3. Brain Mechanisms And Behaviour I & II Flashcards
Biological psychology is the study of
The physiological bases of behaviour
The nervous system is divided into the
Central nervous system
Peripheral nervous system
Central nervous system consists of
Brain and spinal chord
Peripheral nervous system consists of
Sensory division and motor division
The motor division is divided into the
Autonomic nervous system and somatic nervous system
The autonomic nervous system (1 of the two parts of motor division which is one of the 2 parts of the peripheral nervous system) is divided into
Sympathetic division and parasympathetic division
Draw nervous system diagram and check which picture to see if correct
The brain is divided into a number of parts, looking at the brain from the top you see the
Cerebrum (we can only see this looking from the top)
The cerebrum is divided into a
Left and right half
These half’s are called
Cerebral hemispheres
Structures based on the developing structures of the brain developing in the embryo
Fore brain - prosencephalon
Mid brain - mesencephalon
Hind brain - rhombencephalon
In a developed brain the cerebrum used to be the
Prosencephalon (fore brain)
In a developed brain the mid brain used to be the
Mesencephalon (also mid brain in past)
In a developed brain the rest of the brain (pons, medulla, cerebellum) used to be the
Rhombencephalon (hind brain)
The prosencephalon is divided into the
(think going downwards 3 2 1, telen as tri, dien as di)
Telencephalons - cerebrum and cerebral hemispheres
diencephalon- all the thalamus’s: thalamus, epithalamus, hypothalamus
The mesencephalon (mid brain) has no subdivisions however it contains the
Corpora quadrigemina, tegmentum, cerebrum puduncles
The rhombencephalon is divided into the
(think going downwards again 3 and 2 are done now we go to 1, think mono relate to meten and myelen)
Metencephalon- pons, cerebellum
Myelencephalon- medulla oblongata
The previous parts of the nervous system make up most of the
central nervous system (brain and spine)
Neurons like any other cells contains several
Organelles
Remember these
What distinguishes a neutron from other cells is its shape. From a neurons central body (soma) what are the small fibers coming out?
Axon
Dendrites
Terminal buttons or presynaptic end
The presynaptic end is found on the end of the
Axon
The presynaptic end is where the
Axon releases chemical substances through synapsis
The terminal buttons of one neutron come into contact to the ____ of another neuron, then substance release takes place after the terminal buttons link with the postsynaptic cell
Dendrites
In the following diagram after a neuron receives info from the terminal buttons of other neurons this causes excitation of the neuron, then senses action potentials (messages) down the axon and reach the terminal buttons to be blinded to the dendrites of the communicating neurons/ post synaptic cell.
The peripheral nervous system PNS consists of two types of structures:
Nerves
Ganglion
A nerve is
An enclosed bundle of axons (like a cable) in the peripheral nervous system
Nerves provide a common pathway for
The electrochemical nerve impulses that move along each of the axons to the peripheral organs
A nerve is a collection of ___ packed closely together
Neurons
Ganglia (plural of ganglion) are
Lumps that are attached to nerves
Ganglia contain the
Cell body/somas of neurons
afferent neurons carry info
into the central nervous system from the peripheral nervous system
Efferent neurons carry info
Away from the central nervous system into the periphery
Are Sensory neurons afferent or efferent neurons
Afferent, they send messages toward the CNS
Are motor neurons afferent or efferent neurons
Efferent, they send messages away from the CNS
Neurons can be characterized as
Unipolar/pseudounipolar
Bipolar
Multipolar
Anaxonic
Unipolar/pseudounipolar?
Dendrite and axon emerging from same process
Bipolar neuron
Axon and a single dendrite are on opposite ends of the cell body/soma
Multipolar neuron?
Two or more dendrites, separate from the axon (cell body in start not middle)
Anaxonic
When an axon cannot be distinguished from dendrites
What are neuroglia?
non-neuronal glial cells (in the central and peripheral nervous systems) that
maintain homeostasis for neurons
form myelin for neurons
provoked support and protection for neurons
What are types glial cells in the CNS only
Oligodendrocytes
Astrocytes
Ependymal cells
Microglia
What are types glial cells in the PNS only
Schwann cells
Satellite cells
What flail cell have numerous projections that link neurons to their blood supply while forming the blood-brain barrier. They regulate the external chemical environment of neurons.
Astrocytes/astroglia
What glial cell produces the so-called myelin sheath. The myelin sheath provides insulation to the axon that allows electrical signals to propagate more efficiently.
Oligodendrocytes
What glial cells are involved in the creation and secretion of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
Ependymal cells
What glial cells provide myelination to axons in the peripheral nervous system (PNS). They also have phagocytotic activity and clear cellular debris (damaged or dead cells) that allows for regrowth of PNS neurons
Schwann cells
What glial cells help regulate the external chemical environment.
Satellite Cells
Although neuroglail cells are 10x smaller than neurons, in the human brain they are
10x more than neurons, meaning they take up the same space/volume as neurons
In most areas of the brain cells cannot be replaced except for the
Olfactory (smell) cells
neuroglial cells
cells in the septohippocampal region in the limbic system
There is a barrier existing between the blood and the fluid that surrounds the cells of the brain, this barrier is called the
Blood brain barrier and it is selectively permeable
Why do we need the blood brain barrier
The brain is a very sensitive organ, if damage happens its hard to fix
The blood brain barrier prevents harmful substances from
Entering and useful substances from leaving the brain
In the postrema the BBB is much weaker allowing
neurons to detect the toxic substances in the blood. Therefore when their is poison entering the circulatory system from the stomach, neurons in the area can detect them then stimulate the area of postrema to initiate vomiting and protect the organism
When you touch something hot like an iron you go through something called the reflex of withdrawal, explain how this works
When you touch a hot iron, you are automatically reflexing because a sensory neuron (afferent) send a message (through action potentials) from the finger (periphery) to the spinal chord where this message is transferred to an inter neuron which passes on the message to the motor neuron (efferent) which stimulates the muscle, initiating the response of withdraw
Why is the reflex arc imp
Quick response in danger without having to send the message all the way up to the brain
(Taking longer to deal with)
Sometimes a painful stimulus does not cause reflex arc/withdraw reflex, why is that?
In this case the individual takes priority over pain. Taking a hot dish out of the over when u have people over for dinner for example, its hot and your getting the message that its hot however you don’t randomly drop the dish because you have the knowledge that you’ve invited people for dinner and that the food Is the priority in mind.
This info is understood by another axon from a neuron in the brain extended and found all the way in the inter neutron sending a message to the brain besides the neurons of the reflex withdraw (excitatory neuron)
What is the process called of preventing withdraw of reflex
Inhibition (inhibitory signals)
How do neurons communicate
Via synapsis
The messages sent through the axon to the terminal buttons are called
Action potentials
Put in order the structures used for action potentials to be sent
Dendrites- some/cell body - axon - terminal buttons
It’s not just one nerve travelling to different parts of to body to the brain but
Billions of nerves interacting with one another to pass on the message
The transmitting of messages from one neuron to another happens through a
Synapse
Explain the communication between neurons/synaptic transmittion
The terminal button of the presynaptic cell spills neurotransmitters into a fluid filled gap called the synaptic cleft then the molecules of the neurotransmitter diffuse across the synaptic Clift when synapses takes place then into the post synaptic cell.
Synapsids can take place on the
Membranes of the Dendrite of other neurons
Membranes of the Soma/cell body of other neurons
Membranes of the Axons of other neurons
Terminal button-Dendrite synapses is known as
Axodendritic
Terminal button-soma synapses is known as
Axosomatic
Terminal button-axon synapses is known as
Axoaxonic
The most common synapse is a
Axodendritic (axons’ terminal button to dendrite)
What type of synapse is this
Axoaxonic (terminal button of presynaptic cell axon with terminal button of postsynaptic cell axon)
This synapse is
Axosomatic
This synapse is
Axodendritic
The average gap distance during synapse is
1 nm (1billionth of a metre)
The Cytoplasm of terminal buttons contains small _____ which contain neurotransmitters which fuse to the terminal button end and are spat out into the synaptic cleft when they reach their action potential
Vesicles
Where are synaptic vesicles produced
The soma
How are the synaptic vesicles carried from the cell body to the terminal buttons
By fast axoplasmic transport
What are the 7 most imp neurotransmitters
Acetylcholine
Epinephrine and norepinephrine
Dopamine
Serotonin
GABA
Endorphins
Acetylcholine is the neurotransmitter responsible for
Voluntary muscle control
Parasympathetic nervous system
Attention and alertness
Epinephrine and norepinephrine are responsible for
Flight or fight responses
Wakefulness
alertness (acetylcholine as well)
Dopamine is responsible for
Smooth movements
Postural stability/ good posture
Serotonin is resp for
Sleep
Eating
Mood
Dreaming
(Think SEMD, Starts with s cause serotonin
GABA is resp for
Brain “stabilization”
Endorphins are
Natural pain killers
Somatic reflexes control
Involuntary (unaware) movement and skeletal muscles
The most complex organ in the human body is the
Brain
The brain in three parts again is the
Forebrain
Midbrain
Hindbrain
The forebrain consists of the
Cerebrum, thalamus and hypothalamus which all together are parts of the limbic system
The testimony and tegmentum is what the ___ ____ consists of
Midbrain
Cerebellum, pons and medulla ____ ____ consists of
Hind brain
The midbrain (tegtum and tegmentum), pons and medulla (parts of hindbrain) are referred together as the
Brain stem
Know which the cerebellum is
It’s the brown chunk on the bottom of the brain right of the brain stem
The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain and therefore in charge of higher brain functions like
Thought and actions
The cerebrum cortex is divided into four sections
The cerebrum is divided in half from top view of the brain by a midline known as the
Corpus Callosum
Always label is the lobes ur talking about are the left or right lobes because
The brain is split down the middle and each lobe is on opposing sides right and left (for example there is a right temporal lobe and a left temporal lobe)
The brain functions with the body in a
Contralateral manner (the functions of the right side of our body is controlled by the left side of our brain and vice versa in most cases) (right-left)
Rare: ipsilateral representation
Right side of body controlled by right side of brain and vice versa (right-right)
Rare: Bilateral representation is when
Both sides of the body and controlled by both sides of the brain (right body- both sides brain) (left body-both sides brain)
Frontal lobe functions
Reasoning, planning, movements, parts of speech, emotions, problem solving
Parietal lobe functions
Control movement, orientation, recognition
Occipital lobe functions
Visual Perception and processing
Temperature lobe functions
Control perception, recognition of auditory stimuli, memory and speech
Why is it imp that the cerebral cortex is wrinkled
It makes the brain more efficient because the wrinkles increase surface area of the brain and the amount of neurons within it
True or false the two brain hemispheres are symmetrical
FALSE- they are asymmetrical which shows through function, the right has to do with creativity and the left is associated with logical abilities.
The corpus callosum (the midline) is made up of
A bundle of axons which connect the two hemispheres
Epileptic seizures happen when the axons making up the corpus callosum are
Not functioning properly
The cerebellum (little brain) is similar to the cerebrum because it
has two hemispheres and it has a highly folded surface called cortex.
The highly folded surface on the cerebellum is called
Cortex
The structure of the cerebellum helps with?
The regulation and coordination of movement, posture and balance
The limbic system location?
Deep within the cerebrum
The limbic system contains the
thalamus, hypothalamus
Amygdala and hippocampus
The thalamus is located in the forebrain, hindbrain or midbrain?
Forebrain and is the centre of pain perception
The hypothalamus is located just under the
Thalamus and its functions are to regulate homeostasis, emotion, thirst, hunger and the control of the autonomic nervous system
The amygdala is part of the telencephalon (part of the limbic system) and is located in the
Temporal lobe and is involved in memory emotion (strong emotional memory that causes emotion) and fear
The hippocampus’ function is
Learning, memory, converting short term memory to more long term memory.
- IT IS NOT WHERE MEMORY IS STORED BUT JUST FOR MEMORY CONVERSION FROM SHORT TO LONG
The brain stem is underneath which system
The limbic system
The brain stems functions are
Basic vital life functions like
Breathing
Heartbeat
Blood pressure Bp
This is the brain stem consisting of everything in the image but the thalamus and obviously spinal chord
The midbrain is part of the brain stem and contains the
Tectum and tegmentum as said before
The functions of the midbrain are
Vision
Hearing
Eye movement
Body movements
(Remember its part of the brain stem so it has basic bodily functions)
Where in the brain stem do the vital functions of breathing and heartbeat come from
Medulla oblongata and pons
