Unit 3 Part B Vocabulary Flashcards
Portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgments
Frontal lobes
The intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the cerebral hemispheres; The body’s ultimate control and info processing center
Cerebral cortex
Portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; receives sensory input for touch and body position
Parietal lobe
Portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes areas that receive info from the visual fields
Occipital lobe
Portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory areas each receiving info primarily from the opposite ear
Temporal lobe
An area at the rear of the frontal lobe that controls voluntary movements
Motor cortex
Area at the front of the parietal lobe that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations
Somatosensory cortex
The brains ability to change, especially during childhood by recognizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience
Plasticity
The large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them
Corpus Callosum
Our awareness of ourselves and our environment
Consciousness
The principle that info is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks
Dual processing
The study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior
Behavior genetics
Thread like structures made of DNA molecules that contain the genes
Chromosomes
The biochemical units of heredity that make up the chromosomes; segments of DNA capable of synthesizing proteins
Genes
The complete instructions for making an organism consisting of all the genetic material in that organisms chromosomes
Genomes
Twins who develop from a single fertilized egg that splits into creating two genetically identical organisms
Identical twins
Twins who develop from separate fertilized eggs. They are genetically no closer than brothers and sisters but they share a fetal environment
Fraternal twins
The subfield of biology that studies the molecular structure and function of genes
Molecular genetics
The portion of variation among individuals that we can attribute to genes. The (blank) of a trait may vary depending on the range of populations and environments studied
Heritability
The study of environmental influences on gene expression that occur without a DNA change
Epigenetics
The study of the evolution of behavior and mind using principles of natural selection
Evolutionary psychology
The principle that among the range of inherited trait variations, those contributing to reproduction and survival will most likely be based on two succeeding generations
Natural selection
A random error in gene replication that leads to a change
Mutation
An evolutionary psychologist who developed the principle of natural selection
Charles Darwin
A complex molecule containing the genetic info that makes up the chromosomes
DNA
