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Psychobiology

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the area of psychology that focuses on the biological foundations of behavior and mental processes

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Neuroscience

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The study of the brain and nervous system

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Neurons

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Individual cells that are the smallest unit of the nervous system

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Dendrites

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Short fibers that branch out from the cell body and pick up incoming messages

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Axon

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Single long fiber extending from the cell body; it carries outgoing messages

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Nerve (or Tract)

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Group of axons bundled together

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Myelin Sheath

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White fatty covering found on some axons

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Sensory (or Afferent) Neurons

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Neurons that carry messages from sense organs to the spinal cord or brain

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Motor (or Efferent) Neurons

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Neurons that carry messages from the spinal cord or brain to the muscles and glands

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Interneurons (or Association Neurons)

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Neurons that carry messages from one neuron to another

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Mirror Neurons

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Specialized neurons that respond when we observe others perform a behavior or express an emotion

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Glial Cells (or Glia)

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Cells that insulate and support neurons by holding them together, provide nourishment and remove waste products, prevent harmful substances from passing through the brain, and forms the myelin sheath

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Ions

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Electrically charged particles found both inside and outside the neuron

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Resting Potential

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Electrical charge across a neuron membrane resulting from more positive ions concentrated on the outside and more negative ions on the inside

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Polarization

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The condition of a neuron when the inside us negatively charged relative to the outside and more negative ions on the inside

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Neural Impulse (or Action Potential)

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The firing on a nerve cell

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Graded Potential

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A shift in the electrical charge in a tiny area of a neuron

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Threshold Excitation

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The level of impulse must exceed to cause a neuron to fire

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all-or-none law

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Principle that the action potential in a neuron does not vary in strength; either the neuron fires at full strength, or it does not fire at all

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Synaptic Space

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Tiny gap between the axon terminal of one neuron and the dendrites or cell body of the next neuron

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Synapse

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Area composed if the axon terminal of one neuron, the synaptic space, and the dendrite or cell body if the next neuron

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Terminal Button

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Structure at the end of an axon terminal branch

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Synaptic Vesicles

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Tiny sacs in a terminal button that release chemicals into the synapse

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Neurotransmitters

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Chemicals released by the synaptic vesicles that travel across the synaptic space and affect adjacent neurons

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Receptor Sites

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Locations on a receptor neuron into which a specific neurotransmitter fits like a key into a lock

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Dopamine

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Involved in a wide variety of behaviors and emotions, including pleasure and pain

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Serotonin

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Involved in the regular sleep, dreaming, mood, eating, pain, and aggressive behavior

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Norepinephrine

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...

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Endorphins

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Involved in pain And is released during exercise

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Neural Plasticity

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The ability of the brain to change in response to experience

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Neurogensis

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Growth of a new neuron

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Central Nervous System (CNS)

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Division of the nervous system that consists of the brain and spinal cord

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Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

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Division of the nervous system that connects the central nervous system to the rest of the body

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Hindbrain

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Area containing the medulla, pons, and cerebellum

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Medulla

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Controls essential life support functions including breathing, heart, etc

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Pons

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Regulations of sleep/ sleep cycle

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Cerebellum

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Structure in hindbrain that controls certain reflexes and coordinates body's movement

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Midbrain

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Region between the hindbrain and the forebrain; it is important for hearing and sight, and it is one of several places in the brain where pain is registered

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Thalamus

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Forebrain region that relays and translates incoming messages from the sense receptors, except those for smell

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Hypothalamus

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Forebrain region that governs motivation and emotional responses

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Reticular Formation (RF)

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Network of neurons in the hindbrain, the midbrain, and part of the forebrain, whose primary function is to alert and arouse the higher parts of the brain

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Cerebrum

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The main portion of the brain, occupying the upper part of the cranial cavity

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Cerebral Cortex

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The outer surface of the two cerebral hemisphere that regulates most complex behavior

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Association Areas

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Areas of the cerebral cortex where incoming messages from the separate senses are combined into meaningful impressions and outgoing messages from the motor areas are intergrated

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Frontal Lobe

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Part of the cerebrum that is responsible for voluntary movement; it is also important for attention, goal-directed behavior, and appropriate emotional experiences

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Primary Motor Cortex

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The section of the frontal lobe responsible for voluntary movement

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Prefrontal Cortex

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The forward-most region of the frontal lobe involved in impulse control, judgement, and conscious awareness

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Occipital Lobe

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Part of the cerebrum that receives and interprets visual information

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Parietal Lobe

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Part of the cerebrum that receives sensory information from throughout the body

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Primary Somatosensory Cortex

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Area of the parietal lobe where messages from the sense receptors are registered

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Temporal Lobe

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Part of the cerebral hemisphere that helps regulate hearing, balance and equilibrium, and certain emotions and motivations

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Insula

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An area of the brain between the parietal and temporal lobe involved in addiction and the conscious expression of emotion and desire

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Limbic System

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Ring of structure that plays a role in learning and emotional behavior

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Hippocampus

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A limbic system structure which plays an important role in the formation of new memories

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Amygdala

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A limbic system structure involved in governing emotions and establishing emotional memories

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Corpus Callosum

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A thick band of nerve fibers connecting the left and right cerebral hemispheres

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Aphasias

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Impairment of the ability to use (expressive aphasia) or understand (receptive aphasia) language that usually results from brain damage

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Spinal Cord

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Complex cable of neurons that runs down the spine, connecting the brain to most of the rest of the body

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Somatic Nervous System

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The part of the peripheral nervous system that carries messages from the sense to the central nervous system and between the central nervous system and the skeletal muscles

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Autonomic Nervous System

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The part of the peripheral nervous system that carries messages between the central nervous system and the internal organs

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Sympathetic Division

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Branch of the autonomic nervous system; it prepares the body for quick action in an emergency

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Parasympathetic Division

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Branch of the autonomic nervous system; it clams and relaxes the body

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Endocrine Glands

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Glands of the endocrine system that release hormones into the bloodstream

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Hormones

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Chemical substance released by the endocrine glands; they help regulate bodily activities

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Pituitary Gland

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Gland located on the underside of the brain; it produces the largest number of the body's hormones

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Pineal Gland

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A gland located roughly in the center of the brain that appears to regulate activity levels over the course of a day

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Thyroid Gland

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Endocrine gland located below the voice box; it produces the hormone thyroxin

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Parathyroids

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Four tiny glands embedded in the thyroid

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Pancreas

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Organ lying between the stomach and small intestines; it secretes insulin and glucagon to regulate blood-sugar levels

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Adrenal Glands

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Two endocrine glands located just above the kidneys

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Gonads

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The reproductive glands, testes in males and ovaries in females

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Behavior Genetics

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Study of the relationship between hereditary and behavior

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Evolutionary Psychology

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Study of the evolutionary roots of behavior and mental processes

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Genetics

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Study of how traits are transmitted from one generation to the next

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Genes

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Elements that control the transmission of traits; they are found on the chromosomes

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Chromosomes

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Pairs of thread like bodies within the cell nucleus that contains he genes

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Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA)

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Complex molecule in a double-helix configuration that is the main ingredients of chromosomes and genes and that forms the code for all genetic information

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Dominant Gene

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Member of a gene pair that controls the appearance of a certain trait

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Recessive Gene

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Member of a gene pair that can control the appearance of a certain trait only if it is paired with another recessive gene

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Polygenic Inheritance

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Process by which several genes interact to produce a certain trait; responsible for out most important traits

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Genotype

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An organism's entire unique genetic makeup

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Phenotype

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The characteristics of an organism; determined by both genetics and experience

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Human Genome

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The full complement of genes within a human cell

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Strain Studies

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Studies of the heritability of behavioral traits using animals that have been inbred to produce strains that are genetically similar to one another

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Selection Studies

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Studies that estimate the heritability of a trait by breeding animals with other animals that have the same trait

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Family Studies

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Studies of heritability in humans based on the assumption that if genes influence a certain trait, close relatives should be more similar to that trait than distant relatives

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Twin Studies

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Studies of identical and fraternal twins to determine the relative influence of heredity and environment on human behavior

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Identical Twins

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Twins develop from a single fertilized ovum and therefore identical in genetic makeup at the time of conception

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Fraternal Twins

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Twins developed from two separate fertilized ova and therefore different in genetic makeup

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Adoption Studies

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Research carried out on children, adopted at birth by parents not related to them, to determine the relative influence of heredity and environment on human behavior

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Natural Selection

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The mechanism proposed by Darwin in his theory of evolution, which states that organisms best adapted to their environment tend to survive, transmitting their genetic characteristics to succeeding generations, whereas organism with less adaptive characteristics tend to vanish from the earth

Psychology Chapter 2 – The Biological Basis of Behavior – Flashcards

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