Deck 4: Genes, Evolution, and Behaviour

Question 1

In a true act of altruism, the helping individual gains a personal advantage.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

The greatest similarity in intelligence scores for different family relations is between mothers and their firstborn children.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

According to the theory of reciprocal altruism, we help those that share their genes with us.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Personality traits such as extraversion and emotional stability were helpful in attaining dominance.

Question 5

A heritability coefficient of 0.70 for math ability indicates that 70% of the variation in math ability between individuals is due to genetic factors.

Question 6

In humans, each cell has 23 chromosomes.

Question 7

The gene knockout procedure involves using certain enzymes to cut DNA into molecules to combine them with the DNA of another organism.

Question 8

In examining the factors that influence personality traits, the role of genetic similarity has been shown to be equally important compared to the role of the family environment.

Question 9

Some research has shown that identical twins raised apart are still more similar than fraternal twins raised together.

Question 10

Both males and females rate mutual attraction as one of the top qualities they seek in a mate.

Question 11

Twins, whether identical or fraternal, tend to be treated very similarly by others.

Question 12

The concept of a reaction range emphasizes the fact that genetic and environmental factors interact to influence behaviour.

Question 13

Genetic variation enables some individuals to adapt to their environment, thus ensuring their survival.

Question 14

Both males and females rate physical attractiveness as the top quality they seek in a mate.

Question 15

Evolutionary theorists argue that we find symmetrical faces to be most attractive because it is an indication of good health.

Question 16

Genotypes are present from conception, but phenotypes can be affected by the environment.

Question 17

Polyandry occurs in a species if the male is low in parental investment and the female is high.

Question 18

Sometimes, as part of the natural selection process, characteristics called "neutral" variations that neither enhance nor hinder survival are passed on.

Question 19

If a gene is recessive, the particular characteristic will show up if at least one partner carried it.

Question 20

Dizygotic twins share the same amount of genetic material as do regular siblings.

Question 21

Two people both have the dominant genes for brown hair but one has light brown hair and the other has dark brown hair. This difference reflects differences in ______.

A)concordance
B)genotype
C)phenotype
D)heritability coefficient

Question 22

Even though a female may have the gene for blue eyes in her chromosomes, it is possible that she may actually have brown eyes because this particular characteristic is recessive. Instances like these most clearly demonstrate the distinction between

A)chromosomes and genes
B)chromosomes and genotype
C)phenotype and chromosomes
D)phenotype and genotype

Question 23

Which of the following statements about genetic transmission from parents to offspring is true?

A)46 chromosomes from the egg combine with 46 chromosomes from the sperm.
B)23 chromosomes from the egg combine with 23 chromosomes from the sperm.
C)The dominant genes tend to come from the egg.
D)The dominant genes tend to come from the sperm.

Question 24

Maintaining the "status quo" of countries engaging in wars is legitimized by evolutionary theory.

Question 25

Every cell in the human body except one type has

A)46 genes
B)46 chromosomes
C)23 genes
D)23 chromosomes

Question 26

One of the functions of aggression is to establish dominance hierarchies.

Question 27

A dominant gene is one that

A)interacts with multiple gene pairs to determine the expression of a single phenotypic characteristic
B)determines the expression of the trait it controls when its gene partner is also dominant
C)determines the expression of the trait it controls only if its gene partner is recessive
D)directly determines the expression of the trait it controls

Question 28

The portion of the chromosome that carries the specific hereditary units of information are called

A)genes
B)phenotypes
C)polygenic transmissions
D)heritability coefficients

Question 29

Genetic determinism states that genes have invariant and unavoidable effects.

Question 30

The specific genetic makeup of an individual is referred to as the

A)genotype
B)phenotype
C)polygenetic transmission
D)recombinant DNA

Question 31

A chromosome is

A)synonymous with the term "gene"
B)a coiled molecule of DNA that is covered by protein
C)the portion of the gene that carries the hereditary blueprint
D)recombinant DNA

Question 32

The observable characteristics produced by a particular genetic endowment are called ___________.

A)concordance
B)genotype
C)phenotype
D)heritability coefficient

Question 33

Unlike the blueprints for a house, a person's genetic blueprint is not observable. Identical twins may have the same genotype but given different environmental influences, their ________ may be quite unique.

A)heritability
B)DNA
C)characteristics
D)phenotype

Question 34

Kelsey knows she has many athletic abilities she has not developed partly because she lacks the motivation to do so. One might say these abilities are part of her ____.

A)phenotype
B)genotype
C)phylotype
D)chromosomes

Question 35

When sperm fertilizes an egg, the new cell has

A)46 genes
B)23 genes
C)46 chromosomes
D)23 chromosomes

Question 36

The most common type of homicide in all cultures is men murdering women.

Question 37

Carol has average size hands for a woman. Her mother has rather large hands and her father relatively small hands for a man. Carol's sister says Carol has a combination of the large and small hands resulting in Carol's medium hand size. Carol has studied genetics in school and knows this is not true because specific traits are passed on, not _______________ ones.

A)physical
B)mutated
C)blended
D)adaptive

Question 38

The likelihood of altruism decreases in an orderly way as genetic relatedness decreases.

Question 39

All cells in the human body have the same number of chromosomes except for _______________.

A)glial cells
B)brain cells
C)sex cells
D)nerve cells

Question 40

Sex cells are different from all other cells in the human body because they

A)have no alleles
B)are involved in polygenetic transmission
C)have twice the number of chromosomes as regular cells
D)have half the number of chromosomes as regular cells

Question 41

Siblings have a certain percentage of chance of sharing the same gene with one another. This percentage of chance is _____.

A)50 percent
B)100 percent
C)25 percent
D)5 percent

Question 42

Techniques in which pieces of DNA from an organism are combined with DNA from other organisms and then allowed to proliferate in a new host organism are called

A)recombinant DNA procedures
B)genotypic DNA transmission
C)heritability procedures
D)polygenic transmission

Question 43

The gene knockout procedure refers to the process of

A)artificially suppressing the function of the immune system
B)preventing neurons from firing by inhibiting reuptake
C)altering an individual gene such that its normal function is prevented
D)flooding the body with stress hormones so that a gene goes into temporary shock

Question 44

An animal researcher inserts into the body of a mouse a genetic substance that is designed to prevent neurons from responding to dopamine. The researcher then observes the mouse to determine the impact of the absence of dopamine on the mouse's behaviour. This researcher has just utilized what is called the

A)knockout procedure
B)elimination procedure
C)recombinant procedure
D)polygenic procedure

Question 45

The probability of a child sharing any particular gene with his or her parents is

A)0.05
B)0.25
C)0.50
D)1.0

Question 46

Dizygotic twins share a certain percentage of their genetic endowment with their parents. This percentage of genetic endowment is ____________.

A)100 percent
B)50 percent
C)25 percent
D)75 percent

Question 47

Which of the following procedures have been used to produce human growth hormone?

A)Gene knockout
B)Polygenic transmission
C)Recombinant DNA
D)Inheritance transmission

Question 48

Recombinant DNA procedures refer to the process in which

A)chromosomes are transplanted within a single organism
B)pieces of DNA from several organisms are put together and allowed to divide and copy in a new organism
C)a specific gene is altered is such a way that it prevents it from carrying out its normal function
D)the dominant or recessive qualities of a particular gene are changed

Question 49

Both of Bob's parents have blue eyes. Bob carries the dominant gene for blue eyes, yet his eyes are brown. This means that the gene for blue eyes would be considered

A)polygenic
B)phenotypic
C)recessive
D)dominant

Question 50

Brad has blue eyes and his wife has brown eyes. Both of their children have brown eyes. Their eldest son, Mike, marries a woman with blue eyes, and they are now expecting their first baby. Is it possible for the child to be born with blue eyes?

A)Yes, Mike may carry the recessive gene for blue eyes.
B)Yes, as with any child, there is a possibility for either eye colour occurring.
C)No, as long as one parent has brown eyes the child will have brown eyes.
D)No, Brad would not be carrying the recessive blue eye gene.

Question 51

Recombinant DNA procedures have been used to produce human growth hormone that has been used to treat children who are abnormally short. The results of the research examining the impact for these children is that

A)they achieved average height at adolescence
B)they achieved slightly above average height at adolescence
C)they achieved slightly below average height at adolescence
D)they did not achieve sufficient increases in height by adolescence

Question 52

Of the list below, genetically speaking, which pair of individuals is most alike?

A)Two brothers who are fraternal twins
B)A brother and sister who are fraternal twins
C)Two brothers who are identical twins
D)Two sisters who are fraternal twins

Question 53

When multiple gene pairs combine to influence the expression of a single phenotypic trait, it is called

A)dominant transmission
B)phenotypic transmission
C)genotypic transmission
D)polygenic transmission

Question 54

The extent to which variation among a group of people can be attributed to genetic factors is estimated by the

A)polygenic coefficient
B)genetic coefficient
C)correlation coefficient
D)heritability coefficient

Question 55

Polygenic transmission occurs when

A)a single phenotypic characteristic is determined by the interaction between several gene pairs
B)a gene determines the expression of the trait it controls when its gene partner is recessive
C)a gene determines the expression of the trait it controls when its gene partner is dominant
D)a gene directly determines the expression of the trait it controls

Question 56

While genetic engineering gives humans potential control over heredity and evolutionary processes, there is a key question with respect to the use of genetic engineering?

A)Can these findings on animals be meaningfully applied to humans?
B)Is it moral/ethical to manipulate genetic makeup?
C)Is this research of significant value to test these techniques on animals?
D)Does the research show that these techniques actually produce any lasting changes?

Question 57

While the gene knockout procedure has been shown to result in changes in behaviour, interpretation of the findings of this procedure must be made carefully since

A)very little behaviour is controlled by only one gene
B)the behaviour change is typically not permanent
C)this research has elicited a host of ethical and moral issues
D)there is little application of this research on animals with respect to humans

Question 58

A grandchild has a certain percentage of chance of sharing any single gene with his or her grandparents. This percentage of chance is _____.

A)50 percent
B)25 percent
C)100 percent
D)10 percent

Question 59

The procedure in which an individual gene is altered to prevent it from carrying out its normal function is called the

A)recombinant procedure
B)gene knockout procedure
C)polygenic procedure
D)elimination procedure

Question 60

Which of the following is one of the methods used in recombinant DNA research?

A)Antigens are artificially added to the body to stimulate the immune system.
B)Weak electrical currents are used to regrow damaged neurons.
C)Cells with nerve growth factor are implanted to repair severed spinal cord neurons.
D)Enzymes are used to cut the long threadlike molecules of genetic DNA into pieces.

Question 61

Studies comparing the similarity of identical and fraternal twins who are raised together and apart are especially informative because

A)they tell us about the relative importance of the environment and genetic factors
B)they tell us only about the importance of the environment
C)they tell us only about the importance of genetic factors
D)they tell us what genes may be responsible for the occurrence of twins

Question 62

Barbara and Brenda are identical twins who were adopted at birth and raised by two different families. Andy and Andrew are identical twins raised together by their biological parents. When the four children entered high school they took an IQ test. Barbara and Andy each had scores of 110, while Brenda's IQ was measured at 120 and Andrew scored 108. These results support which of the following conclusions?

A)Intelligence is influenced by the environment only in extreme conditions
B)Intelligence is almost entirely shaped by the environment except when rare genetic disorders are involved
C)Intelligence is shaped by genetics as well as environmental influences
D)Intelligence is entirely determined by genetics

Question 63

Researchers who believe in the concept of a reaction range are most likely to argue that intelligence is

A)the product of the interaction between genetics and the environment
B)the product of many separate but correlated individual mental abilities
C)most strongly determined by genetic factors
D)most strongly shaped by environmental factors

Question 64

The reaction range principle suggests that genetics sets the upper and lower limits for a trait and _________ indicates where in that range a particular trait will fall.

A)concordance
B)environment
C)phenotype
D)genotype

Question 65

If intelligence was completely determined by genetics, then which set of correlations would be the same?

A)Between identical twins vs.between fraternal twins
B)Between identical twins vs.between any two siblings
C)Between fraternal twins vs.between any siblings
D)Between a parent and a child vs.between identical twins

Question 66

A genetically determined trait may have an upper and lower limit, and the environment may determine the exact level of the trait that ultimately gets expressed. This is referred to as the concept of ______.

A)genetic potential
B)reaction range
C)concordance
D)gene knockout

Question 67

The heritability coefficient is highest for which of the following human characteristics?

A)Conscientiousness
B)Height
C)Intelligence
D)Impulsivity

Question 68

Adoption studies have found that people with schizophrenia are

A)more similar to their adoptive parents than to their biological parents
B)more similar to their biological parents than to their adoptive parents
C)equally similar to their biological and adoptive parents
D)not similar to either their biological parents or their adoptive parents

Question 69

Scott and Shawn are identical twins raised together, whereas Tammy and Tracey are identical twins raised apart. Scott and Shawn are more similar on IQ than are Tammy and Tracey. This finding

A)rules out a purely genetic explanation for IQ
B)rules out a purely environmental explanation for IQ
C)suggests that environment is not important for determining IQ
D)suggests that genetics are not important for determining IQ

Question 70

What do we currently know about the specific sizes of reaction ranges for individuals?

A)We do not know if the size differs from one person to the next.
B)We do know that the size differs from one person to the next.
C)We know that, generally, women have larger reaction ranges than men.
D)We know that, generally, men have larger reaction ranges than women.

Question 71

One problem with studying identical and fraternal twins raised together or apart is that

A)Often twins raised apart have very similar environments.
B)Identical twins that are raised together may be treated more similarly than fraternal twins, which could account for their greater behavioural similarity.
C)Fraternal twins may be male and female whereas identical twins are always either both male or female.
D)There is no control over the environments of twins who are raised apart.

Question 72

An adoption study examined the heritability of criminal behaviour in boys adopted at a young age. The level of boys' criminality was greatest when _______.

A)both biological and adoptive fathers had criminal records
B)neither biological nor adoptive fathers had criminal records
C)only biological fathers had criminal records
D)only adoptive fathers had criminal records

Question 73

The heritability coefficient for intelligence is.50. This means that

A)50 percent of the variation in the intelligence of an individual is related to genetic factors
B)50 percent of the variation of intelligence between groups of people is related to genetic factors
C)50 percent of the variation of intelligence within a group of people is related to genetic factors
D)50 percent of the variation of intelligence in a group of people is related to environmental factors

Question 74

Twin studies have found that some psychological traits, such as intelligence, have a notable genetic contribution. This can be concluded from what evidence?

A)The similarity of identical twins is greater when they are reared apart than when they are reared together.
B)The similarity of fraternal twins raised together is greater than the similarity of identical twins raised apart.
C)The similarity of identical twins raised apart is greater than the similarityof fraternal twins raised apart.
D)The similarity of identical twins is essentially equal to that of fraternal twins.

Question 75

An adoption study examining the heritability of criminal behaviour found that people who had biological parents and adoptive parents who both had criminal records were the most likely to be criminals themselves. This example was presented to demonstrate

A)the influence of genetic factors on criminal behaviour
B)the influence of environmental factors on criminal behaviour
C)how genotype and phenotype can interact to produce behaviour
D)how the environment and genetic factors can interact to produce behaviour

Question 76

Although genetic factors are considerably important, they appear to account for about a certain percentage of the IQ variation within a group. This percentage ranges from _________________.

A)80 to 90
B)50 to 70
C)30 to 50
D)20 to 30

Question 77

Keith and Kirk are identical twins who were separated at birth and raised in different parts of the country in different environments. When as adults they were reunited, researchers compared them on several psychological characteristics. Compared to identical twins that have been raised together, Keith and Kirk probably have

A)even more characteristics in common than if they were raised together
B)the same level of similarity from those raised together
C)fewer characteristics in common because of different environmental influences
D)as much in common on their psychological characteristics had they been fraternal twins

Question 78

The heritability coefficient is used to estimate

A)the extent to which variation in a group of people can be accounted for by genetic factors
B)the extent to which variation in a group of people can be accounted for by environmental factors
C)the probability that a person will share a given gene with his or her parents
D)the probability that a person will share a given gene with a sibling

Question 79

Though presently there is no quantifiable way to determine the reaction ranges of various intelligence-related traits, research on environmental enrichment programs and adoption studies suggest that the ranges could be

A)20 to 30 IQ points
B)4 to 6 IQ points
C)7 to 10 IQ points
D)15 to 20 IQ points

Question 80

In general, which statement below best summarizes the outcome of the role of heredity and environment as they affect intelligence

A)heredity, not environment, is most important in determining intelligence
B)environment, not heredity, is most important in determining intelligence
C)heredity and environment are equally important in determining intelligence
D)heredity and environment interact in determining intelligence