Heredity and Heritability Flashcards
Developmental bias
Organisms constructed in development and developmental processes non-randomly direct selection
Plasticity
Generates traits well suited to the environment which directs further selection
Niche construction
Organisms often co-construct and coevolve with their environments, and in doing so, change the environment within which they evolve
Extra-genetic inheritance
Epigenetic, social transmitted behaviour
Classical genetics
Started with Mendel (before DNA) and looked at observable characteristics (phenotypes) and infer how genes worked
Molecular genetics
Started with DNA; saw how genes work, properties inferred by proteins produced
Genomics
Computers allowed us to directed read genetic code of entire organisms
What era of genetics are we in now?
Post-genomics era
Sexual reproduction
One copy of each of 23 chromosomes from each parent
Recombination
Paired chromosomes can exchange DNA during meiosis
Mutations
More novel genetic variation
Inheritance
The tendency of offspring to be more similar to their parents than to other members of the population
Heritability
Proportion of variation in a phenotypic characteristic associated with genetic variation
Heritable
Of a characteristic, affected by variation in the genes and therefore transmissible genetically from parent to offspring
What is an example of something that shows heritability, but is not part of the basic human plan?
Reading
