Psychology 3225A/B Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Richard Dawkins, Maintenance Of An Organism, Disruptive Selection

• School: Western University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: Psychology 3225A/B
• Professor: Klaus- Peter Ossenkopp

Document Summary

Two major biological goals for each organism: somatic maintenance. Growth and development to reach sexual maturity. Obtain resources from environment, avoid predation and pathogens, repair bodily damage: reproduction. As richard dawkins has pointed out: organisms are simply a genes device for making more copies of itself. The common thread of life is the genes as they replicate themselves over time: particular organisms are simply the vessel for the genes to be able to do this. Have half the amount of genetic material. When combine two together, get full amount of genetic material. Specialize in either (1) carrying the information, or (2) carrying the information and having many resources available for early development. Small gametes have the ability to move about the environment quickly to find other gametes. Large gametes aren"t very mobile, but they have many resources contained within their cell. Sex of an organism is determined by gamete size: female.