Chapter 2: Biological Beginnings

__________ is a familial relationship that is established through a social and legal process.

Adoption

What procedure involves withdrawing amniotic fluid between the 15th and 18th weeks of pregnancy?

Amniocentesis

___________ try to figure out what is responsible for the differences among people: genes, environment, or a combination of these.

Behavior geneticists

____________ is a prenatal medical procedure in which a small sample of the placenta is removed.

Chorionic villus sampling

________ are threadlike structures made up of strands of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA).

Chromosomes

What is the complex molecule, shaped like a spiral staircase that contains genetic information?

DNA

_________ ___________ is a chromosome-transmitted form of intellectual disability caused by the presence of an extra copy of chromosome 21.

Down syndrome

______ control the reproduction of cells and the assembly of proteins.

Genes

___________ is a specialized form of cell division that occurs to form eggs and sperm.

Meiosis

The _______ view states that development is the results of an ongoing, bidirectional interchange between heredity and the environment.

epigenetic

What psychological approach emphasizes the importance of adaption, reproduction, and survival of the fittest in shaping behaviors?

evolutionary psychology

Interpreting the results of adoption and twin studies is difficult because of the complexities of ___________.

heredity-environment correlations

If phenylketonuria (PKU) is not properly treated, it will lead to __________.

intellectual disability

According to the epigenetic view, development ______________.

is due to heredity and environment each affecting the other

All cells in our bodies, other than eggs and sperm, reproduce through a process called __________.

mitosis

The evolutionary process by which the best adapted individuals of a species survive and reproduce is called ___________ selection.

natural

What genetic disorder results in the inability to properly metabolize a particular amino acid?

phenylketonuria

Ultrasound _______________ uses high-frequency sound waves directed toward the pregnant woman's abdomen to produce a visual representation of the fetus.

sonography

Normally conducted seven weeks into the pregnancy, __________ is used to detect structural abnormalities in the fetus and when used later in the pregnancy to help determine whether the baby is a boy or a girl.

ultrasound sonography

When a sperm and egg fuse, they create a single cell called a(n) __________.

zygote