module 35: nature and nurture Flashcards
what is selective breeding?
the selection of certain traits, mating them with an organism with similar traits, then seeing how the traits pass down.
who was Carl Linneaus?
Was involved with taxonomy ( organized different plants)
Classified types of plants by their reproductive organs, thought that reproduction was the most important part of an organism.
who was Lamark?
Created the theory of inheritance of acquired characteristics
— if an organism changes during its lifespan, in order to adapt to its environment, the changes must be passed along to its’ offspring.
who was Sir Charles Lyell?
Genealogist,
developed uniformitarianism- the earth was shaped by the same scientific processes still in operation today
describe the principles of evolution by natural selection.
— individuals exhibit variation (siblings are similar, yet different)
— there are more individuals than can survive or reproduce, therefore there is competition
— people having favorable characteristics have a better chance of surviving and reproducing (NATURAL SELECTION)
— characteristics that are favored and result in survival are heritable ( heritability)
- over time, organisms adapt to their environments
describe the genealogical study done on the Jukes family.
29 males who were immediate blood relatives were all inmates in a jail, and all belonged to the Jukes family.
( trait can be inherited across generations- 7 to be exact)
who constructed the first modern theory of inheritance?
George Mendel
who is considered the father of taxonomy?
Carl Linneaus
what is a genotype?
inherited genetic material
what is a phenotype?
the observed expression of genetic material ( ex: appearance
what is the endophenotype?
the UNOBSERVABLE expression of genetic material, sometimes as related to behavior
mediate pathways between genes and behavior
what is the “environment?”
anything that does not inolve genes
what are chromosomes made up of? what are genes made up of?
genes, DNA
how many chromosomes do humans have?
46 (23 pairs)
what constitutes male development? ( in terms of genes)
one gene on the Y chromosome (SRY gene) determines male sex
what are regulator genes? what do they do?
Control the activity of other genes by switching them on and off (external factors can influence the switching of the genes)
what is an allele?
two or more different forms of a gene ( dominant and recessive)
what is the homozygous form? what is the heterozygous form?
2 dominant and 2 recessive, 1 dominant and 1 recessive
males are more likely to suffer sex-linked inherited disorders caused by recessive alleles. true or false?
true
what are examples of sex- linked inherited disorders?
baldness, hemophilia, colorblindness
what is the “norm of reaction”?
all phenotypes that could develop from a genotype, in realtion to all the environments they can survive and develop in
what exactly is phenylketonuria? (PKU)
defective gene on chromosome 12, child cannot metabolize phenylalanine, so it build up as a toxin
what does PKU cause?
brain damage, intellectual disabilities
What is the gene MAOA (monoamine oxidase) associated with?
negative emotion, psychiatric disorders, agression
a child who has been abused and has a low amount of MAOA has a ——- chance of having a psychiatric disorder.
greater
what are epigenetics?
the study in which molecular mechanisms in environments can trigger or block genetic expression.
what is an epigenome?
cellular material that sits atop the genome, tell genes to switch on or off
describe the methyl group.
1 carbon atom attaches to 3 hydrogen atoms
what is DNA methylation?
methyl group attaches to a specific DNA sequence and stops gene expression by preenting transcription
what are the two main factors for long term changes in gene expression?
— a methyl group
— DNA methylation
what are non-coding RNA?
98% of the “junk” outside the 2% of the genome that involves protein- coding DNA
what does non-coding RNA do?
regulates expression of protein-coding DNA
what is the main factor for short-term changes in gene expression?
the use of non-coding RNA
behavioral genetics examine the influences of both —— and —— on behavior.
genes, environment
identical twins are MONOZYGOTIC. what does this mean in terms of genes?
they share 100% of their genetic material.
fraternal twins are DIZYGOTIC. what does this mean in terms of genes?
they share about 50% of their genetic material
describe the use of adoption studies in behavioral genetics.
examine whether adopted children’s traits correlate with biological parents or adoptive parents.
what exactly is heritability?
variance of traits among a given population that can be attributed to genetic differences among those individuals. ( example: IQ)
heritability estimates DO NOT pertain to?
individuals
