Developmental Flashcards
Most traits are Trigenic, monogenic, or polygenic?
Homozygous vs heterozygous
Polygenic
Homozygous - 2 dominant genes
Heterozygous - 1 dominant and 1 recessive gene
Farsightedness requires x amount of what kind of gene
Nearsightedness requires x amount of what kind of gene
one dominant
Two recessive
Heritability estimate
Variation of phenotype w/in a group resulting from differences in genotype
Heredity accounts for ____ % of variability for many characteristics
50%
List and briefly explain Brofenbrenner’s Ecological Model
1) Microsystem - immediate environment
2) Mesosystem - how diff elements w/in immediate environment interact
3) Exosystem - Elements in broader environment (teachers, parents’ jobs)
4) Macrosystem - Overarching environmental influences (culture, religion)
5) Chronosystem - Events over lifespan
Rutter’s risk indicators
1 or none of these increase risk by ___% whereas 4 or more of these increases risk by ____ %
Marital discord, parental criminality, socioeconomic status, large family, maternal psych dx, placement outside of home
2% and 21%
Werner et al longitudinal study of infants with/without prenatal and perinatal stress. What did it imply about high-risk children?
More physical/cognitive issues for infants with stress but differences declined over time. This implies resilience in high-risk children
Explain reaction range in the context of ability to compensate for birth defects
Those with a defect of mild cognitive impairment have a broader reaction range than those with severe, so mild impairment leaves room for a better response to a good environment
What is Genotype-Environment Correlation and what are the 3 main types?
How are they relatively important over the lifespan?
genetics affects the environment one is exposed to which reinforces genetics
1) Passive – parents give environment that encourage development of traits
2) Evocative – child’s traits evoke reactions that reinforce child’s genetics
3) Active – aka niche picking – child actively seeks out genetically reinforcing experiences
Relative importance changes over time
- -passive/evocative = infancy/early childhood and
- -active type = as independence increases
Explain ethology and how it differs from evolutionary theory
Ethology is animal behavior in natural habitats and while it focuses on adaptive instincts, evolutionary theory focus on mental/emotional adaptations
Evolutionary theory says that many psychological mechanisms are _______, which means they help us to deal with specific types of problems encountered in the environment and others were _____, designed to help us at certain points in our lives.
Domain-specific, adaptive
What/when are the 3 stages of prenatal development? And, which stage is most vulnerable to damage by teratogens?
1) Germinal - the fertilized ovum is called a zygote
2) Embryonic - 3rd week to 8th week (teratogens worst here)
3) Fetal - 9th week until birth
Birth defects can be caused by three factors:
1) Chromosomal disorders
2) Exposure to teratogens
3) Poor maternal health
Chromosomal Disorders
All human cells contain ___ chromosomes arranged in ___ pairs. Of these pairs, _____ are referred to as ______and the ____ one is the ___ chromosome.
46 chromosomes, 23 pairs
22, autosomes, 23rd, sex
When a disorder is carried on an autosome it is referred to as an _______, and when it’s on the 23rd one it’s referred to as a ______
autosomal disorder, sex-linked
Disorders due to dominant/recessive genes
Dominant gene disorders are due to the inheritance of a _________ from one or both parents?
Recessive gene disorders are due to the inheritance of a pair of _________ from one parent or one from each parent?
single dominant gene from one parent
recessive genes (one from each parent)
Examples of dominant and recessive gene disorders:
Dominant - Huntington’s
Recessive - Phenylketonuria (PKU), cystic fibrosis, sickle cell, Tay-Sachs disease
Disorders due to a Chromosomal Abnormality can be due to 2 factors:
1) Variation in # of chromosomes (aneuploidy)
2) Alteration in the structure of chromosomes
Disorders due to variation in # of chromosomes:
Down syndrome, Klinefelter syndrome, Turner syndrome
Down syndrome represents an extra ___ chromosome
Klinefelter and Turner syndromes are caused by an abnormality in the # of ____ chromosomes. Briefly explain them.
21st
Sex
Klinefelter - only males - 2 or more X chromosomes and 1 Y chromosome - small penis and testes, dvlpmt of breasts, sterile
Turner - only females - single x chromosome - short in stature, webbed neck, drooping eyelids
Alterations in chromosome structure include:
Deletions, translocations, and inversions
Deletion - a part of a chromosome is missing
Translocation - transfer of a chromosome segment to another chromosome
Inversion - Chromosome breaks in 2 places and the segment formed inverts (turns upside down) and reattaches to the chromosome
When is exposure to teratogens the most dangerous?
During the embryonic stage (weeks 3-8)
Some teratogens and their effects:
Alcohol: could lead to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, which in order of severity (greatest to least) includes:
a. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)
b. Alcohol-related neurodevelopmental Disorder (ARND)
c. Alcohol-related birth Defects (ARBD)
Cocaine: spontaneous abortion/stillbirth, seizures, reduced head circumference, exagerated startle response
Nicotine: placental abnormalities, respiratory isues, SIDS, social/cognitive issues
Lead: Intellectual disability
*All low birth weight
Maternal conditions and birth defects include:
1) Rubella - blindness, deafness, heart/intellectual issues
2) Cytomegalovirus - intellectual issues, hearing/visual issues
3) HIV/AIDS - 20-30% change of transmitting HIV - with drug therapy, 50% of kids survive beyond age 10
4) Malnutrition - low weight, stillbirth, poor immune
5) Stress - miscarraige, painful labor, irregular feeding, sleeping, and bowel habits, low birth weight