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Genes and Behavior

Genes and Behavior . Nature vs Nurture. Nature Genetic component Nurture Environmental . Nature. Genetic constraints on development of recognition Sensitive period of exposure to model Learning triggered by specific stimuli (ex. Movement or sound) Learning is rapid and long lasting

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Genes and Behavior

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  1. Genes and Behavior

  2. Nature vs Nurture • Nature • Genetic component • Nurture • Environmental

  3. Nature • Genetic constraints on development of recognition • Sensitive period of exposure to model • Learning triggered by specific stimuli (ex. Movement or sound) • Learning is rapid and long lasting • Learning is apparently irreversible • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yGFrV88t1c&feature=related

  4. Nature vs NurtureThe story of a White crowned sparrow

  5. What’s a dialect? • A regional or social variety of a language distinguished by pronunciation, grammar, or vocabulary

  6. The Phenomena http://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/bmammals/sparrows/sparrows2.html

  7. Is it Nature? • How could we test this?

  8. White Crowned Sparrow Song Variation • Different populations of birds have distinctively different song dialects • Are different dialects caused by different genes? http://psycnet.apa.org/index.cfm?fa=buy.optionToBuy&id=2001-01020-008

  9. Is it Nurture? • White Crowned sparrows were placed in a chamber isolated from sounds • Isolated birds were unable to produce a complete song, only twitters • Conclusion- a critical environmental factor was missing

  10. Next Stage of Birdie Torture… • White Crowned sparrows were placed in a chamber and adult song played to them • Birds closely mimicked song that was played to them • Berkeley bird would sing San Francisco song • What does this tell us about bird song dialects?

  11. Hearing bird song of same species stimulates gene expression in brain • Proteins synthesized modify the functions of brain cells • Alters birds ability to remember song

  12. Nucleic acids • Information storage molecules • Directions for building proteins • Found in nuclei of eukaryotes • Two forms • Deoxyribonucleic acid • Ribonucleic acid • Polymers of nucleotides

  13. Nucleotides • Nucleotides are the building blocks of nucleic acids • Nitrogenous base • Adenine • Guanine • Cytosine • Thymine (DNA only) • Uracil (RNA only)

  14. Information stored in Sequence of Nucleotides

  15. DNA • Located in the nucleus of cells • Has the capacity to store genetic information • Instructions for all life and life processes • Contains protein building instructions • “blueprint” of life • Can be copied and passed from generation to generation • Uses specific code built into sequence of nucleotides

  16. DNA Replication is Semiconservative

  17. Chromatin vs Chromosomes

  18. Genetic code • Genes have nucleotide code for building proteins • Proteins are made of amino acids • The set of rules giving the correspondence between nucleotides of nucleic acids and amino acids of proteins

  19. Genes Located on Chromosomes • Gene • Sequence of nucleotides that is the unit of hereditary information • Ie. A recipe • Genome • The sum of an individuals genes

  20. Gene Expression • How dna’s instructions are carried out • Code in gene is copied and used to build proteins or run other jobs • Involves multiple steps • transcription • translation • Uses dna and rna

  21. In animal and plant Cells… DNA is Isolated in the Nucleus Protein Building Structures in cytoplasm

  22. Transcription vs translation • Transcription • Translation • Transcription occurs in the nucleus • Translation occurs in the cytoplasm • This is how genes control the structures and activities of cells

  23. Transcription • Converts Dna to rna • Results in strand of messenger rna (template) • Uses Complementary base pair rule • Region of copying unwinds & then rewinds after mrna is complete

  24. Messenger RNA (mRNA) • RNA Template of DNA • Single strand of nucleotides • Moves from inside nucleus to cytoplasm

  25. Translation • Converts from nucleic acid (nucleotide) language to the protein language (amino acid) • Converts mRNA to protein

  26. Ribosomes Help build proteins

  27. Protein Builds your Body

  28. Protein Runs your BodyProteins Can Change Cell Functions

  29. Changes in Cell Activity Can Lead to Changes in Behavior

  30. Honey Bee Caste

  31. Queen • Reproductive female • Lays eggs

  32. Workers • Maintain hive • Sterile with un-functional gonads • Care of larvae hatched from Queen’s eggs • Nurse workers • Construct honeycomb • Regulate hive’s temperature • Defense of colony from predators and parasites • Collection of pollen and nectar

  33. Development of Worker’s Role • Begins as a honeycomb cleaner after hatching • Nurse bee- feeds honey to larvae • Distributes food to workers • Forages for pollen and nectar outside the hive • (approx 3 weeks) What regulates this change in behaviors?

  34. Variation in Gene Expression Influences Behavior • Comparison of gene activity from nurse and worker bees • 2000 genes change their activity within the first 4 days of a bees life • Comparison of 4 day old bees and 8 day old bees showed 600 additional genes exhibited altered activity • Differences in gene activity contribute to developmental changes occurring in brains of the bees

  35. Social Environment Influences Gene Expression • Presence of older foragers inhibits young from maturing into foragers • Transfer of chemicals (ethyl oleate) from foragers when regurgitating nectar to nurses inhibits transition into forager

  36. Gene Expression is a Complex Process • It is not solely dependent on whether a gene is active or not • Genes and the environment have a complex interaction in driving phenotypes and behavior

  37. The one gene–one protein hypothesis states that the function of an individual gene is to dictate the production of a specific protein

  38. Exons Segments of DNA that code for AA Introns Sections of nucleotides that do not code for AA Regulatory function Genes are made of Introns & exons

  39. mRNA Is Processed • mRNA processing can influence gene expression • MRNA is spliced (cut & paste) • Introns removed • MRNA ends are capped

  40. mRNA Is Spliced

  41. DNA Transcription Addition of cap and tail RNA transcript with cap and tail Tail Introns removed Exons spliced together mRNA Coding sequence Nucleus Cytoplasm Rna processing

  42. mRna splicing is an example of Epigenetics Wait, what’s epigenetics?

  43. Epigenetics • The study of changes in phenotype caused by mechanisms that influence gene expression without effecting the underlying genes • Results as a consequence of DNA methylation or histone acetylation • Suppress gene expression without altering the silenced genes

  44. Factors that influence Epigenome • Development in utero • Environmental chemicals • Drugs/ pharmaceuticals • Aging • Diet

  45. Consequences of Epigenetics • Mechanism to cause changes in phenotype or behavior independent of genotype • Can result in changes of phenotype • Can result in changes in behavior • Can result in health effects

  46. Epigenome can be inherited • Methylated regions of DNA are copied when a cell replicates • Cell memory • Parents may contribute their epigenome to offspring

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