Chapter 2 Key Terms Flashcards
A variation of a specific gene.
Allele
The first 22 pairs of chromosomes
Autosomes
The branch of genetics that deals with the inheritance of behavioural and psychological traits.
Behavioural Genetics
A technique using clustered, regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats to edit genes.
CRISPR
Thread-like structures in the nucleus of the cell that contain genetic material
Chromosomes
A molecule composed of four nucleotide bases; DNA is the biochemical basis of heredity
Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA)
Twins that are the result of the fertilization of two separate eggs by two sperm
Dizygotic (fraternal) Twins
The form of an allele whose chemical instructions are followed
Dominant Allele
A disorder caused by an extra 21st chromosome that results in intellectual disability and a distinctive appearance
Down syndrome
The continuous interplay between genes and multiple levels of the environment (from cells to culture)
Epigenesis
A group of nucleotide bases that provide a specific set of biochemical instructions
Gene
A person’s hereditary makeup
Genotype
A disorder in which the blood does not clot easily, and sufferers can bleed severely from even minor injury
hemophilia
An estimate of the extent to which differenced among people reflect heredity
Heritability Coefficient
The condition in which the alleles for hereditary characteristics differ from each other.
Heterozygous
The condition in which the alleles for hereditary characteristics are the same
Homozygous
A type of dementia caused by a dominant allele characterized by degeneration of the nervous system.
Huntington’s disease
The situation in which one allele does not dominate another completely.
Incomplete Dominance:
The technique of fertilizing eggs with sperm in a Petri dish and then transferring several of the fertilized eggs to the mother’s uterus, where they might implant in the lining of the uterine wall
In Vitro Fertilization
Twins that result when a single fertilized egg splits to form two new individuals.
Monozygotic (identical) Twins
A process by which experience changes the expression of DNA- the genetic code is preserved, but a gene is silenced by a methyl molecule
Methylation
The process of deliberately seeking environments that are compatible with one’s genetic makeup
Niche-picking
Forces in the immediate environment (e.g, within a family) that make children different from one another
Nonshared Environmental Influences
The physical, behavioural, and psychological features that are the result of the interaction between one’s genes and the environment
Phenotype
