evolution, genes, environment and behavior

Question 1

evolution (biological)

Answer 1

gradual change over time in organic life from one form into another.

Question 2

natural selection

Answer 2

characteristics that increase the likelihood of survival and reproduction within a particular environment will be preserved in the population and therefore become more frequent over time.

Question 3

mutations

Answer 3

random events and accidents in gene reproduction during the division of cells.

Question 4

dominant

Answer 4

the particular characteristic tat it controls will be displayed.

Question 5

recessive

Answer 5

the characteristics will not show up unless the partner gene inherited from the other parent is also recessive.

Question 6

allele

Answer 6

alternative forms of gene that produce different characteristics.

Question 7

polygenic transmission

Answer 7

when a number of gene pairs combine their influences to create a single phenotypic traits.

Question 8

genotype

Answer 8

the specific and complete genetic make-up of the individual.

Question 9

phenotype

Answer 9

the individual’s outward observable characteristics.

Question 10

adaptations

Answer 10

physical or behavioral changes that allow organisms to meet recurring environmental challenges to their survival, thereby increasing their reproductive ability.

Question 11

genes

Answer 11

functional segments of the long molecule deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, that code for proteins.

Question 12

chromosome

Answer 12

a single- or double- stranded structure comprising proteins and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)

Question 13

somatic

Answer 13

a somatic cell is any cell forming the body of an organism; they do not contain reproductive cells.

Question 14

diploid

Answer 14

the number of chromosomes carried by a cell with two complete sets of chromosomes (one from each parent) is called the diploid number of chromosomes.

Question 15

gametes

Answer 15

sex cels (eggs and sperm)

Question 16

haploid

Answer 16

the number of chromosomes carried by a gamete cell, which is half the number of chromosomes carried in a typical cell, is called the haploid number of chromosomes.

Question 17

zygote

Answer 17

a fertilized egg containing 46 pairs of chromosomes.

Question 18

nucleotides

Answer 18

nitrogenous base, phosphate and sugar groups.

Question 19

inherited behavioral adaptions

Answer 19

traits that organisms are born with that help promote their chances of survival and reproductive success.

Question 20

fixed action pattern (FAP)

Answer 20

an unlearned response automatically triggered by a particular stimulus.

Question 21

releasing stimuli

Answer 21

external stimuli that trigger fixed action patterns.

Question 22

behavioral genetics

Answer 22

a field of psychological science dedicated to investigating how genes and the environmental factors interact during the course of development so as to affect behavior.

Question 23

degree of relatedness

Answer 23

the proportion of genes we inherit form others by direct common descent.

Question 24

shared environment

Answer 24

the environmental factors that certain individuals (eg, twins) share in common (such as the same parents or physical home environment)

Question 25

non-shared environment

Answer 25

the environmental factors that certain individuals (e.g., twins) do not share with each other (such as specific friendship groups or unique individual experiences)

Question 26

single nucleotide polymorphisms

Answer 26

the units of variation in the genetic code of our DNA.

Question 27

genome-wide association (GWA) studies

Answer 27

studies that ,ay scan the whole genome of many individuals in order to identify genetic markers for behavioral traits or diseases.

Question 28

gene chip

Answer 28

a microarray that can sample DNA from an individual to identify the expression of a wide range of genes across the genome.

Question 29

polygenic score

Answer 29

the summed effect of multiple single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on a given trait.

Question 30

adoption study

Answer 30

adoption studies make us of the fact that adopted children share a greater proportion of their genes with their biological parents and siblings than their adopted parents and siblings, to draw conclusions about the relative roles of genes and the environment in psychological and behavioral traits.

Question 31

twin studies

Answer 31

compare trait similarities in identical and fraternal twins.

Question 32

concordance rates

Answer 32

statistical expression of the probability that two individuals with shared genes will share a particular trait to the same degree.

Question 33

heritability coefficient

Answer 33

estimates the extent to which the differences, or variation, in a specific phenotypic characteristic within a group of people can be attributed to their differing genes.

Question 34

reaction range

Answer 34

the range of possibilities- the range of possibilities- the upper and lower limits- that the genetic code allows.

Question 35

passive gene- environment correlation

Answer 35

an association between the child's genetic inheritance and the environment In which they are raised.

Question 36

evocative gene- environment correlation

Answer 36

where a child's genetically influenced behaviors evoke certain responses from other in their environment

Question 37

active gene-environment correlation

Answer 37

an association between genotype and the environments that genotype leads someone to seek out.

Question 38

evolutionary psychology

Answer 38

a growing discipline that seeks to explain how evolution shaped modern human behavior.

Question 39

kin selection

Answer 39

an evolutionary strategy in which behaviors are selected that favor the reproductive success of an organisms relatives even if that is at a cost to that organisms own survival and reproduction.

Question 40

reciprocal altruism

Answer 40

a behavior in an organism that reduces its fitness to survive and reproduce while increasing another organisms fitness; undertaken with the expectation that the favor will be returned later.

Question 41

evolutionary personality theory

Answer 41

looks for the origin of presumably universal personality traits in the adoptive demands of our species´ evolutionary history.

Question 42

strategic pluralism

Answer 42

the idea that multiple- even contradictory- behavioral strategies might be adoptive in certain environments and would therefore be maintained through natural selection.