Human Genetics Reading (final) Flashcards
what are the 2 opposing views on “where do these differences come from”
nativists and empiricist
what are nativists
emphasized genes and inborn characteristics, or nature
what are empiricists
focused on learning and experience, or nurture
is it nature or nurture
they are both together, it is not one or the other
what expresses genes
experience; such as stress and hormonal changes, etc
what are behavioural genetics
an interdisciplinary field of study concerned with generate contributions and individual differences in behaviour and personality
what are genes
th functional unit of heredity; they are composed of DNA and specify the structure of proteins
what are chromosomes
within every cell, rod shaped structures that carry the genes
what is DNA
the chromosomal molecule that transfers genetic characteristics by way of code instructions for the structure of proteins
what is gnome
the full set of genes in each cell of an organism (with the exception of sperm and egg cells), together with noncoding DNA located outside the genes
where are genes located
on chromosomes
where does 98.8% of our total DNA lay
outside the genes, is called junk DNA but that is quickly proving to be an inaccurate name
what form does DNA take
the DOUBLE HELIX
What are the bases in dna
ACTG
does the number of genes play a role in the complexity of the organism
not necessarily, it isn’t how many genes, but rather what those genes d
what is genome-wide association studies
trying to identify genes that cause disease in people who have them
what is linkage studies
searching for genes associated with rare disorders
what are genetic markers
DNA segments that vary considerably among individuals whose locations on the chromosome are already known and can function as a genetic landmark for a gene involved in a physical or mental condition
what are epigenetics
the study of stable changes in the expression of a particular gene that occur without changing in DNA base sequences; the Greek prefix epi means “on top of” or “in addition to”
form of mutation
does the genome stay the same
nope, mutations happen and produces various forms of genes
where do we get any mutations (gene varientients) from
our parents, but also the environment
the basic units of heredity are called
genes
what does whole-genome sequencing involve
sequencing the entire 3 billion base pares of DNA that make up the human genome
what do genetic mutations produce
inherited defects that will continue to be passed along genetic lines
why do gene frequencies change in a population
mutations and environment
what is evolutionary psychology
a field of psychology emphasizing evolutionary mechanisms that may help explain human commonalities in social practices, perception, emotional responses and other areas of behaviour
what is evolution
a change in gene frequencies within a population over many generations; a mechanism by which genetically influenced characteristics of a population may change
what is natural selection
the evolutionary process in which individuals with genetically influenced traits theatre adaptive in a particular environment tend to survive and reproduce in greater numbers than do other individuals; as a result, their traits became more common in the population
give an example of a mental module
why are we nice to people who aren’t nice to us? why do we tip a waiter even if we will never go back to that restaurant because the service was bad? because we have the natural selective mindset of “cooperate now because you may need them in the future” but critics are against this
lost 5 innate human characteristics
infant reflexes an interest in novelty (new things) a desire to explore and manipulate objects an impulse to play and fool around basic cognitive abilities
what is sociobiology
an interdisciplinary field that emphasizes evolutionary explanations of social behaviours in animals, including human beings
what are the opposite sexual strategies between males and females
males generally want sex more often then females do; males are often fickle and promiscuous whereas females are usually devoted and faithful; males are drawn to sexual novelly (they want to pass on as many genes as possible) whereas females was stability and security (because carrying an offspring is difficult and she needs help)
what are the 4 challenges to the evolutionary view of human mating strategies
stereotypes versus actual behaviour
what people say vs what they do
convenience vs representative samples
the fred flintstone problem
explain stereotypes versus actual behaviour
many examples where females have lots of sex and males are the faithful ones
what is meant by what people say vs what they do
based on what people say they desire in a potential mate is different than what they actually pick
what is convenience vs representative samples
the survey conducted will have some bias if you only pick from a specific group of people (e.g. what college students say will be different than hat the rest of the population says)
what is the fred flintstone problem
even if the plies tone age really influenced the choices and desires of people, there is no need to think we are still like that
what is heritability
a statistical estimate of the proportions of the total variance in some trait that is attributable to genetic differences among individuals within a group
what are the important facts about heritability
an estimate of heritability applies only to a particular group living in a particular environment
heritability estimates do not apply to a specific person, only to variations within a group of people
even highly heritable traits can be modified by the environment
what is Intelligence Quotient (IQ)
a measure of intelligence origionalycosmputed by dividing a person’s mental age by his or her chronological age and multiplying the rest by 100; it is now derived from norms provided for standardized intelligence tests
is IQ heritable
it can be
what are some environmental influences associated with reduced mental ability
poor parental care
malnutrition
exposure to toxins
stressful family circumstances
