and specify the structure of proteins.
Chromosomes
Within every cell, rod-shaped structures that carry the genes.
Genome
The full set of genes in each cell of an organism (with the exception of sperm and egg cells), together with noncoding DNA located outside the genes.
Genetic marker
A segment of DNA that varies among individuals, has a known location on a chromosome, and can function as a genetic landmark for a genetic landmark for a gene involved in a physical or mental condition.
Epigenetics
The study of stable changes in the expression of a particular gene that occur without changes in DNA base sequences.
Evolutionary psychology
A field of psychology emphasizing evolutionary mechanisms that may help explain human commonalities in social practices, perception, emotional responses, and other areas of behavior.
Evolution
A change in gene frequencies within a population over many generations.
Natural selection
The evolutionary process in which individuals with genetically influenced traits that are adaptive in a particular environment tend to strive and to reproduce in greater numbers than do other individuals, as a result, their traits become more common in the population.
Heritability
The extent to which differences in a trait or ability within a group of individuals are accounted for by genetic differences.
Fraternal twins
Twins that develop from two separate eggs fertilized by different sperm; they are no more alike genetically than are any other pair of siblings.
Identical twins
Twins that develop when a fertilized egg divides into two parts that develop into separate embryos.
Intelligence Quotient
A measure of intelligence derived from norms provided for standardized intelligence tests.
