1.5 Influences on Behaviour (neurotransmitters, hormones, biological)

Question 1

acetylcholine

Answer 1

in PNS, voluntary muscle control and parasympathetic nervous system

in CNS, linked to attention and arousal/alertness

Question 2

catecholamines

Answer 2

inclues epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine

all play an important role in emotion

Question 3

monoamines or biogenic amines

Answer 3

inclues epinephrine, norepinephrine, dopamine, AND serotonin; due to similarities in molecular composition

Question 4

epinephrine and norepinephrine

Answer 4

both involved in controlling alertness and wakefulness

primary neurotransmitters of the sympathetic nervous system (fight-or-flight)

Question 5

epinephrine

Answer 5

also known as adrenaline

usually is sevreted from the adrenal medulla to act systemically as a horome

Question 6

norepinephrine

Answer 6

also known as noradrenaline

usually acts locally as a neurotransmitter

low levels are associated with depression, high levels are associated with anxiety and mania

Question 7

dopamine

Answer 7

smooth movement and posture

high concentrations in basal ganglia

Question 8

dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia

Answer 8

delusions, hallucinations, and agitation associated with schizophrenia arise from too much dopamine or an oversensitivity to dopamine in the brain

Question 9

dopamine and Parkinson’s disease

Answer 9

Parkinson’s disease is associated with a loss of dopominergic neurons in the basal ganglia; results in resting tremors, jerky movements, and unstable posture

Question 10

serotonin

Answer 10

regulates mood, eating, sleeping, and dreaming; too much serotonin might produce mania, too little serotonin might produce depression

Question 11

GABA

Answer 11

produces inhibitory post-synaptic potentials by hyperpolarizing the postsynaptic membrane; stabilizes neural activity in the brain

Question 12

glycine

Answer 12

a proteinogenic amino acid that also acts as an INHIBITORY neurotransmitter in the CNS (by increasing chloride influce into the neuron to hyperpolarize the postsynaptic membrane)

Question 13

glutamate

Answer 13

a proteinogenic amino acid that also acts as an EXCITATORY neurotransmitter in the CNS

Question 14

neuromodulators / neuropeptides

Answer 14

peptides that act in neurotransmission

involve a more complicated chain of events that regular neurotransmitters, relatively slow with longer effects on postsynaptic cells

Question 15

endorphins

Answer 15

natural painkillers produced in the brain; a type of neuropeptide

have actions similar to morpine and other opioids

Question 16

hormones

Answer 16

the chemical messengers of the endocrine system

Question 17

hormones travel to their target destinations…

Answer 17

through the bloodstream

Question 18

pituitary gland

Answer 18

the “master” gland; divided into anterior and posterior; controlled by the hypothalamus; secretes various hormones into the bloodstream to travel to and activate other endocrine glands, which will then produce and secrete their own distinct hormone

Question 19

adrenal glands

Answer 19

adrenal medulla releases epinephrine/norepinephrine into the symapthetic nervous system; adrenal cortex produces sex hormones and corticosteroids (incl. cortisol)

Question 20

gonads

Answer 20

sex glands; ovaries in females, testest in males; produce sex hormones in higher concentrations

Question 21

innate behaviour

Answer 21

a behavioru that is genetically programmed as a result of evolution and is seen in all individuals regardless of environment or experience

Question 22

learned behaviours

Answer 22

not based on heredity; based on experience and environment

Question 23

adaptive value

Answer 23

the extent to which a trait or behaviour positively benefits a species by influencing the evolutionary fitness of the species; leads to adaptation

Question 24

nature vs nurture

Answer 24

nature = the influence of inherited characteristics on behaviour; nurture = the infuence of environment and physical surroundings on behaviour

Question 25

family studies

Answer 25

rely on the assumption that genetically related individuals are more similar genotypical than unrelated individuals

compares rates of a behaviour/trait amongst related individuals vs rates within the general population

example: there may be higher rates of schizophrenia within certain families vs the general population; if there were no biological factor, the rates within families would be the same as population

Question 26

twin studies

Answer 26

identical twins (100% DNA match) vs. fraternal twins (50% DNA match)

assumes both sets share 100% of the environment as their twin; only differ in their biological relatedness to their twin

if a trait has a genetic component, there would be higher concordance rates in the identical twin set than the fraternal twin set

Question 27

monozygotic twins

Answer 27

identical twins; share the same DNA

Question 28

dizygotic twins

Answer 28

fraternal twins; share about 50% of DNA, same relatedness as siblings

Question 29

concordance rates

Answer 29

the likelihood that both twins exhibit the same trait

Question 30

adoption studies

Answer 30

compares an adopted individual to their adopted family and their biological family

similarities to adopted family indicates an environmental factor; similarities to biological family indicates a hereditary factor