Psychology 1000 Lecture 5: 4. Genetics

• School: Western University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: Psychology 1000
• Professor: Laura Fazakas- Dehoog

Document Summary

Our genetic blueprint, inherited from our parents affects all aspect of our development & behaviour. Mendel showed that heredity involves the passing on of specific organic factors, not a simple blending of the parents" characteristics. These specific factors might produce visible characteristics in the offspring or they might just be carried for possible transmission to another generation. E. g. egg + sperm carry hereditary material in the form of rodlike chromosomes. Chromosome - contains numerous genes in 2 long twisted strands. Genes - segments of dna that are instructed to make proteins (building blocks of life) Allele - alternative form of a gene that produce different characteristics. Genotype specific genetic makeup of an individual. Phenotype observable characteristics produced by genes. Affected by genes & by the environment. Dominant genes if the gene received by both parents is dominant, the trait will be expressed.