Module 3.1 - Genetic and Evolutionary Perspectives on Behaviour Flashcards
genes
the basis units of heredity
what are genes responsible for?
guiding the process of creating the proteins that make up our physical structures and regulate development and physiological processes throughout the life span
genes are composed of ____
DNA
DNA
a molecule formed in a double helix
DNA is made up of 4 nucleotides called?
1) Guanine (G)
2) Cytosine (C)
3) Adenine (A)
4) Thymine (T)
genotype
the genetic makeup of an organism–the unique set of genes that comprise that individuals genetic code
phenotype
the physical traits or behavioural characteristics that show genetic variation, such as eye colour, the shape and size of facial features and even personality
chromosomes
structures in the cellular nucleus that are lined with all of the genes an individual inherits
humans have approx. ___-____ genes distributed across 23 pairs of chromosomes, half contributed by the mother ad half by the father
20,000 - 25,000 genes
homozygous
if 2 corresponding genes at a given location on a pair of chromosomes are the same
heterozygous
if 2 corresponding genes at a given location on a pair of chromosomes differ
behavioural genomics
the study of DNA and the ways in which specific genes are related to behaviour
what is the human genome project attempting to identify?
the entire sequence of genes in the human body
how are genes related to diseases identified?
through the human genome project
true or false: small differences in the genetic sequence can subtly change the expression of genes that regulate the timing of development
true
behavioural genetics
the study of how genes and the environment influence behaviour
what does behavioural genetics examine?
examines the genetic basis of individual differences in behaviour and personality
monozygotic twins (identical twins)
come from a single ovum (egg), which makes them genetically identical (almost 100% genetic similarity)
dizygotic twins (fraternal twins)
come from 2 separate eggs fertilized by 2 different sperm cells that share the same womb; these twins have approx. 50% of their genetics in common
heritability
a statistic, expressed as a number between zero and one that represents the degree to which genetic differences between individuals contribute to individual differences in a behaviour or trait found in a population
heritability is expressed as a number from __ to __
0 to 1
true or false: heritability expressed as 0 means that genes do not contribute to individual differences
true
true or false: heritability expressed as 1 means that genes don’t account for individual differences
FALSE: heritability expressed as 1 means that genes account for all individual differences
true or false: almost all trait scores are between 0 and 1
true
what 2 things affect any estimate of heritability?
1) the amount of genetic variability within the group being studied
2) the variability in the environments that members of that group might be exposed to
gene expression
when a gene (or genes) becomes activitated
how do genes become activated?
due to preprogrammed (genetic) factors and “environmental” influences
epigenetics
changes in gene expression that occur as a result of experience
natural selection
the process by which favourable trait become increasingly common in a population of interbreeding individuals while traits that are unfavourable become less common
evolution
the change int he frquency of genes occurring in an interbreeding population over generations
what are the 2 patterns of evolution?
1) Lamarckian evolution
2) Darwinian evolution
Lamarchian evolution
steady, linear improvement over time
darwinian evolution
changes occur in spurts; they are not continuous
evolution occurs through ____, or when a change in the genetic sequence make one individual different from the others
mutations
_______ are mutations that, through chance, helped survival
adaptations
Exaptations
characteristics that arise in one environment, but are exploited to a much greater degree in another environment
what change from 500,000 years ago gave us the capability for language?
our throat (the elongated pharynx)
evolutionary psychology
a branch of psychology that attempts to explain human behaviours based on the beneficial function(s) they may have served in our species development
natural selection
nature determines which genes survive and reproduce and which genes disappear from the face of the planet
sexual selection
members of the opposite (or same) sex determine a genes fate
intrasexual selection
a situation in which members of the same sex compete in order to win the opportunity to mate with members of th opposite sex
intersexual selection
a situation in which members of one sex select mating partner based on their desirable traits
red dress effect
attraction is rated higher for women wearing red clothes, red lipstick and/or red hair bands
true or false: women judge unsuccessful looking men as being more appealing
FALSE: women judge successful looking men as being more appealing
true or false: men rate almost all women as being appealing
true
do men or women place a higher value on their partners economic status
on average females place a higher value on males economic status than men do on women
3 things about male gametes
- sperm
- inexpensive
- plentiful
3 things about female gametes
- eggs
- expensive
- limited number
the ______ cortex in humans is more developed than that of any other species.
prefrontal cortex
