1. Intro to Biological Psychology Flashcards
How does Breedlove et al. (2010) define Biological Psychology?
‘The field that relates behaviour to bodily processes, especially the workings of the brain’
What are the 5 viewpoints to explore behaviour?
- Describing behaviour
- Studying the evolution of behaviour
- Development of behaviour over life span
- Studying the biological mechanisms of behaviour
- Studying the applications of biological psychology
What are the 4 levels of analysis?
- Social interaction (brain responses)
- Gross anatomy of the brain
- Single neutron activity
- Molecular properties
What are amino acids?
Small molecules based around a carbon chain with an amino group and a carboxyl group
Define Chromosome
the DNA molecule that is packaged into thread-like structures
Define DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid)
Molecule composed of 2 chains that coil around each other to form a double helix carrying genetic instructions for development, functioning and of all organisms
What are eukaryotes?
Internal membrane-bound structures
Define hydrophilic
Molecules interacting with the water molecule
Define hydrophobic
Literally means ‘the fear of water’
What is mRNA and what does it do?
Messenger RNA - codes for proteins
What are prokaryotes?
No internal-bound structures
What are proteins?
Large complex molecules composed of amino acids
What is rRNA?
Ribosomal RNA - forms part of the ribosome
What is transcription?
The process of transferring info in DNA to an mRNA molecule. DNA of a gene serves as a template for complementary base pairing, and an enzyme called RNA polymerase
What is translation?
Process in which the mRNA is ‘read’ according to the genetic code, which relates the DNA sequence to the amino acid sequence in proteins
What is tRNA and what does it do?
Transfer RNA - it transports amino acids to the ribosome
What are the two types of neurone?
Prokaryotes and eukaryotes
Where does DNA sit in the neurone?
Inside the nucleus of the cell, protected by the membrane
What is Mitochondrion important for?
The energy and survival of the cell
What is plasma membrane?
The boundary between the cell and its environment
What does plasma membrane maintain?
Homeostasis
What does plasma membrane allow to leave and enter from the cell?
Allows waste to leave and nutrients to enter
What level of permeability does the plasma membrane have?
Selective permeability
What is cytoplasm?
A very watery solution
Describe the sandwich model for cytoplasm
Phospholipid bilayer keeps the cell interior and cell exterior separate
Fatty cells are hydrophobic so they stay inside
Phosphate heads are hydrophilic
Together they create a membrane
What is the name of the model for cytoplasm?
The Sandwich model
What is the name of the layer that keeps the cell interior and exterior separate?
The Phospholipid bilayer
Fatty cells are hydro___
hydrophobic
Phosphate heads are hydro___
hydrophilic
What does the nucleus give directions for?
The making of proteins
The master set of directions (for making proteins) in the nucleus, is in what?
Chromatin
During cell division, chromatin condenses to form ____
Chromosomes
Where is the nucleolus?
Inside the nucleus
What is the purpose of the nucleolus?
To make ribosomes
What are ribosomes?
Where proteins are made, according to the instructions from DNA
Proteins are synthesised from how many different amino acids?
20
Where is the correct sequence of amino acids contained?
In DNA in the nucleus
Which group defines what type of amino acid you have?
The variable group
DNA controls organisms through the production of what?
Through the production of proteins
What are proteins responsible for?
All functions of life
The DNA of each gene carries the chemical code that tells the cell what?
The correct sequence of amino acids required to produce the protein that that gene codes
What are the 4 ‘bases’ in DNA?
Adenine, Thymine, Cytosine and Guanine
The precise sequence of triplets of bases provides the code for what?
For each amino acid in the protein the gene codes for
RNA is what type of acid?
Nucleic acid
What are the 3 differences between RNA and DNA?
- RNA is single stranded
- The sugar in RNA is Ribose instead of Deoxyribose
- RNA has Uracil instead of Thymine
Describe how mRNA codes for proteins
It carries the genetic information from DNA in the form of a series of three-base code ‘words’
Describe how rRNA forms part of the ribosome
It associates with a set of proteins to form ribosomes - a machine involved in translation of RNA into proteins
Describe how tRNA transports amino acids to the ribosomes
Brings amino acids to the ribosome during protein translation deciphering the code in mRNA
The information in DNA is transferred to a mRNA molecule by way of process called…
Transcription
DNA of a gene serves as a template for what?
Complementary base-pairing & an enzyme called RNApolymerase
mRNA is ‘read’ according to the genetic code, which releases the DNA sequence to the amino acid sequence in proteins, through a process called…
Translation
A complete DNA molecule is called what?
A chromosome
