ANT 111 Study Guide Exam 1

What is anthropology?

The scientific study of humans, past and present, viewed holistically and comparatively.

What are the four subfields of anthropology?

Cultural Anthropology, Biological Anthropology, Linguistic Anthropology, and Archaeology.

What do somatic cells do?

Make up body tissues and are diploid, dividing through mitosis to produce genetically identical daughter cells.

What are gametes?

Reproductive cells (sperm and egg) that are haploid and formed through meiosis, producing genetically unique cells.

What is the structure of DNA?

DNA has a double helix structure, composed of a sugar-phosphate backbone and nitrogenous bases (A, T, G, C) that pair specifically.

What is a gene?

A specific segment of DNA located at a particular locus on a chromosome, containing the instructions for synthesizing proteins.

What is the process of DNA replication?

The biological process of producing two identical replicas of DNA from one original DNA molecule, crucial for cell division.

What is transcription in protein synthesis?

The process where genetic information from DNA is copied into a messenger RNA (mRNA) molecule.

What is translation in protein synthesis?

The process where the mRNA sequence is used to build a specific protein sequence at ribosomes, using tRNA.

What is a point mutation?

A change in a single nucleotide base pair within a DNA sequence, which can create silent, missense, or nonsense mutations.

What is the law of segregation?

During gamete formation, the two alleles for a heritable character separate so that each gamete carries only one allele.

What is the difference between genotype and phenotype?

Genotype is the specific genetic makeup for a trait, while phenotype is the observable characteristic resulting from that genotype.

What does a Punnett square show?

A diagram used to predict the possible genotypes and phenotypes of offspring from a genetic cross.

What is natural selection?

The differential survival and reproduction of individuals based on their phenotypic traits, leading to adaptation.

What is the difference between directional and disruptive selection?

Directional selection favors one extreme phenotype, while disruptive selection favors individuals at both extremes over intermediate phenotypes.

What is the Grandmother Hypothesis?

A hypothesis suggesting that post-reproductive lifespan evolved because older women contribute significantly to the fitness of their grandchildren.

What is phenotypic plasticity?

The ability of one genotype to produce different phenotypes when exposed to varying environmental conditions.

What is balanced polymorphism?

A situation where two or more alleles are maintained at stable frequencies in a population due to heterozygote advantage.

How do Bergmann's Rule and Allen's Rule relate to human variation?

States larger body sizes are found in colder climates; Allen's Rule states shorter appendages are found in colder climates.

What is gene-culture co-evolution?

The process by which cultural practices drive genetic changes in human populations, like lactase persistence in dairy-farming cultures.

What is the role of mutations in evolution?

Random changes in DNA that introduce new alleles into a population, providing raw material for evolution.

What is genetic drift?

Random fluctuations in allele frequencies in a population, particularly pronounced in small populations.

What does heritability measure?

The proportion of observed phenotypic variation in a population that is attributable to genetic variation among individuals.

What is speciation?

The evolutionary process by which new biological species arise from existing species.

What is the significance of the sickle cell trait in malaria-prone regions?

Provides a heterozygote advantage against malaria, maintaining the allele in the population despite its severe homozygous form.