Final Flashcards
What is the Epigenome?
The system of regulatory genes. The proteins that activate regulatory genes come from outside the cells and arise in the body due to environmental influences that organism are exposed to (nutrition, sun, etc.)
What is epigenetics?
Is the story of (workings of) the epigenome
Genotype
Each person’s specific instance of the human genome, contains what is specific to an individuals DNA
Phenotype
The actual organism that results from the expression of the genotype
Relate epigenetics to nature/nurture issue
The epigenome allows nurture to influence nature
Relate genetic and environmental determinisms to nature/nurture
Genetics determinisms represents nature and environmental determinisms represent nurture. Not one or the other both nature and nurture are influential
Understand what Adoption studies show about the genetic contribution to traits
Same environment, different genes, adopted children and non-blood related siblings
Understand what Family studies show about the genetic contributions to traits
Closer relatives are genetically more alike than more distant relatives: studies of traits that run in the families
SLI
Specific Language Impairment: A language defect that has no apparent explanation at all
FoxP2 on Chromosome 7
FOXP2 is a gene that regulates the activity of other genes, having an effect on the development of many organs, such as lungs, but also including brain systems important for speech and language
Specific Language Elevation
Extraordinary language skills in normal polyglots
In people with mental problems - Williams’ syndrome/language savants
The notion of the homunculus
Correspondences between the part of the brain that moves a specific body part
Somatosensory Cortex:
The gyrus after the central sulcus
Non-instrumental techniques
Dichotic listening experiments
Penfield and Jaspers…
Figured out the map of the brain called the homunculus
Dichotic Listening Studies
A psychological test commonly used to investigate selective attention within the auditory system
Split brain Patient
Left brain controls the language, right brain can ID word/picture and write with left hand
What are the two major types of Aphasia?
Broca’s and Wernicke’s
Broca’s Aphasia
- Articulation impaired
- Slow, telegraphic speech
Wernicke’s Aphasia
- Auditory comprehensions impaired
- Fluent sounding though meaningless
Plasticity
How fixed is the relation between regions and functions? regions can take on other functions in addition to the ‘default function’
What is ethology?
The study of animal behavior
Name some ways animals communicate with each other
- Electricity
- Suface waves
- Magnetic fields
What are some various functions of animal communication?
- Domain delimitation/territory
- Food
- Mates
- Social Rank
- Warnings/alarm calls/distress
What is intraspecies communication
Communication between the same species
What is interspecies communication?
Communication between members of different species (Ex. man & dog)
A way to define the notion of communication focus on the aspect of ‘intention’
Produce a form (of communication) with the intention to influence behavior of another creature
Two examples of animal communication systems
- The honeybee dance
2. Vervet monkeys alarm call
Explain the 3 step process of the honeybee dance
- Direction of waggle: direction to fly in reference with the sun
- Duration of the waggle: distance away from the hive
- Excitement of waggle: Quality of the food source