Developmental Psychology and Biology Overview Quiz

Brain Development, Evolution, and DNA: Key Concepts

• Brain development occurs both pre-natally and post-natally, with significant changes in synapse density and long-range connectivity.
• Mark Johnson's developmental neuroscience textbook outlines three ways brain development influences cognitive development.
• Evolution through natural selection relies on differences between individuals, heritability of traits, and the spread of fit traits over generations.
• Monogenic traits were originally believed to be determined by a single gene, while psychological traits are polygenic, influenced by many genes with small effects.
• DNA, the heritable material, codes for proteins that control development and metabolic processes, with mutations potentially altering amino acids in proteins.
• A gene is a sequence of DNA that codes for a protein, and humans have around 20,000 genes that make different proteins.
• Human chromosomes, split over 46 pairs, are inherited from biological parents, and heritability measures the influence of genes on a trait, ranging from 0% to 100%.
• Piaget's theory of brain development was challenged by evidence showing that the brain is not switched off before birth, and post-natal brain development is substantial.
• Post-natal brain development involves changes in synapse density and long-range connectivity, influencing cognitive development over time.
• Natural selection depends on differences between individuals, heritability of traits, and the spread of fit traits over generations, leading to the evolution of species.
• Psychological traits are polygenic, influenced by many genes with small effects, as humans have about 20,000 genes, with more than half expressed in the brain.
• DNA, the heritable material, codes for proteins that control development and metabolic processes, with mutations potentially altering amino acids in proteins.

Test your knowledge of brain development, evolution, molecular biology, and heritability in the context of developmental psychology. Explore the importance of brain development, the influence of evolution, and the role of molecular biology in shaping human behavior and traits.