Human Origins/Biological Evolution
What are the three main ways we understand human origins?
1. Comparing primates with each other
2. Discovering and investigating fossils
3. Comparing DNA, proteins, and molecules
What are the four types of genetic disorders?
1. Recessive
2. Dominant
3. Multifactorial
4. Chromosomal
What are the two main types of genetic therapy?
1. Somatic
2. Germ line
What is the genotype of an individual?
The genetic makeup of an individual
What was banned by the Canadian Parliament on March 12, 2004
Human cloning, the sale of sperm, and payments to egg donors and surrogate mothers
How does cultural inheritance differ from biological inheritance?
Biological Inheritance: Is based on the transmission of genetic traits from parents to offspring
Cultural inheritance: The transmission of information through teaching and learning
What causes a dominant genetic disorder to be expressed?
What was the first successful case of genetic therapy?
SCID, a 4 year old girl in 1990
How is a phenotype determined?
By interactions between genes and the environment
What is therapeutic cloning?
Cloning stem cells for health applications such as organ transplantation and healing injured nerve cells
Why is cultural evolution considered more rapid and adaptable compared to biological evolution?
It relies on the transmission of acquire knowledge and behaviors, can be spread across individuals and groups quickly through instruction and learning
What is a multifactorial genetic disorder?
A disorder caused by the interaction of multiple genes, often influenced by environmental factors
What is the goal of genetic therapy when dealing with a harmful gene
To disrupt the gene so that it does not function properly, preventing the harmful effects
How does the environment impact an individual's phenotype from birth through adulthood?
What did the British government do on January 14, 2001, regarding stem cell research?
Amended the Human Fertilization and Embryology Act to allow research on stem cells and therapeutic cloning
What did Ayala mean when saying that natural selection may decrease in intensity in the future but will not disappear?
Natural selection may decrease because medical, hygienic, and nutritional advancements have reduced mortality
Will still occur due to genetic variation
What is Phenylketonuria (PKU)
Caused by the homozygous recessive gene leading to an inability to metabolize phenylalanine, resulting in severe mental and physical defects
What are some of the technical challenges associated with gene therapy?
1. High costs
2. Immune response
3. Risk of leukemia, tumors, and complications from vector viruses
What would happen if an adult person were cloned in terms of individual differences?
The clone could develop into a very different individual due to different life circumstances, even if genetically identical
What is mitochondrial replacement therapy?
A gene therapy involving mitochondria from a donor's egg cell for in vitro fertilization
Average number of children per family decreases there is greater opportunity for natural selection through differential fertility
Why does natural selection not eliminate genetic disorders like hereditary retinoblastoma?
Because medical treatments allow affect individuals to survive and reproduce, passing the mutation to future generations
What does genetic therapy potentially increase the risk of transmitting genetic disorders to future generations?
Because somatic therapy does not corrects defects in the germ line, meaning ova or sperm can pass the genetic defects to offspring
What does the example of the cinquefoil, Potentilla glandulosa illustrate about genotype and environment?
Genetically identical plants may thrive or die depending on environmental conditions, showing the impact of the environment on survival and success
What are two main hurdles in organ transplantation that therapeutic cloning could address?
1. Immune rejection
2. The availability of organs from suitable donors