Deck 4: How Children Develop: Nature Through Nurture

Question 1

_______________ begins with the identification of particular genes and attempts to understand how those genes work within a cell to affect behavior, while _______________ begins with behavior and attempts to define the role genes play in producing that behavior.

A) Molecular genetics; behavioral genetics
B) Eugenics; behavioral genomics
C) Behavioral genetics; molecular genetics
D) Behavioral genomics; eugenics

Answer 1

A

Question 2

A fertilized egg is called a(n)

A) ovum.
B) chromosome.
C) genome.
D) zygote.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

A pleiotropic effect refers to the fact that

A) complex characteristics are the product of many genes working together.
B) genes can mutate and then they will not have the expected effect on development.
C) different genes can produce the same effect on the phenotype.
D) a single gene can have many different influences.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

A fertilized human egg contains

A) 23 matched pairs of chromosomes.
B) 48 pairs of chromosomes.
C) thousands of chromosomes.
D) 46 chromosomes for females and 45 chromosomes for males.

Question 5

We know that both nature and nurture play a role in development, but today we are most interested in understanding

A) whether nature or nurture is more important.
B) how much of our development can be attributed to nature and how much to nurture.
C) whether nature or nurture comes first in development.
D) how genes are expressed through the constant interaction with the environment.

Question 6

A gene contains a chemical set of instructions that tell the cell how to

A) produce a variety of chromosomes.
B) make a specific protein.
C) develop into a male or a female body.
D) produce various hormones.

Question 7

In order for a person to have sickle cell anemia, they have had to

A) experienced a lack of folic acid in the maternal diet during pregnancy.
B) receive two recessive genes.
C) receive two dominant genes.
D) receive the incorrect number of chromosomes.

Question 8

If two parents have brown eyes, but each of them also has a recessive gene for blue eyes in their genotype,

A) none of their children will have blue eyes.
B) there is a 1-in-4 chance that one of their children will have blue eyes.
C) there is a fifty-fifty chance one of their children will have blue eyes.
D) we cannot predict what color eyes their children will have.

Question 9

If a fertilized egg begins to divide and multiple, and early in the process the ball of cells splits into two, the woman will have

A) dizygotic twins.
B) twins with missing arms or legs.
C) twins with Down syndrome.
D) monozygotic twins.

Question 10

When we say that a child looks just like his father, we are referring to the child's

A) phenotype.
B) genotype.
C) karotype.
D) monotype.

Question 11

The human genome contains

A) between 8,000 and 10,000 individual genes.
B) 25,000 to 30,000 genes.
C) over a million genes.
D) more genes than we have been able to count.

Question 12

As a woman gets older, she becomes more likely to have

A) monozygotic twins.
B) male twins.
C) dizygotic twins.
D) female twins.

Question 13

A conception that has one X and one Y chromosome in the 23rd position will become an individual who

A) has Down syndrome.
B) is a female.
C) is a male.
D) will be cognitively impaired.

Question 14

We first understood the exact process that underlies genetic transmission when

A) James Watson and Francis Crick discovered the secrets of genetic structure and function.
B) Ivan Pavlov described the principles of classical conditioning.
C) Gregor Mendel published a paper on the transmission of genetic information from generation to generation.
D) Francis Galton expanded upon Darwin's theory of evolution.

Question 15

The reason why a woman's chance of having dizygotic twins increases as the woman gets older is that

A) it becomes easier for a sperm to penetrate the outer shell of the ovum.
B) as the woman's ovaries decline in their ability to release eggs, her production of hormones increases to counter this decline.
C) the lining of the uterus becomes more receptive to implantation of the blastocyst.
D) her risk of miscarrying an early pregnancy significantly decreases.

Question 16

Because most human characteristics are complex, many genes act together to determine a trait. This is called

A) a pleiotropic effect.
B) multiphasic inheritance.
C) polygenic inheritance.
D) a mutation.

Question 17

Identifying how a particular gene works inside a cell is the primary goal of

A) eugenics.
B) neurobiology.
C) behavioral genomics
D) molecular genetics.

Question 18

The Human Genome Project has the goal of

A) mapping all of the human genes.
B) eliminating recessive genes from the human gene pool.
C) understanding the inner workings of human cells.
D) finding ways to turn on or turn off genetic mechanisms.

Question 19

Sickle-cell anemia is a condition in which

A) the child's body does not produce the enzyme that is necessary to digest certain types of protein in the human diet.
B) the nerves of the body undergo deterioration that eventually leads to paralysis and death.
C) the shape of the red blood cells is distorted so they cannot transport an adequate amount of oxygen through the body.
D) the individual suffers varying degrees of mental retardation and learning disabilities.

Question 20

Chromosomes are made up of __________, and they, in turn, are made up of __________.

A) genes; DNA
B) DNA molecules; RNA
C) DNA molecules; genes
D) genes; proteins

Question 21

If a child is born with the recessive gene condition of phenylketonuria (PKU), the harmful effect of the condition can be eliminated if the

A) child receives phenylalanine supplements as a part of the child's diet.
B) child's diet is changed to eliminate foods that contain the protein phenylalanine.
C) child's cells are "infected" with the healthy dominant gene for this condition.
D) child's diet contains large amount of protein-rich foods such as milk, fish and eggs.

Question 22

Males are more vulnerable to recessive gene disorders carried on the X chromosome in the 23rd position because

A) the female chromosome is dominant over the male chromosome in most cases.
B) mutations are more likely to occur in the Y chromosome than in the X chromosome.
C) the smaller Y chromosome does not contain enough genes to match each of the genes on the X chromosome so recessive genes on the X chromosome show up.
D) recessive genes that pair up with dominant genes on the X chromosome will be expressed in the male.

Question 23

Most couples do not undergo genetic testing for each pregnancy because

A) each testing increases the risk of a genetic problem for the next pregnancy.
B) some religions prohibit genetic testing in most cases.
C) the risk of having a child with a genetic disorder is so low (3%) that testing is not warranted.
D) there are not yet enough genetic disorders that we can detect with these tests.

Question 24

Tay-Sachs disease, phenylketonuria, and cystic fibrosis are all examples of

A) single gene disorders.
B) multifactorial inheritance.
C) chromosomal abnormalities.
D) mutations.

Question 25

Most of the time, when an individual receives a recessive gene that codes for a recessive gene disorder

A) that person will suffer from the condition, but will not be able to pass it to his or her children.
B) the recessive gene is paired with a dominant gene that protects the individual from developing the disorder.
C) other dominant genes in the genotype will counteract the effect of that particular recessive gene.
D) the gene will be "silent" in that generation, but is likely to affect future generations.

Question 26

A parent who suffers from a mental disorder may also provide a dysfunctional family environment for his or her children. In this case we would describe the genes for the disorder as

A) passive.
B) active.
C) reactive.
D) evocative.

Question 27

Canalization is the

A) degree to which the expression of a gene is influenced by the environment.
B) likelihood that a recessive gene will express itself in the phenotype.
C) degree to which multiple genes work together to produce a trait.
D) extent to which certain characteristics evoke specific responses from others.

Question 28

Research conducted with nurturing and non-nurturing mother rats has found that when a mother rat does not nurture and respond to her babies

A) a specific gene was "turned off" and the babies became more fearful and stressed by future environmental events.
B) a specific gene was "turned on" and the babies become more assertive in pursuing their mothers to get her attention.
C) the babies try to find another mother rat who will care for them.
D) we can give the mother rat hormones that will make her more responsive to her offspring.

Question 29

A child who has violent tendency may seek out and enjoy playing violent videogames. In this case we would describe the genes for this tendency as

A) passive.
B) active.
C) evocative.
D) reactive.

Question 30

________________ is a prenatal test in which a small sample of cells from the outer layer of the embryonic sac is obtained and tested for genetic abnormalities.

A) Amniocentesis
B) Chorionic villus sampling
C) Preimplantation genetic diagnosis
D) In vitro sampling

Question 31

Generalist genes are responsible for

A) the most common human characteristics.
B) dominant genetic characteristics.
C) quantitative rather than qualitative difference in abilities.
D) modifying the effect of dominant gene characteristics.

Question 32

Conditions such as depression, alcoholism, or schizophrenia

A) have some genetic basis, but each results from the interaction of many genes with environmental influences.
B) are the result of dominant and recessive genes intermingling.
C) are dominant gene disorders that are more common in men than in women.
D) can be identified through prenatal genetic testing.

Question 33

When we say that a trait is deeply canalized, we mean that

A) the gene that controls this trait can be expected to produce a wide range of possible developmental outcomes.
B) this trait will always be passed along to a person's children and appear in their phenotype.
C) we will see the expected developmental outcome from that gene under all but the most extreme conditions.
D) the trait is very easily influenced by environmental conditions and life circumstances.

Question 34

A female who has a missing X chromosome in the 23rd position will have

A) cystic fibrosis.
B) Turner syndrome.
C) Kleinfelter syndrome.
D) Tay-Sachs disease.

Question 35

The research conducted on alcoholism in identical and fraternal twins has found that

A) there was no difference between identical and fraternal twins in the age at which they began drinking, how much they drank, and whether or not they became problem drinkers.
B) there was no difference between identical and fraternal twins in the age at which they began drinking, but identical twins were more similar in the amount they drank and the risk of becoming a problem drinker.
C) identical twins began drinking on average at a younger age than fraternal twins, but there was no difference between identical and fraternal twins in the amount they eventually drank or their risk of becoming problem drinkers.
D) identical twins began drinking at a younger age than fraternal twins, drank more and were more likely to eventually develop a problem with drinking.

Question 36

One of the types of studies that has been used by behavioral genetics to determine the relative influence of genes and the environment is

A) gene mapping.
B) comparisons of identical and fraternal twins.
C) dominant and recessive gene interactions.
D) multifactorial inheritance analysis.

Question 37

One technique of gene therapy that is currently being investigated and developed is to

A) use genetically altered virus cells to "infect" disordered cells with healthy genes.
B) use a long, thin needle to insert healthy genes into the amniotic sac during the woman's pregnancy.
C) use gene transplants after the infant is born to replace the problematic genes.
D) treat the mother with megadoses of vitamins during her pregnancy.

Question 38

One of the criticisms that has been leveled at research that examines the similarity between twins separated at birth is that

A) there are so few cases of separated twins that this research cannot really tell us very much about the relative influence of genetics and environment.
B) in many cases the twins were not really separated because they were adopted by relatives or lived close to each other while growing up.
C) we do not yet have statistical techniques that allow us to separate the effect of genetics from the effect of the environment.
D) many of the reports of great similarity between separated twins has been exaggerated and these reports are not supported by data.

Question 39

A concordance rate allows us to look at the

A) similarity between an adopted child and the child's biological and adoptive parents.
B) likelihood that a recessive gene will be expressed in a child's phenotype.
C) degree to which the expression of genes is determined by a particular environment.
D) transmission of genetic traits across multiple generations.

Question 40

Research that has been conducted with boys who have a gene that produces lower levels of MAO-A (which has been associated with aggression) found that these boys have

A) higher levels of aggression as adults, regardless of the circumstances in which they are raised.
B) higher levels of aggression as adults, but only if they had experienced abuse during their childhood.
C) typical levels of aggression as adults, but higher levels of anxiety about their aggressiveness.
D) lower levels of aggression, regardless of the circumstances in which they were raised.

Question 41

Joseph (2001) criticized the findings of the Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart, and suggested that

A) studying twins reared apart is not as useful to behavior genetics as studying children adopted before the age of one and children adopted after the age of one.
B) the twins' level of similarity should be compared to the similarity between pairs of unrelated strangers with similar characteristics.
C) the twins' level of similarity is more likely a result of cultural variation than genetic inheritance.
D) studying dizygotic twins raised apart and together is a better measure of genetic similarity than studying monozygotic twins.

Question 42

Which statement is accurate regarding multiple births?

A) Triplets can only be identical or monozygotic.
B) Triplets can only be fraternal or dizygoticl.
C) Triplets can be a set of identical twins with a fraternal sibling.
D) Triplets only happen as a result of fertility drugs.

Question 43

Why do researchers want to discover which traits and behaviors are highly likely to develop from genetic input?

A) Because this will aid in the search for the specific genes responsible.
B) Because this will aid in the development of fertility treatments.
C) Because this will determine treatments for chromosomal disorders.
D) Because this will allow for the establishment of behavior genetics.

Question 44

A couple in which each partner has brown eyes still can have a child with blue eyes.

Question 45

Monozygotic (or identical) twins can have small genetic differences.

Question 46

A male who has an extra X chromosome in the 23rd position will have

A) cystic fibrosis.
B) Turner syndrome.
C) Kleinfelter syndrome.
D) Tay-Sachs disease.

Question 47

An advantage that chorionic villus sampling has over amniocentesis as a method of prenatal testing for genetic disorders is that

A) the risk of a miscarriage as a result of the procedure is much lower for chorionic villus sampling.
B) the results from a chorionic villus sampling procedure is far more accurate than the results from amniocentesis.
C) it is an easier and less invasive procedure to use.
D) chorionic villus sampling can be done earlier in the pregnancy so the parents get the test results sooner.

Question 48

The idea that desirable traits can be bred into human beings and undesirable ones can be bred out is known as

A) molecular biology.
B) eugenics.
C) neurobiology.
D) DNA analysis.

Question 49

Epigenetics is the term used to describe the system by which

A) dominant genes overpower recessive genes and do not allow them to be expressed.
B) genes can be turned on or silenced by different environmental experiences.
C) we use gene therapy to modify genes that are potentially harmful.
D) genes that were not deeply canalized become deeply canalized.

Question 50

All of a person's genes comprise the person's ____________ and how these genes are expressed in the person's appearance or characteristics is the person's _____________.

A) phenotype; karotype
B) karotype; genotype
C) genotype; phenotype
D) recessive type; dominant type

Question 51

Behavioral genetics involves research designed to

A) identify genetic abnormalities before birth.
B) study genes at the molecular level.
C) describe the genetic basis for behaviors.
D) map the genes in the human genome.

Question 52

We now have genetic tests that can identify multifactorial problems such as depression or alcoholism prenatally.

Question 53

We continue to see sickle-cell anemia in certain populations because the presence of one recessive gene for sickle-cell anemia

A) provides the individual with some level of protection from malaria.
B) is associated with longevity so the individual is more likely to pass the gene to his or her children.
C) also produces large amounts of human growth hormones (HGH), which is beneficial.
D) makes the individual more resistant to the negative effects of stress.

Question 54

What do we know about the similarities and differences regarding identical twins from the Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart?

A) Identical twins reared apart are different on aspects of personality, interest, and personality when compared to both identical twins reared together and fraternal twins reared together.
B) Identical twins reared apart are about as similar to each other on aspects of their personality as identical twins reared together, but very different on aspects of social attitudes.
C) Identical twins reared apart are about as similar to each other on aspects of their personality, interests, and social attitudes as fraternal twins reared apart.
D) Identical twins reared apart are about as similar to each other on aspects of their personality, interests, and social attitudes as identical twins reared together.

Question 55

Dizygotic (or fraternal) twins are

A) no more genetically similar than any pair of siblings.
B) the result of a single fertilized egg dividing into two early in development.
C) always the same gender.
D) the result of two sperm fertilizing the same egg.

Question 56

The Human Genome Project has found that human being have only about 20,000 to 25,000 genes.

Question 57

Which statement is an accurate description of monozygotic twins?

A) Monozygotic twins are two separate eggs fertilized by the same sperm.
B) Monozygotic twins are two separate eggs fertilized by two separate sperm.
C) Monozygotic twins does not run in families.
D) Monozygotic twins occurs by chance.

Question 58

Monozygotic twins tend to run in families.

Question 59

_________________ twins are formed when a mother's ovary releases two eggs during a menstrual cycle, and each is fertilized by a different sperm.

A) Identical
B) Monozygotic
C) Fraternal
D) Indeterminate

Question 60

Which type of research is helpful in clarifying the interaction of genes and environment?

A) Studies that incorporate an experimental design.
B) Studies comparing identical and nonidentical twins.
C) Studies comparing parents and their children.
D) Studies involving ethnographic data collection.

Question 61

Girls who grow up in households without a father present are more likely to go through puberty at a younger age.

Question 62

Explain how "nature through nurture" is different from "nature versus nurture".

Question 63

Define epigenetics and give two examples of research that has shown how epigenetics functions in humans.

Question 64

Puberty is triggered by the action of certain genes and its individual timing is in part inherited.

Question 65

Describe three ways in which researchers have used twins and children who have been adopted to study the contribution of genes to particular behaviors.

Question 66

Explain why males are more vulnerable to certain genetic disorders than females.

Question 67

The study of the chemical reactions that activate and deactivate parts of the genetic material of an organism is known as epigenetics.

Question 68

Genes are active when they become a driving force for children to seek out experiences that fit their genetic endowments.

Question 69

What causes Down syndrome? Who has an increased likelihood of having a child with Down syndrome?

Question 70

Describe and differentiate molecular genetics, behavioral genetics and behavioral genomics.

Question 71

What is canalization? Describe the difference between deeply canalized traits and not deeply canalized genes.

Question 72

PKU is a recessive gene disorder. Use a Punnett square to demonstrate the likelihood that a mother and father who both carry the gene would have a child who has the condition.

Question 73

If a boy has a gene that produces low levels of MAO-A and has experienced child abuse, they are less likely to behave aggressively.

Question 74

What is the principle of pleiotropism? Provide an example of pleiotropism.

Question 75

Assume that Marco has inherited genes that promote risk-taking behavior. Describe how these might interact with his environment in passive, active and evocative ways.