PSYC 2110 Chapter Notes -Heredity, Behavioural Genetics, Miscarriage
24 Aug 2013
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Genotype-- the complex blend of genetic information that determines our species and influences all our unique characteristics. Chromosomes-- rod-like structures that store and transmit genetic information. 23 matching pairs in humans; one is inherited from the mother and one from the father. Each rung of the dna ladder consists of a pair of chemical substances called bases. A gene is a segment of dna along the length of the chromosome. Genes can be of different lengths-- perhaps 100 to several thousand ladder rungs long. A unique feature of dna is that it can duplicate itself through a process called mitosis. This allows the one-celled fertilized ovum to develop into a complex human being. Each new cell in the body contains the same number of chromosomes and the identical genetic information. Genes accomplish their task by sending instructions for making a rich assortment of proteins to the cytoplasm-- the area surrounding the cell nucleus.
