Chapter 3 - The Evolving Mind

Nature and Nurture Intertwined

Nature

The contributions of heredity to our physical structure and behaviors

Nurture

The contributions of environmental factors and experience to our physical structure and behaviors

Genotype

An individual’s profile of alleles

Phenotype

An observable characteristic

Gene

A small segment of DNA located in a particular place on a chromosome that produces a protein

Gene expression

The process in which genetic instructions are converted into a feature of a living cell

Allele

One of several versions of a gene, as in having an A, B, or O blood type allele

Homozygous

Having two of the same alleles for a gene

Heterozygous

Having two different alleles for a gene

Recessive

A feature of an allele that produces a phenotype only in the homozygous condition

Dominant

A feature of an allele that determines a phenotype in either the homozygous or the heterozygous condition

Relatedness

The probability that two people share the same allele from a common ancestor

Behavioral genetics

The scientific field that attempts to identify and understand links between genetics and behavior

Heritability

The statistical likelihood that variations observed in a population are because of genetics

Concordance rates

The statistical probability that a trait in one person will be shared by another; usually discussed in relation to identical and fraternal twins

Candidate gene

A gene that has a greater impact on a trait of interest than other genes

Genomewide association study (GWAS)

A scan of complete sets of DNA from many participants, which is performed to look for variations associated with a particular phenotype, condition, or disease

Epigenetics

The study of gene-environment interactions in the production of phenotypes

Evolution

Descent with modification from a common ancestor

Natural selection

The process by which survival and reproduction pressures act to change the frequency of alleles in subsequent generations

Mutation

An error that occurs when DNA is replicated

Migration

Movement to a new location

Genetic drift

Change in a population’s genes from one generation to the next because of chance or accident

Fitness

The ability of one genotype to reproduce more successfully relative to other genotypes

Adaption

A change because of natural selection

Altruism

Behavior on behalf of another that fails to benefit or harms the individual performing it

Reciprocal altruism

Help that you provide for another person when you expect the person to return the favor in the future