Synaptopathies and Inclusive Fitness Theory

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms and concepts related to synaptopathies, inclusive fitness theory, and the neuroscience involved in human behavior.

Synaptopathy

A type of disorder affecting synapses, often related to psychiatric or neurological conditions.

Neocortical neurons

A type of brain cell associated with higher-order functions such as cognition, reasoning, and language, which evolved rapidly in humans.

Inclusive fitness theory

A concept in evolutionary biology that expands the unit of selection from individual organisms to genes, explaining social behavior in terms of genetic contribution.

Epigenetic markers

Chemical modifications to DNA that can affect gene expression without altering the underlying DNA sequence.

Hamilton’s rule

A principle that predicts when altruistic behavior will evolve, stating that an organism will help others if the cost of helping is less than the benefit to the recipient, adjusted for relatedness.

Prisoner's Dilemma

A standard example in game theory illustrating the conflict between cooperation and competition between individuals.

Altruism

The selfless concern for the well-being of others, which can be explained through genetic predispositions.

Polygenic overlap

The situation where multiple diseases share common genetic risk factors or mutations.

Game theory

A field of mathematics that studies strategic interactions where the outcome for each participant depends on the actions of others.

Neuroscientist

A scientist who studies the structure and function of the nervous system and brain.