Behavioural genetics

Evolution is the change in heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. It is the process that gives rise to variation in existing populations, drives speciation, and what leads to the extinction of new species. It is the natural change that occurs in response to environmental pressures resulting in phenotypical changes. Another way for phenotypical changes to occur in a species is by human intervention. Domestication is a form of human intervention. The…

Segal, Tellegen, 1990). The monozygotic twins are defined as twins developed from single egg and two embryos. The studies of different researchers included in this article are summarized below. The researchers have tried to illustrate the effects of genetic make-up and family environment over personality,…

Epigenetics is like the boss to the genetics, who are the workers. It tells the genetics how, and when they should work with the help of chemicals. Epigenetics is the reason people make the decisions that they do, and dictates how they live. They don’t stop at individuals however, as epigenetics can be passed down…

Fragile X syndrome is an intellectual genetic disability that causes behaviour problems, learning difficulties and various physical characteristics. Fragile X syndrome is the most commonly inherited intellectual disability and the most common cause of autism. The degree in which the disease affects people varies from mild learning difficulties through to severe intellectual impairment. This genetic disability is caused when the gene that normally produces a certain protein that helps with brain…

From a biological view, genetic and internal physiological factors contribute and influence personality. Its considered the genes which we inherit contribute to why people are successful and can challenge social influences and natural environments. Thus, which one is more significant, the environmental factors, or inherited genes for an individual's personality to develop. Psychology theorist such as Gordon Allport, Raymond Cattel and Hans Eysenck, put forward traits of personality can be…

Introduction: Williams Syndrome (WS) is a very rare syndrome (1:20,000) which is caused by a microdeletion on chromosome 7q11.23 and results in the individual being hyper-sociable, having high levels of anxiety and having difficulties with social, behavioural and cognitive skills. Previous research indicates that anxiety is the most prevalent mental illness found in individuals with WS and within that, specific phobias are most common. Individuals with WS find it difficult to maintain…

Felisha Ell Psychology 30 Ms. MacPherson Sept. 26, 2017 Nature vs Nurture There has been a question that has been the target of much debate for centuries; does nature or nurture have a greater influence on us humans? Nature is what we have inherited through our genes and it is something that (sometimes) cannot be changed. Nurture is the aspect of how people are raised and the experiences we face that shape us into who we personality-wise. This debate has proven to be very with all the…

1000 somatic cells as an adult, C. elegans is amenable to genetic crosses and produces a large number of progeny, at times even exceeding 1000 per adult, with a life cycle of up to 3 days, under optimal conditions There are two known sexes of C. elegans, a self-fertilizing hermaphrodite (XX) and a male (XO). Self-fertilization of the hermaphrodite leads to genetically identical progeny…

Biological theories originally attempted to differentiate among individuals on the basis of certain innate physical traits or characteristics these being influenced by genetic or hereditary characteristics. This was one of Lombroso's largest, and most disproved theories, that individuals with more primitive appearances such as broader foreheads or more prominent chins, similar to neanderthals. More popular today though are biological traits that have the greatest effect on neurological traits…

proposed that intellectual ability is, in fact, inherited through genetics in families (McLeod, 2015). His proposition brought about a relentless and controversial debate that focused on finding out whether human behaviour and trait personalities are governed by genes or environment. The supporters of the nature side argues that like physical characteristics such as skin colour, height and hair type, behaviour is determined by genetic predisposition (Dee, 2010). On the other hand, the nurture…