Developmental chapter 3 ( Genes, Environment, and Development)

Question 1

species heredity

Answer 1

Genetic features that members of a particular species have in common

it is a contributor to universal species traits and patterns of maturation

Question 2

what are the 3 mains points of - Darwin’s evolutionary theory?

Answer 2

(1) there is genetic variation in species otherwise
↳ Otherwise there would have been no evolution

(2) some genes are more useful for environmental adaptation than others

(3) Useful genes that allow for better adaption have a higher chance of being transmitted to future generations.

Question 3

what is natural selection?

Answer 3

Individuals who have more adaptable genes are more likely to survive and reproduce

“Evolution is all about the interaction between the genes and the environment”

Question 4

evolutionary psychology

Answer 4

The application of evolutional theories in psychology in order to understand why humans think and act in a certain way

Question 5

cultural evolution

Answer 5

the idea that the things people learn and share, can change and grow over time

(like knowledge, customs, technology, and behaviors)

Question 6

chromosomes

Answer 6

a structure inside the cell that carries genes

Question 7

what is meiosis?

Answer 7

A type of cell division resulting in 4 cells each with half the number of chromosomes of the parent cell

Question 8

what is mitosis?

Answer 8

A type of cell division that results in two cells, each having the same number and kind of chromosomes as the parent cell

Question 9

How many chromosomes has a human cell?

Answer 9

EXCEPT for gametes, all human cells contain copies of the 46 chromosomes provided at conception

Question 10

facts about DNA

Answer 10

-there are around 20.000-25.000 functional genes in the human DNA

• each gene provides instructions for the production of particular proteins (the building blocks
  of all cells)

Question 11

what is the aim of the Human Genome Project?

Answer 11

scientific research project with the goal of identifying, mapping and sequencing all the genes of the human genome

Question 12

what is crossing over?

Answer 12

a swap of DNA between chromosomes to make sure everyone gets a unique mix of traits from their parents.

Question 13

How is a baby’s sex determined?

Answer 13

22 chromosomes are similar in both males and females.
The 23rd pair of chromosomes are the sex chromosomes

males → XY
females → XX

Question 14

Genotype

Answer 14

the genetic composition of an individual

Question 15

Phenotype

Answer 15

Phenotype is how you look or how your body works because of your genes and your environment.

“genes and the environment combine to determine how a particular genotype is translated into a particular phenotype”

Question 16

gene expression

Answer 16

Gene expression is when your body uses the instructions in your genes to make things happen (such as to grow hair)

Question 17

sex-linked inheritance

Answer 17

mechanism of inheritance in which a characteristic is influenced by
single genes located on sex chromosomes

Question 18

polygenic inheritance

Answer 18

mechanism of inheritance in which multiple gene pairs interact with environmental factors to influence a trait

Question 19

mutation

Answer 19

change or mistake in the genetic instructions (genes) inside your body

Question 20

copy number variations

Answer 20

phenomenon in which parts of the genome are repeated

Question 21

chromosome abnormalities

Answer 21

conditions in which an individual has too few or too many
incomplete chromosomes because of errors in sperm or ova
formation

Question 22

sex chromosome abnormalities

Answer 22

chromosome abnormality in which a child receives too
many or too few sex chromosomes

Question 23

what is behavioral genetics?

Answer 23

study of how genetic variation affects psychological traits, including
cognitive abilities, personality, mental illness, and social attitudes

Question 24

what is heritability?

Answer 24

measure how well differences in people’s genes account for differences in their traits

“the variability in a trait that is not associated to genetic differences is associated with environmental differences”

Question 25

twin study

Answer 25

studies conducted on identical/fraternal twins, aiming to reveal the importance of environmental and genetic influences for traits, phenotypes, and disorders

Question 26

adoption study

Answer 26

studies that check whether adopted children are more similar to their adoptive or biological parents

Question 27

concordance rates

Answer 27

measure how likely it is for two people, like identical twins, to both have a certain trait or condition, like eye color or a disease.

Question 28

shared environmental influences

Answer 28

experiences people living in the same environment share

Question 29

nonshared environmental influences

Answer 29

experiences unique to the individual

Question 30

5-HTTLPR gene

Answer 30

gene that affects stress reactivity by affecting levels of serotonin in the brain

Question 31

gene-environment interaction

Answer 31

when both your genes (the instructions inside your body) and your environment (the world around you) work together to influence how you grow, develop, and behave.

Question 32

diathesis-stress model

Answer 32

explains how people might develop mental health problems or other conditions by looking at two main things: their vulnerability (diathesis) and stress from life.

some “risk genes” are now turning out to make people not only susceptible to the damaging effects of stressful environments, but also allow them to benefit more than others from nurturing environments

Question 33

Gene-environment correlations

Answer 33

Describes how your genes and your environment are connected, and how they can influence each other in different ways.

Question 34

gene-environment correlations (interactions / correlations)

Answer 34

people with different genes react differently to their experiences

and people with different genes have different experiences

Question 35

what are passive gene-environment correlations?

Answer 35

when parents pass on both genes and an environment that complements those genes to their children. The child’s environment is shaped by the parents, who provide both genetic material and create a setting that matches the child’s inherited traits, even though the child doesn’t actively choose or influence it.

Question 36

what are evocative gene-environment correlations?

Answer 36

when , your genes influence your behavior, and that behavior makes people around you react in certain ways. These reactions create an environment that matches or reinforces your genetic traits.

Question 37

implications of gene-environment correlations

Answer 37

studies designed to check for genetic explanations of
apparent environmental effects and establish whether
environment matters

Question 38

genetically informed studies (and their approaches)

Answer 38

research studies designed to understand how both genes and the environment influence traits, behaviors, and conditions.

Approaches:
(1) checking if an environmental influence is as obvious in adoptive kids as in biological kids

(2) studying identical twins to see if developmental differences are systematically related to differences in their experiences

Question 39

epigenesis

Answer 39

process by which nature and nurture, genes and environment, work together to produce development in unpredictable ways

Question 40

epigenetic effects

Answer 40

ways in which environmental factors modify gene expression and thus the influence of genes on traits (particular genes in particular cells)
/
changes in how your genes work without changing the actual DNA sequence. These changes are caused by things in your environment or life experiences and can affect how genes are turned on or off.

Question 41

epigenetic effects and differences between twins

Answer 41

• in infancy, genes of young twins share very similar patterns
• in contrast, the older, the more differently genes are expressed based on longer nonshared environmental experiences

Question 42

epigenetic effects of nurturing and neglect

Answer 42

• kids of rat mothers that were nurturing in infancy turned out to be stress resistant adults
• neglecting rat mothers led their kids to be timid and easily stressed adults

Question 43

epigenetic effects and obesity

Answer 43

(characteristics acquired through one’s lifetime can be inherited by their descendants)
↳ through social transmission (ex: behaviors), or through epigenetic inheritance

Question 44

gene therapy

Answer 44

medical field which focuses on the genetic modification of cells to produce a therapeutic effect or the treatment of disease by repairing or reconstructing defective genetic material