Genetic Explanations

Can genes determine which fifty-year-old will succumb to Alzheimer’s, which citizen will turn out on voting day, and which child will be marked for a life of crime? Yes, according to the Internet, a f

Genetic linkage maps are an increasingly important tool in both fundamental and applied research, enabling the study and deployment of genes that determine important biological traits. This concise introduction to genetic mapping in species with disomic inheritance enables life science graduate students and researchers to use mapping software to produce more reliable results. After a brief refresher on meiosis and genetic recombination, the steps in the map construction procedure are described, with explanations of the computations involved. The emphasis throughout is on the practical application of the methods described; detailed mathematical formulae are avoided and exercises are included to help readers consolidate their understanding. A chapter on recognising and solving problems provides valuable guidance for dealing with real-life situations. An extensive chapter dedicated to the more complex situation of outbreeding species offers a unique insight into the approach required for

Genetic linkage maps are an increasingly important tool in both fundamental and applied research, enabling the study and deployment of genes that determine important biological traits. This concise introduction to genetic mapping in species with disomic inheritance enables life science graduate students and researchers to use mapping software to produce more reliable results. After a brief refresher on meiosis and genetic recombination, the steps in the map construction procedure are described, with explanations of the computations involved. The emphasis throughout is on the practical application of the methods described; detailed mathematical formulae are avoided and exercises are included to help readers consolidate their understanding. A chapter on recognising and solving problems provides valuable guidance for dealing with real-life situations. An extensive chapter dedicated to the more complex situation of outbreeding species offers a unique insight into the approach required for

Recent arguments concerning the nature of causation in evolutionary theory, now often known as the debate between the 'causalist' and 'statisticalist' positions, have involved answers to a variety of independent questions – definitions of key evolutionary concepts like natural selection, fitness, and genetic drift; causation in multi-level systems; or the nature of evolutionary explanations, among others. This Element offers a way to disentangle one set of these questions surrounding the causal structure of natural selection. Doing so allows us to clearly reconstruct the approach that some of these major competing interpretations of evolutionary theory have to this causal structure, highlighting particular features of philosophical interest within each. Further, those features concern problems not exclusive to the philosophy of biology. Connections between them and, in two case studies, contemporary metaphysics and philosophy of physics demonstrate the potential value of broader collab

An essential examination resource for anyone sitting their primary or maintenance of certification examinations in dermatology, pathology or dermatopathology, Self-Assessment in Dermatopathology uses histopathology as a catalyst for constructive and critical thinking and to trigger relevant clinical, genetic and syndromic associations. Concise explanations at the end of each chapter give short answers to each question and expand on each answer choice. Each chapter consists of an increasingly difficult selection of questions, allowing the reader to develop and self-test their knowledge. Tables relevant to the section covered have also been incorporated in the answer section. Using this practical approach, the reader will become familiar with the pathologic basis of clinically relevant dermatoses and cutaneous tumors. The question and answer format make this book the first resource of its kind. Thinking about information in a new way is the foundation of this book, making it an invaluabl

This book explores social constructionism and the language of mental distress. Mental health research has traditionally been dominated by genetic and biomedical explanations that provide only partial

The Trouble with Twin Studies questions popular genetic explanations of human behavioral differences based upon the existing body of twin research. Psychologist Jay Joseph outlines the fallacies of tw

"The Trouble with Twin Studies questions popular genetic explanations of human behavioral differences based upon the existing body of twin research. Psychologist Jay Joseph outlines the fallacies of t

The computational education of biologists is changing to prepare students for facing the complex datasets of today's life science research. In this concise textbook, the authors' fresh pedagogical approaches lead biology students from first principles towards computational thinking. A team of renowned bioinformaticians take innovative routes to introduce computational ideas in the context of real biological problems. Intuitive explanations promote deep understanding, using little mathematical formalism. Self-contained chapters show how computational procedures are developed and applied to central topics in bioinformatics and genomics, such as the genetic basis of disease, genome evolution or the tree of life concept. Using bioinformatic resources requires a basic understanding of what bioinformatics is and what it can do. Rather than just presenting tools, the authors - each a leading scientist - engage the students' problem-solving skills, preparing them to meet the computational chal

The computational education of biologists is changing to prepare students for facing the complex datasets of today's life science research. In this concise textbook, the authors' fresh pedagogical approaches lead biology students from first principles towards computational thinking. A team of renowned bioinformaticians take innovative routes to introduce computational ideas in the context of real biological problems. Intuitive explanations promote deep understanding, using little mathematical formalism. Self-contained chapters show how computational procedures are developed and applied to central topics in bioinformatics and genomics, such as the genetic basis of disease, genome evolution or the tree of life concept. Using bioinformatic resources requires a basic understanding of what bioinformatics is and what it can do. Rather than just presenting tools, the authors - each a leading scientist - engage the students' problem-solving skills, preparing them to meet the computational chal

This volume provides a broad overview of issues in the philosophy of behavioral biology, covering four main themes: genetic, developmental, evolutionary, and neurobiological explanations of behavior.

Who are smarter, Asians or Westerners? Are there genetic explanations for group differences in test scores? From the damning research of The Bell Curve to the more recent controversy surrounding gene

Patterns of Sounds describes the frequency and distributional patterns of the phonemic sounds in a large and representative sample of the world's languages. The results are based on UPSID (the UCLA Phonological Segment Inventory Database), a computer file containing the phonemes of 317 languages selected on the basis of genetic diversity. The book contains nine chapters analysing the UPSID data, as well as fully labelled phoneme charts for each language and a comprehensive segment index. Questions of the frequency and co-occurrence of the particular segment types are discussed in detail and possible explanations for the patterns observed are evaluated. The book is thus both a report on the research into phoneme inventory structure that has been done using UPSID and a resource that provides the reader with the tools to extend that research.

Who are smarter, Asians or Westerners? Are there genetic explanations for racial differences in test scores? What makes some nationalities excel in engineering and others in music? Wi

Despite the popular perception that genetic explanations of the causes of crime are new, biological determinism is an idea that dates back to the birth of criminology. This is largely due to the effor

The majority of psychological research relies on scientific explanations of human nature as predictable and universal, establishing cause by reducing dynamic action to constituent genetic or neurochem

The majority of psychological research relies on scientific explanations of human nature as predictable and universal, establishing cause by reducing dynamic action to constituent genetic or neurochem