Transcript Module 5 revised

Myers PSYCHOLOGY
Seventh Edition in Modules
Module 5
Genetic Influences on
Behavior
James A. McCubbin, Ph.D.
Clemson University
Worth Publishers
Genes: Our Biological
Blueprint
 Chromosomes
 threadlike structures made of DNA that
contain the genes
 DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)
 complex molecule containing the genetic
information that makes up the chromosomes
 has two strands-forming a “double helix”--held
together by bonds between pairs of
nucleotides
Genes: Our Biological
Blueprint
 Genes
 biochemical units of heredity that make up the
chromosomes
 a segment of DNA capable of synthesizing a
protein
 Genome
 the complete instructions for making an
organism
 consisting of all the genetic material in its
chromosomes
Genes: Their Location
and Composition
Nucleus
Cell
Chromosome
Gene
DNA
Evolutionary Psychology
 Natural Selection
 the principle that, among the range of
inherited trait variations, those that lead to
increased reproduction and survival will most
likely be passed on to succeeding generations
 Mutation
 a random error in gene replication that leads
to a change in the sequence of nucleotides
 the source of all genetic diversity
Evolutionary Psychology
 Evolutionary Psychology
 the study of the evolution of behavior
and the mind, using the principles of
natural selection
 Gender
 in psychology, the characteristics,
whether biologically or socially
influenced, by which people define male
and female
Behavior Genetics
 Behavior Genetics
 study of the relative power and limits of
genetic and environmental influences on
behavior
 Environment
 every nongenetic influence, from
prenatal nutrition to the people and
things around us
Behavior Genetics
Identical
twins
Fraternal
twins
 Identical Twins
 develop from a single
fertilized egg that splits in
two, creating two
genetically identical
organisms
 Fraternal Twins
Same
sex only
Same or
opposite sex
 develop from separate eggs
 genetically no closer than
brothers and sisters, but
they share the fetal
environment
Behavior Genetics
 Temperament
 a person’s characteristic emotional
reactivity and intensity
 Heritability
 the proportion of variation among
individuals that we can attribute to
genes
 may vary, depending on the range of
populations and environments studied
Behavior Genetics
 Interaction
 the dependence of the effect of one
factor (such as environment) on another
factor (such as heredity)
 Molecular Genetics
 the subfield of biology that studies the
molecular structure and function of
genes