Psychology, Sect. 3.1: Human Genetics
Dominant Allele
allele whose phenotype will be expressed in an individual that possesses that allele
Recessive Allele
allele whose phenotype will be expressed only if an individual is homozygous for that allele
Epigenetics
study of gene-environment interactions, such as how the same genotype leads to different phenotypes
Range of Reaction
asserts our genes set the boundaries within which we can operate, and our environment interacts with the genes to determine where in that range we will fall
Heterozygous
consisting of 2 different alleles
Homozygous
consisting of 2 identical alleles
Genotype
genetic makeup of an individual
Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA)
helix-shaped molecule made of nucleotide base pairs
Phenotype
individual's inheritable physical characteristics
Chromosome
long strand of genetic information
Polygenic
multiple genes affecting a given trait
Gene
sequence of DNA that controls or partially controls physical characterisitcs
Allele
specific version of a gene
Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection
states that organisms that are better suited for their environments will survive and reproduce compared to thsoe that are poorly suited for their environments
Mutation
sudden, permanent change in a gene
Identical Twins
twins that develop from the same sperm and egg
Fraternal Twins
twins who develop from 2 different eggs fertilized by different sperm, so their genetic material varies the same as in non-twin siblings
Genetic Environmental Correlation
view of gene-environment interaction that asserts our genes affect our environment, and our environment influences the expression of our genes