Introduction toBiopsychology Exam # 1 Study Guide Biological Psychology: the study of the physiological, evolutionary, and developmental mechanisms of behavior and experience; strong emphasis place upon brain functioning and role of biological systems, and how they produce behaviors and experiences.Introduction to Genetics (1/16/14)-Genes: the basic unit of heredity-Know about Gregor Mendel >> demonstrated that inheritance occurs through genes-Genes are aligned along chromosomes and come in pairs; different combinations are different alleles, which cause different traits-DNA: o Two strands of repeating bases (A-T and G-C)o Serves as a model for the synthesis of RNA (ribonucleic acid)o RNA serves as a model for both copying of DNA and the synthesis of proteinso These proteins build traits-Proteins:o Form part of the structure of the bodyo Serve as enzymes (which regulate body’s chemical reactions)-Chromosomes:o 46 chromosomes in 23 pairso Alleles:Homozygous (matching pair) or heterozygous (mismatching pair)Can be dominant, recessive, or intermediateo Gene types:Autosomal genes – non sexualSex-linked – genes located on the sex chromosomes (usually refers to X chromosome)-X chromosome: 1500 genes-Y chromosome: 27 genesBehavior (1/16/14)- Almost all behaviors have genetic and environmental components- Multiplier effect – genetic predisposition leads to changes in experience, magnifies original tendency (athletes, musicians, etc.)o Environment may “turn on/off” genes- Genes do not produce behaviorso They produce proteins which increase probability of a behavior; many otherfactors interact with these proteinso Very few direct gene-to-trait relationshipsEvolution (1/21/14 – 2/4/14)- Evolution refers to change over time- Evolution by natural selection attempts to explain the diversity and form of life by answering two questions:1. How did species take current form?How species did evolve involves the tentative construction of “evolutionary trees”Aristotle’s famous tree was known as“Great Chain of Being” or “The Ladder of Life” and was a layout of a point of view that lasted until 100-150 years agoD2. How do species change over time?How species do evolve rests upon some observations:o Heritability of traits (genes)o Variability of traits (mutations)o Competition (more offspring produced that can survive)- Fossil records may imply general change over timeo Common body plans between specieso Vestigial organs- Artificial selection: choosing individuals with desired traits and making them parents of the next generation- Natural selection: heritable changes between generations as some parents leave more offspring than otherso Fitness: term for producing offspringo Know about Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace- Disclaimers: o Evolution is not voluntary.o It is not improvement, just change.o One species does not change into another.- Evolutionary psychology: functional and phylogenetic explanations for behavior; assumes that behaviors arise through natural selection and provide a survival advantage- Westermarck Effect: all cultures have an incest taboo mechanism for incest avoidance termed “reverse sexual imprinting”- Levels of Analysis:1. Physiological – relates a behavior to the activity of the brain and other organs2. Ontogenetic – describes the development of a behavior or structure3. Phylogenetic – reconstructs evolutionary history of a behavior or structure4. Functional – describes the evolutionary advantage of a behavior or structure- Dawkin’s Primordial Soup!o Before Life: Water covers the Earth, finite amount of elements, simple water molecules floating around randomly Molecules combine/break up through natural affinities; combine via energy, leads to bigger molecules in more advanced states, amino acids (DNA building blocks) Most stable molecules are most prevalent and enduring; complexity increases and free resources decline Most popular/numerous molecules would be best at acquiring resources from their surrounding and from other molecules; strong survival skillso Emergence of Life: Complex molecules begin to self-copy, called them the “replicators”; works like RNA Copying “errors” introduce new molecules/replicators; multiple types poses question: are some more stable than others? Complexity accumulates, molecules package themselves for protection (first cells/viruses); replication turns into construction Survival machine!o Simplest Life: Need two components: DNA/RNA and protective coat- Prokaryotes: single celled organisms; sometimes ingest other prokaryotes, leading to…- Eukaryotes: multi-celled organisms- All life has fundamentally similar DNA, because all life descended from the same cells, replicated through mirror imaging.- Changes in DNA (mutations) result fromo Environment (radiation/toxins)o Copying error- How to recombine existing genes:o Complex traits that are caused by multiple geneso Can mix up genes to change traitso Can mix via sexual reproductiono Crossing over of genes- Altruism: raising recipient’s fitness while decreasing actor’s recipiento Opposite of selfish behavior, which raises actor’s fitness more than anyone elseo Levels of Selection: Group Selection – natural selection can selects for groups that have higher fitness than other groups; for “survival of the species”o Theories: David Sloan Wilson – natural selection acts at multiple levels simultaneously, affecting genes, individuals, and groups George C. Williams – altruistic alleles will slowly weed themselves out, and only the selfish gene will get to reproduce Richard Dawkins - ★ correct ★ - Evolutionary Stable Strategy (ESS)- Genes that reproduce get passed on- More about genes than individual- No “survival of the species”o Accounting for altruism: Kin selection: benefits copies of the actor’s alleles Reciprocal altruism: trading favorso It all comes down to genes/alleles!The Nervous System (2/4-6/14)- Types of neurons:o Afferent – brings info in (sensory)o Efferent – sends info out (motor)- Interneurons/Intrinsic – relays info between afferent and efferent; involved in information processing- Types of glia:o Astrocytes – separates neurons from blood; filters nutrientso Myelin glia: Oligodendrocites – (central) Schwann – (peripheral)- Blood-brain Barriero Keeps dangerous