Module 1.1-1 Interaction of Heredity and Environment

1. Explain the nature vs nurture controversy.

   • Do genes or the environment play a bigger role in our development?

2. Identify what natural selection is and how it factors into the controversy of nature vs. nurture. 

   • The principle that the inherited traits enabling an organism to survive and reproduce in a particular environment will (in competition with other trait variations) most likely be passed on to succeeding generations

   • species that do not adapt, do not survive

3. How was eugenics used by society?

   • Selectively breeding humans to promote certain characteristics or not allowing breeding to terminate certain traits

4. Explain/Define:

   • Evolutionary Psychology: study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection

   • Behavior Genetics: study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior

5. Name the four basic concepts that originated from Darwin’s principle of natural selection.

   • Organism’s varied offspring compete for survival

   • Certain biological and behavioral variation increase organism's reproductive and survival chances in their particular environment

   • Offspring that survive are more likely to pass their genes to ensuing generations

   • In this way, over time, population characteristics may change

6. What are mutations? 

   • Random errors in gene replication that leads to a change

7. How much of a genetic difference is there between populations (various ethnicities or countries)?  How much of a genetic difference is there between members of the same population (various ethnicities or countries)?

   • 5% genetic difference overall

   • 95% of genetic variation within populations

Module 1.1-2 Behavior Genetics: Predicting Individual Differences

8. Evolutionary psychologists focus on human similarities, while behavior geneticists explore the genetic and environmental roots of human differences.

9. Define the following terms:

   • Environment: every nongenetic influence

   • Heredity: genetic transfer of characteristics from parents to offspring

   • Genes: biochemical units of heredity

   • Genome: complete instructions for making an organism

10. How many chromosomes do we get from each parent?

    • 46 (23 from each parent)

11. Chromosomes are composed of what?

    • Coiled chains of the molecule DNA

12. How does the environment impact genes?

    • They activate genes, when genes are activated they provide the code for creating protein molecules

13. How are scientists using genetics to prevent or treat diseases that have a genetic basis?

    • Gene editing technologies to prevent or treat diseases

14. It has been found that our differing traits are polygenetic (influenced by many genes of small effect).

Module 1.1-3 Twin and Adoption Studies

15. Identify the two types of studies that behavior geneticists use to understand the influences of environment and heredity.

    • Control heredity, vary the home environment

    • Control home environment, vary heredity

16. Explain what it means to be an Identical (monozygotic) Twin.

    • Individuals who developed from a single egg that split into two, genetically identical

17. Identify two ways in which Identical Twins may be different genetically.

    • Different number of copy of genes (one might have greater risk for mental illness/disorders)

    • One may get better nourishment before birth

18. Explain what it means to be a Fraternal (dizygotic) Twin.

    • Individuals who developed from separate eggs, genetically no closer than ordinary siblings, share a parental environment

19. Identify and explain the two groups that are caused by adoption.

    • Genetic relatives (biological parents and siblings)

    • Environmental relatives (adoptive parents and siblings)

20. What finding has come out of studies dealing with personality traits with adopted children?

    • People who have been adopted are more similar to their biological parents than to their adoptive parents

1.1-4 Gene-Environment Interaction

21. What is the most important similarity for our species?

    • Adaptive capacity

22. Explain interaction.

    • The interplay that occurs when the effect of one factor (ex. environment) depends on another factor (ex. heredity)

23. Explain epigenetics.

    • The study of molecular mechanisms by which environments can influence genetic expression (without DNA change)

24. Name some of the environmental factors that can affect the epigenetic molecules that regulate gene expression.

    • Diet

    • Drugs

    • Stress

25. Name some of the ways that epigenetics provides a possible mechanism that can last a lifetime.

    • Childhood trauma

    • Poverty

    • Malnutrition