Question 1

Except for sex cells,all cells in the human body have 46 chromosomes.At conception,the 23 chromosomes from the egg and the 23 chromosomes from the sperm combine to create a new cell that has the normal 46 chromosomes.Because this new cell repeatedly duplicates to create the other cells that form the body,all cells except sex cells have the exact same genetic information.Therefore,children always get _________ of their genetic information from their biological mothers and ________ of their genetic information from their biological fathers.

Accepted Answer

Children always get half of their genetic information from their biological mothers (23 chromosomes) and half from their biological fathers (23 chromosomes), totaling 46 chromosomes. Therefore, the answer is 50 percent from each parent.

Question 2

Scientific advances have enabled genetic researchers to manipulate or alter genes.When this technique is perfected,it could be used to prevent the development of diseases like sickle-cell anemia by keeping abnormal genes from carrying out their preprogrammed function.This scientific intervention is called a ___________________ procedure.

Accepted Answer

The scientific intervention described in the statement is the alteration of genes to prevent the development of diseases. The term used to describe this type of intervention is a "knockout" procedure, which involves the targeted disruption of genes to eliminate their function. Choices A, B, and D are not appropriate in this context, as they do not specifically describe the process of altering or disrupting genes.

Question 3

As humankind evolved physically and socially,the brain had to evolve to manage problems related to these changes.The size of the brain increased,with the most significant growth occurring in areas that manage such processes as problem solving,creativity,and language.We can therefore say that the human brain was ______________ new environmental challenges.

Accepted Answer

The statement mentions that the brain had to evolve to manage problems related to the physical and social changes that humankind was going through. This indicates that the brain was adapting to new environmental challenges.

Question 4

Siblings Alisa and Erika were born at the same time but are very different both in terms of looks and personality.We can therefore assume they are ___________ twins.

Accepted Answer

The fact that Alisa and Erika are very different in both looks and personality suggests that they are not identical twins (monozygotic), as monozygotic twins share the same genetic makeup. Therefore, the only possible option is that they are fraternal twins (dizygotic), meaning they developed from two separate fertilized eggs.

Question 5

Dr.McCallum's class is learning about genes.He explains that not all of the information contained in our genes is used,either because the environment doesn't trigger certain tendencies or because another genetic tendency took precedence.The genetic information that is active in a particular person is expressed through observable characteristics.We call these characteristics

Accepted Answer

The observable characteristics expressed through genetic information are known as phenotypes. The other options are not correct because genotypes refer to the genetic makeup of an organism, alleles are alternative versions of a gene, and chromosomes are structures that contain genes.

Question 6

Personality theorists have identified five universal personality traits.Proponents of ____________ theory believe that these traits were useful to our ancestors.

Accepted Answer

The five universal personality traits (Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism) are believed to have been shaped by evolution and to have been useful to our ancestors in their survival and reproduction. This aligns with the tenets of evolutionary personality theory.

Question 7

Early women who had sex before securing a commitment were more likely to be left without a partner to help during the pregnancy and childrearing.Proponents of _____________ theory would argue that many modern women's tendency to insist on some indication of commitment before having sex is a direct,inherited,and adaptive result.

Accepted Answer

The question is discussing the behavior of early women in regards to sex and commitment. Proponents of sexual strategies theory argue that behaviors related to sex and relationships are shaped by evolutionary processes of maximizing reproductive success. In this case, early women who had sex without securing a commitment were at a disadvantage because they were more likely to be left without a partner to help with pregnancy and childrearing. Therefore, women who insist on some indication of commitment before having sex may be doing so as an inherited and adaptive behavior to increase their chances of reproductive success.

Question 8

Psychologist David Buss studies the dating and mating behaviours of human beings.The facial features we associate with female beauty-big eyes,clear skin,full lips-are strongly correlated with health and fertility.Therefore,Buss says,early men who chose beautiful women who met these criteria were more likely to have healthy children and pass on this appreciation of beauty.Based on this information,we can say that Buss is a/an ____________________ psychologist.

Accepted Answer

Buss's focus on the evolutionary origins of human behaviour and the importance of reproductive success in mate selection points towards him being an evolutionary psychologist.

Question 9

Studies show that creative people have more problems with mood disorders than do people who are not creative.To determine whether this correlation has any genetic basis,researchers would need to

Accepted Answer

Conducting behavioural genetics studies would involve examining the genetic components of mood disorders and creativity in order to determine whether there is any correlation between the two traits. Identifying evolutionary personality traits, demonstrating strategic pluralism, and proving genetic determinism would not necessarily shed light on the genetic basis of the observed correlation.

Question 10

A mother alligator lays a clutch,or group,of eggs.When the babies hatch,one has a white hide,rather than the normal green.The white alligator grows normally and is as healthy as its siblings,but it's definitely easier to see against the green lake area in which the alligators live.What caused the white alligator's hide to be different from those of its siblings and parents?

Accepted Answer

The white alligator's different hide color is most likely due to a mutation in its genotype, causing a different expression of pigmentation genes.

Question 11

Dr.McCallum's class is learning about genes.He explains that not all of the information contained in our genes is used,either because the environment doesn't trigger certain tendencies or because another genetic tendency took precedence.All of a person's genetic information,regardless of whether particular tendencies are expressed,is referred to as

Accepted Answer

Genotypes refer to the entire genetic makeup of an individual, including all genetic information, whether it is expressed or not. Phenotypes, on the other hand, refer to the observable traits and characteristics of an individual, which may be influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Alleles refer to the alternative forms of a gene that may be present in an individual's genotype, while chromosomes are structures in the cell nucleus that carry genes. Therefore, the best choice for this question is A) genotypes.

Question 12

Haji and Seb are identical twins who went to different adoptive families as infants.When they meet for a study at age 35,researchers find that Haji's measured IQ is 116 and Seb's is 97.Since they share the same genes and intelligence is highly heritable,how is this possible? Choose the best answer.

Accepted Answer

While identical twins share the same genes, the environment can still have an impact on their development, including their IQ scores. It is possible that each brother developed different cognitive skills and abilities depending on their upbringing and experiences, which could lead to differences in their IQ scores. Therefore, option C is the best answer. Option A is unlikely, as intelligence tests are standardized and scored in a consistent manner. Option B is not true, as IQ has been shown to be a reliable measure of cognitive ability. Option D is incorrect.

Question 13

When teaching about evolutionary psychology,Dr.Karikomi notices that his students often make inaccurate assumptions about how adaptation and natural selection work.Which of the following is false about evolution?

Accepted Answer

All of the statements are false. Evolution is a process that occurs through natural selection and genetic mutation, it is not a conscious attempt by genes to improve the species. Furthermore, human behavior is not determined solely by genes, and it is possible to modify or control certain behaviors through socialization and other environmental factors. Finally, individual genes do not have conscious desires or motivations; their replication is influenced by their ability to contribute to the survival and reproduction of the organism carrying them.

Question 14

Researchers have determined that bipolar disorder is more heritable than a major depressive disorder.They found that the more closely related family members are to someone with bipolar disorder,the more likely they are to have bipolar disorder themselves.The correlation is not as strong with major depressive disorders.These types of researchers are referred to as

Accepted Answer

The study of heritability and genetic influences on mental health falls under the purview of behavior genetics. Neurologists study the anatomy and physiology of the nervous system, while psychiatrists focus on the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness. Evolutionary psychologists explore how the principles of natural selection may have shaped our psychological functioning.

Question 15

Liam's father has blue eyes,but Liam himself has brown eyes,like his mother.As an adult,Liam marries a woman with blue eyes,and now they are expecting their first baby.Is it possible for the child to be born with blue eyes?

Accepted Answer

Liam may carry the recessive gene for blue eyes, which could be passed on to the child. This means that the child would have a chance of inheriting the blue eye gene from Liam, even though he has brown eyes himself.

Question 16

Carol's parents live in southern Florida,where anoles (small lizards)are common.Every time she visits,Carol removes more anoles from inside her parents' pool cage.There is no way for new anoles to get into the cage,so all the anoles there now are either the original interlopers or their offspring that have inherited the qualities that allowed the original anoles to escape capture.As a result,the anoles that are still inside the cage,including the babies,are very difficult to catch and remove.On a microcosmic level,the increasingly clever anoles in the pool cage are the result of

Accepted Answer

The increasing difficulty in catching the anoles inside the pool cage is indicative of natural selection at work. The anoles that are more clever and able to avoid capture are more likely to survive and reproduce, passing on their advantageous traits to their offspring. Over time, this can lead to the evolution of a population that is better adapted to its environment.

Question 17

Tahki and Waneta are identical twins,but they were separated at birth and raised in different countries.When they meet as adults,they talk about all the ways in which they are the same,but also the ways in which they are different.Compared to identical twins who have been raised together,Tahki and Waneta probably

Accepted Answer

Identical twins who are raised together share a very similar environment, which can contribute to their similarities in terms of personality, interests, and behavior. However, when identical twins are separated and raised in different environments, those environmental differences can lead to differences in their development and characteristics. Therefore, Tahki and Waneta are likely to have fewer similarities than identical twins who were raised together in the same household.

Question 18

Every year,the dubious posthumous honour of the Darwin Award is bestowed on people who "improve the human gene pool by accidentally killing themselves in really stupid ways." In 2002,for example,a man used a chainsaw to open a grenade because he wanted to make firecrackers;instead,the grenade exploded.To which of Darwin's principles are the Darwin Awards in homage?

Accepted Answer

The Darwin Awards are in homage to natural selection, which is the process by which certain individuals with advantageous traits are more likely to survive and reproduce, passing on their advantageous traits to their offspring. By removing themselves from the gene pool through foolish actions, recipients of the Darwin Award are inadvertently improving the human gene pool by eliminating their own undesirable traits.

Question 19

Lydia's father has straight hair and her mother has curly hair.Lydia has a gene that dictates her own hair texture from her mother and an alternative form of the same gene from her father.Each of the pair of genes is called an

Accepted Answer

The term for each form of the gene from her mother and father is called an allele. An anomaly refers to something that differs from what is standard or normal. An altar is a religious structure. A phenotype is the observable physical or biochemical characteristics of an organism.

Question 20

Identical twins have 100 percent of their genes in common,though people who know them often emphasize their personality differences.Therefore,we can say that twins have the same _______________,but environmental influences may affect each twin's _________________.

Accepted Answer

Identical twins have the same genotype or genetic information, which includes the DNA sequence. However, their phenotype, or observable traits, can be different due to environmental influences that may affect gene expression or interactions between genes and the environment. Therefore, option D is the best choice as it accurately reflects the relationship between genotype and phenotype in identical twins.

Quiz 4: Genes, Evolution, and Behaviour