Behavior is controlled by nervous system.
- Influenced by learning and experience.
Some genes affect behavior, drives systems.
- Genes have alleles.
- Epigenetics does not change DNA, but can change gene expression.
- Expression is as important as DNA sequences.
- Gene Expression
- Transcribing DNA into RNAs
- Some RNAs have structure and function and perform their job in cells w/o translation.
- Wildtype Genes
- Genes the are common amongst a population.
- Mutant Genes
- Genes that are novel to a population.
- Fixed-Action Behaviors Instinct, Innate
- Response to a stimulus without prior learning and often resistant to modification.
- Behaviors evolved, selection behavioral trait that was advantageous.
- Artificial Selection
- Breeding for a human purpose.
Behavior can be influenced by experience.
- Learning
- Ability for an individual to modify behavior as a consequence or an individuals experience.
- Habituation
- The simplest form of learning
- Desensitization / sensitization based on experiences.
Biological Determinism
This is a reductionist way of thinking that ignores the effect the environment has on gene expression.
Harmful Thinking
- Genes determine behavior verbatim.
- Used for nefarious purposes, but wrong.
- Fails b/c of the effect of epigenetics.
- Epigenetics can change with experiences or learning.
- Epigenetics can change gene expression and is dynamic.