Chapter 2 - Genetic and environmental foundations

Question 1

Phenotypes

Answer 1

directly observable characteristics

Question 2

Genotypes

Answer 2

The complex blend genetic information that determines our species and influences all our unique characteristics.

Question 3

Chromosomes

Answer 3

rod-like structures which store and transmit genetic information.

Question 4

Gene

Answer 4

a segment of DNA along the length of the chromosome,

Question 5

Protein-coding genes

Answer 5

directly affect our body’s characteristics

Question 6

Regulator genes

Answer 6

Modify the instructions given by protein-coding genes

Question 7

Gametes

Answer 7

sex cells (sperm, ovum)

Question 8

Meiosis

Answer 8

Halves # of chromosomes present

Question 9

Zygote

Answer 9

When sperm and ovum unite at conception, this is the resulting cell

Question 10

Autosomes

Answer 10

any chromosomes besides sex chromosomes

Question 11

Fraternal / dizygotic twins

Answer 11

most common type of multiple offspring, resulting in the release and fertilization of two ova.

Question 12

Identical / monozygotic twins

Answer 12

identical twins, happens when a zygote that has started to duplicate separates into two clusters of cells that develop into two individuals. have the same identical genetic make-up.

Question 13

Incomplete dominance

Answer 13

A pattern of inheritance in which both alleles are expressed in the phenotype, resulting in a combined trait, or one that is intermediate between the two. Examples are sickle cell trait

Question 14

X-linked inheritance

Answer 14

When a harmful allele is carried on a X chromosome. Males are overwhelmingly affected, and females are likely to be a carrier.

Question 15

Genomic imprinting

Answer 15

Alleles are imprinted, or chemically marked through regulatory processes within the genome, in such a way that one pair member (either mothers or fathers) is activated, regardless of its makeup.

Question 16

Mutation

Answer 16

A sudden but permanent change in a segment of DNA.

Question 17

Polygenic inheritance

Answer 17

When many genes affect the characteristic in question.

Question 18

Down syndrome

Answer 18

Also called trisomy 21, because it often results from a failure of the 21st pair of chromosomes to separate during meiosis, so the new individual receives three of these chromosomes rather than the normal 2.

Question 19

Genetic counseling

Answer 19

communication process designed to help couples assess their chances of giving birth to a baby with a hereditary disorder and choose the best course of action in view of risks and family goals.

Question 20

methods of reproductive technology

Answer 20

• Donor insemination
• In Vitro Fertilization
• Surrogate motherhood

Question 21

Prenatal diagnostic methods

Answer 21

medical procedures that permit detection of developmental problems before birth

Question 22

Coparenting

Answer 22

mutually supporting each other’s parenting behaviors

Question 23

Socioeconomic status (SES)

Answer 23

Combines three related, but not overlapping variables: 1) years of education, 2) prestige of one’s job and the skill it requires, which measures social status 3) income, which measures economic status.

Question 24

Benefits to social support

Answer 24

• parental self-worth
• parental access to valuable information and services
• child-rearing controls and role models
• direct assistance with child rearing

Question 25

Subcultures

Answer 25

groups of people with beliefs and customs that differ from those of the larger culture

Question 26

Extended-family houses

Answer 26

when parent and child live with one or more adult relatives

Question 27

Public policies

Answer 27

laws and government programs designed to improve current conditions.

Question 28

Behavioral genetics

Answer 28

A field devoted to uncovering the contributions of nature and nurture to this diversity in human traits and abilities.

Question 29

Heritability estimates

Answer 29

measures the extent to which individual differences in complex traits in a specific population are due to genetic factors.

Question 30

Kinship studies

Answer 30

compare the characteristics of family members

Question 31

Gene-environment interaction

Answer 31

means that because of their genetic makeup, individuals differ in their responsiveness to qualities of the environment.

Question 32

gene-environment corrolation

Answer 32

supports the idea that our genes influence the environments to which we are exposed. Passive correlation in younger years when the child has no say in whats going on around him/her, and evocative correlation, when children evoke responses that are influenced by their heredity. Third, active correlation is when children seek environments that fit with their genetic tendencies.

Question 33

Niche-picking

Answer 33

the tendency to actively choose environments that complement our heredity

Question 34

Epigenesis

Answer 34

Development resulting from ongoing bidirectional exchanges between heredity and all levels of the environment.

Question 35

Methylation

Answer 35

a biochemical process triggered by certain experiences, in which a set of chemical compounds lands onto of a gene and changes its impact, reducing or silencing its expression.