lecture 3

A collection of vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts from the lecture on evolutionary and genetic theories in child development.

Evolutionary Theory

A theory that explains the diversity and functionality of living organisms, including humans.

Natural Selection

The process where organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.

Sexual Selection

A mode of natural selection where members of one sex choose mates based on specific traits, like the peacock's tail.

Lamarckianism

An evolutionary theory stating that traits acquired during an organism's lifetime can be passed on to offspring, largely discredited now.

Phenotype

The expression of genes in an organism, observable characteristics resulting from the genotype.

Genotype

The genetic makeup of an organism, the set of genes inherited from parents.

Epigenetics

The study of changes in gene expression that do not involve changes to the underlying DNA sequence.

Apoptosis

The process of programmed cell death that occurs in multicellular organisms.

Synaptogenesis

The formation of synapses between neurons in the nervous system.

Biological Fitness

A measure of an organism's ability to survive and reproduce, often gauged by the number of offspring produced.

Adaptation

A change by which a species becomes better suited to its environment.

The Selfish Gene

A book by Richard Dawkins that explains that genes act to ensure their own survival.

Maturation

The process of becoming mature, includes physical and mental growth.

Cognitive Mechanisms

Specific mental capabilities that help in processing information, solving problems, and interacting with the world.

Domain Specific Mechanisms

Brain mechanisms that are specialized for processing specific types of information.

Environment of Evolutionary Adaptation (EEA)

The environment to which a species is adapted, which influences its behavior and physical characteristics.

Altruism

Behavior of an individual that increases the fitness of others while decreasing its own.

Interactivity

The reciprocal influence of genetic and environmental factors on development.

Polygenic Traits

Traits that are influenced by multiple genes.

Phenylketonuria (PKU)

A genetic disorder that results in the inability to metabolize the amino acid phenylalanine, leading to brain damage if untreated.

Homozygous

Having two identical alleles for a particular gene.

Heterozygous

Having two different alleles for a particular gene.

Sex Chromosomes

Chromosomes that determine the sex of an organism, X and Y in humans.

Down Syndrome

A genetic disorder caused by the presence of an extra 21st chromosome, leading to developmental and physical challenges.

Cystic Fibrosis

A recessive genetic disorder that results in high levels of mucus production in various organs.

Gene-Environment Interaction

The interplay where environmental factors affect the expression of genes.

Plasticity (Brain Plasticity)

The brain's ability to change and adapt as a result of experience.

Critical Periods

Specific times during development when the brain is particularly receptive to learning a certain type of information.

Experience-Expected Processes

Brain development processes that typically occur in response to common experiences, like language exposure.

Chromosomes

Thread-like structures in the nucleus of animal and plant cells, made of protein and DNA, that carry genetic information in the form of genes.

Genes

A unit of heredity that is transferred from a parent to offspring and is held to determine some characteristic of the offspring.

Mechanisms Contributing to Genetic Diversity

Processes like mutation, random assortment, and crossing over that create new combinations of alleles within a population.

Mutations

A permanent alteration in the DNA sequence that makes up a gene, leading to new alleles.

Random Assortment

The independent arrangement of homologous chromosomes during meiosis, leading to distinct gamete combinations.

Crossing Over

The exchange of genetic material between homologous chromosomes during meiosis, creating new combinations of alleles on a chromosome.

Alleles

One of two or more alternative forms of a gene that arise by mutation and are found at the same place on a chromosome.

Dominant Allele

An allele that expresses its phenotypic effect even when heterozygous with a recessive allele; it masks the presence of a recessive allele.

Recessive Allele

An allele that only expresses its phenotypic effect when homozygous; its effect is masked by a dominant allele.

The Male Disadvantage

Refers to the higher susceptibility of males to X-linked recessive genetic disorders, as they only have one X chromosome.

Deleterious Effects

Harmful or disadvantageous effects, often referring to mutations that reduce an organism's fitness.

Polygenic Inheritance

A form of inheritance where a single trait is controlled by two or more genes, each contributing to the phenotype in an additive way.

Average Familial IQ Correlations

The degree to which IQ scores tend to be similar among family members, suggesting both genetic and shared environmental influences.

Regulator Genes

Genes that control the expression of one or more other genes by turning them on or off, thereby controlling protein synthesis.

Proliferation (Neurogenesis)

The process of rapid cell division and growth, specifically referring to the birth of new neurons in the context of neurogenesis.

Neuronal Migration

The process by which newly generated neurons travel from their birthplace to their final position in the brain.

Cellular Differentiation

The process by which a less specialized cell becomes a more specialized cell type, such as a neuron or glial cell.

Synaptic Pruning

The process of eliminating redundant or weak synaptic connections, which is crucial for efficient brain development and function.

Synaptic Rearrangement

The modification and reorganization of existing synaptic connections in the brain as a result of development and experience.

Neurogenesis

The process by which new neurons are formed in the brain, primarily during embryonic development but also in certain adult brain regions.

Neuroplasticity

The brain's enduring ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life, allowing it to adapt to new experiences and learning.

Synapses

Specialized junctions through which neurons transmit electrical or chemical signals to other neurons or to effector cells.

Experience-Expected Synaptogenesis

The formation of synapses that occurs in response to common environmental experiences that are typical for the development of the species, leading to basic brain architecture.

Experience-Dependent Synaptogenesis

The formation of synapses that are unique to specific individual experiences, allowing for personalized learning and memory formation.

Kennard Effect

The principle stating that brain damage sustained early in life often results in less severe functional deficits than similar damage sustained later in life, due to greater neural plasticity in the developing brain.

Encephalization Quotient (EQ)

a measure of an animal's relative brain size compared to an expected brain size for its body mass. It is calculated as the ratio of a species' observed brain mass to its predicted brain mass, based on a non-linear regression of a range of reference species.

The Development of the Brain

1. Proliferation (neurogenesis)

2. Migration

3. Differentiation

4. Synaptogenesis

5. Cell death and synaptic pruning

6. Synaptic rearrangement

Epigenetics

is how genes and the environment work together to produce/develop an organism

It is likely the future of developmental studies

It is a reductionist approach that is extremely challenging to do in humans