1. Introduction to Biological Psychology Flashcards
What is the nervous system made up of?
The central nervous system (CNS)
The peripheral nervous system (PNS)
What 2 systems is the peripheral nervous system (PNS) made up of?
The somatic system
The autonomic system
What is the central nervous system (CNS) made up of?
Brain
Spinal cord
What are neurons?
Basic building blocks of the brain
What 3 things do neurons do?
Born
Migrate
Differentiate
What parts make up a neuron?
Cell body Dendrites Nucleus Axon Myelin sheath Axon terminals
What is Hebb’s rule (1949)?
Neurons in the brain that are simultaneously or successively active become associated.
What is resting potential?
The difference in electric charge between the inside and outside of a (neural) cell membrane.
What is action potential?
When a stimulus reaches a resting neuron, the neuron transmits the signal as an impulse. This is called action potential.
What is synaptic transmission?
The passage of an electrical impluse from one neuron to another via neurotransmitters.
Where is the occipital lobe located in the brain?
At the back
Where is Broca’s Area located in the brain?
At the front
What are the functions associated with the frontal lobe?
Problem-solving Social functioning Deployment of attention Goal-directed behaviour Self-regulation
Case study used to identify behaviours associated with frontal lobe
Phineas Gage
Case study: Phineas Gage
Railroad engineer who places detonate explosives along developing railroads
Accidentally placed the tampering iron on the explosive
An iron bar penetrated the right-hand side of his skull, passing through the left-hand side of his frontal lobe and exiting through the right frontal bone
No longer reliable/considerate
Experienced poor judgments and deficient social skills
Frontal lobe evidence: Eslinger and Damasio (1985)
Patient with frontal lobe lesion
Despite IQ = 130, poor at decision making, twice divorced since lesion, unable to hold down a job
Frontal lobe evidence: Schindler et al. (1995)
Patients with frontal lobe damage demonstrate personality changes
Memory & perceptual skills remain in tact
But decision making is poor
Case study: Alexander Laing
Experienced frontal lobe damage following a skiing accident in 2006
His memory, language and perceptual skills remain intact
BUT his ability to read others’ emotions and lack of insight were impaired
He is sexually obsessed and will frequently walk around naked and aroused
Where is Wernicke’s Area in the brain?
In the temporal lobe in the left-hand side of the brain
Where is the hippocampus in the brain?
In the temporal lobe
Amnesia is associated with damage to the…
hippocampus
The hippocampus is associated with the formation of what kind of memories?
Autobiographical memories - new memories about experienced events
What does damage to the hippocampus cause?
Anterograde amnesia - prevention of formation of new memories
Occasionally retrograde amnesia
