Genes and their effects on behaviour

Question 1

Genes

Answer 1

The basic physical units of heredity that provides the coded instructions for the expression of hereditary traits.

Question 2

Genetic inheritance

Answer 2

The passing of traits or characteristics, encoded in DNA, from parents to offspring during reproduction, determining the characteristics of individuals.

Question 3

Dominant allele

Answer 3

An allele that expresses itself even when paired with a different allele.

Question 4

Recessive allele

Answer 4

A allele that only expresses itself when paired with another of itself.

Question 5

Codominance

Answer 5

A type of inheritance in which both alleles are expressed equally.

Question 6

Genotype

Answer 6

The genetic constitution of an individual organism.

Question 7

Phenotype

Answer 7

The set of observable characteristics of an individual resulting from the interaction of its genotype with the environment.

Question 8

Monozygotic twins

Answer 8

Two offspring of the same pregnancy developed from a single fertilised ovum that splits into equal halves during an early stage of pregnancy, meaning that they share 100% of their DNA.

Question 9

Dizygotic twins

Answer 9

Two offspring of the same pregnancy developed from two ova that were released from the ovary simulatenously and fertilised at the same time, meaning that they share 50% of their DNA.

Question 10

Epigenetics

Answer 10

A field of study that argues that in order for a behaviour to occur, genes must be
‘expressed’ via a complex chemical reaction to environmental or physiological changes.