Mod 13-15

Question 1

corpus callosum

Answer 1

the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them.

Question 2

split brain

Answer 2

a condition resulting from surgery that isolates the brain’s two hemispheres by cutting the fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) connecting them

Question 3

consciousness

Answer 3

our subjective awareness of ourselves and our environment.

Question 4

cognitive neuroscience

Answer 4

the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking, memory, and language).

Question 5

dual processing

Answer 5

the principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks.

Question 6

blindsight

Answer 6

a condition in which a person can respond to a visual stimulus without consciously experiencing it.

Question 7

parallel processing

Answer 7

processing many aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain’s natural mode of information processing for many functions.

Question 8

sequential processing

Answer 8

processing one aspect of a problem at a time; generally used to process new information or to solve difficult problems.

Question 9

behavior genetics

Answer 9

the study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior.

Question 10

heredity

Answer 10

the genetic transfer of characteristics from parents to offspring.

Question 11

environment

Answer 11

every nongenetic influence, from prenatal nutrition to the people and things around us.

Question 12

chromosomes

Answer 12

threadlike structures made of DNA molecules that contain the genes

Question 13

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)

Answer 13

a complex molecule containing the genetic information that makes up the chromosomes.

Question 14

genes

Answer 14

the biochemical units of heredity that make up the chromosomes; segments of DNA capable of synthesizing proteins

Question 15

genome

Answer 15

the complete instructions for making an organism, consisting of all the genetic material in that organism’s chromosomes.

Question 16

identical (monozygotic) twins

Answer 16

develop from a single fertilized egg that splits in two, creating two genetically identical organisms.

Question 17

fraternal (dizygotic) twins

Answer 17

develop from separate fertilized eggs. They are genetically no closer than ordinary brothers and sisters, but they share a prenatal environment

Question 18

heritability

Answer 18

the proportion of variation among individuals in a group that we can attribute to genes. The heritability of a trait may vary, depending on the range of populations and environments studied.

Question 19

interaction

Answer 19

the interplay that occurs when the effect of one factor (such as environment) depends on another factor (such as heredity).

Question 20

molecular genetics

Answer 20

the subfield of biology that studies the molecular structure and function of genes.

Question 21

molecular behavior genetics

Answer 21

the study of how the structure and function of genes interact with our environment to influence behavior.

Question 22

epigenetics

Answer 22

“above” or “in addition to” (epi) genetics; the study of environmental influences on gene expression that occurs without a DNA change

Question 23

evolutionary psychology

Answer 23

the study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection.

Question 24

natural selection

Answer 24

the principle that inherited traits that better enable an organism to survive and reproduce in a particular environment will (in competition with other trait variations) most likely be passed on to succeeding generations.

Question 25

mutation

Answer 25

a random error in gene replication that leads to a change.

Question 26

social script

Answer 26

a culturally modeled guide for how to act in various situations.

Question 27

Paul Broca

Answer 27

French physician who led to the discovery of specialized language brain areas

Question 28

Carl Wernicke

Answer 28

german investigator,

Question 29

Roger Sperry

Answer 29

human beings are two minds

Question 30

Michael Gazzaniga

Answer 30

studied the neural basis of the mind with primary responsibility for initiating human split-brain research

Question 31

Charles Darwin

Answer 31

english natural scientist who formulated a theory of evolution by natural selection.