Bio Psych Lecture Flashcards
explain francis galtons nature vs nurture
exploring how much of human traits - mostly intelligence are influenced by genetics (nature) vs environment (nurture)
he said that intelligence = genetics
twins should be more similar when raised apart
the most important characteristics of an organism that they use everyday should be biological rather than environmental
**overall it is impossible to separate nature and environment they work together to determine human behaviour
what are epigenetics
changes in gene expression that are due to non-genetic influences
how the environment can impact our genetics
can happen within a life time
difference between heredity and heritability
heredity = the genetic transmission of genes from parents to offspring like blood type, eye colour, diseases
heritability = an estimate of the genetic proportion of the variation in some specific trait - within a population
- statistical estimate of how much the variation can be atrtibuted to genetic differences among individuals within a pop
- if hertiability of height in a population is 80% in variation then 20% of the genetic differences come from environmental factors
what does the CNS have
central nervous system
brain and spinal cord
what does the PNS have
somatic nervous system
autonomic nervous system
what are 2 types of autonomic nervous system
sympathethic nervous system
parasympathetic nervous system
what is a neuron and what are the 3 types
the basic unit of the nervous system
action potentals = electrical impulses
communicate with other neurons through chemical signals = neurotransmitters
1. sensory neurons
2. motor neurons
3. interneurons
sensory neurons = efferent neurons
false
sensory neurons = afferent neurons
motor neurons = efferent neurons
what are action potentials
the impulses that pass along the axon and causes the release of chemicals from the terminal buttons
- causes the domino effect
what are the neural communication phases
resting potential = polarized state (more neg inside, pos outside)
excitatory signals = increase the liklihood that the neurons will fire (depolarize, neg leaves inside)
inhibitory signals = decrease the likelihood that the neuron will fire
the impact is decided by the polarization of the cell
what is the all-or-none principle
a neuron will fire or does not fire
the freq of a neuron varys
explain the resting state / resting potential of neurons
at rest, they are polarized
negative inside, positive outside
more Na+ outside and more K+ inside
there is an imbalance
explain the excitatory state
once the neuron reaches its excitatory threshold it will fully depolarize = generates action potential
Na channels open and the charge reverses
inside = positive bc of Na+ and outside = negative
at the peak of the action potential
Na+ channels will close and K+ channels will open allowing K+ to leave the cell = HYPERPOLARIZATION = refractory period (where the cell cannot fire because the concentrations needs to go back to the resting state for another neuron to fire, but the Na+ are not attracted to the outside positive environment, so the sodium-potassium pump needs to use ATP to force the molecules against the gradient
this is why action potentials can only move in one direction
the flow of sodium thru one gate will start the flow of the adjacent gate = wave like pattern along the membrane
what are neurotransmitters
chemical substances that carry signals from one neuron to another
stored in vesicles inside the terminal buttons and travels thru the cytosol to the dendrites to the other neuron adjacent
what is the presynaptic vs postsynaptic membrane
pre: membrane of the neuron that is sending the signal
post: membrane of the neuron that is recieving the signal
explain what the neurotransmitter gluctamate does
primary excitatory neurotransmitter
“go” signal
helps neurons send signals by making them more likely to fire an action potential
- helps brain growth, store memories
- with little glutamate = memory and learning issues
explain GABA neurotransmitter
the brains stop signal
the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter
calms the brain down by reducing neuron activity = relaxation
explain serotonin neurotransmitter
the mood stabilizer
regulated mood, happiness, emotions
affects sleep, hunger, impulsivness
explain dopamine neurotransmitter
motivation, pleasure, reward
makes you feel good when you achieve something
involved in voluntary movement, learning, addiction
too much dopamine = addiction
too little = lack of motivation
explai acetylcholine neurotransmitter
ACh
controls the muscle movement - actives muscles
it delivers signals from the brain to muscles to move the body
helps with learning, attnetion, memory, sleep
explain eprinephrine neurotransmitter
adrenaline - fight or flight hormon
increases heart rate, oxygen, energy, alertness during stressful situations
what is an agonist
it is a substance/drug that mimics or enhances the effects of a neurotransmitter by binding to its receptor and activating it
lock and key
- drugs can acts as an agonists
morphine mimics endorphins which are natural painkillers - this activates opiody receptors, reduce pain and produce euphoria
*drugs also enhance the effects of endogenous which is naturally occuring neurotransmitters without mimic - they boost the neurotransmitters natural action by increasing the release of the NTM and blocking the re-uptake of NTM
what is antagonist
when a drug/chemical blocks or inhibts the effect of a NTM by binding to its receptor without activating it
it fits into the receptor, doesnt turn it on, this blocks the real neurotransmitter from working
- blocks, mimics and destorys the real NTM in synapse
EX: botulinum toxin = botox and it blocks ACh which paralyzes the muscles in the face that cause wrinkles
what does neuroplasticity mean
the brain is plastic and can change, reorganize after experience, drugs, injury, stroke
EX: rats raised in good conditions rather than bad conditions had more dendrites
what are some common misconceptions of the brain
left brain / right brain
bumps on ur head that tell you about the personality
using only 10% of your brain
lateralization
refers to the fact that some brain fucntions are more dominant in one hemisphere than the other but it doesnt mean one side controls a concept specifically
what does the brainstem do
controls the autonomic nervous system
breathing, digestion, heart beat
inside the brainstem = reticular formation, pons, medulla
the reticular formation is for sleep and alertness
what is the function of the cerebellum
behind the brain stem
- essential for coordination, movement, balance
most neurons fire in this area
what does the diencephalon part of the brain contain
the hypothalamus + cerebellum + right/left thalamus
what does the hypothalamus do
the brains master regulatory structure
connects the nervous system to the endocrine system
so fighting, feeding, fleeing, sex
**maintains homeostasis and regulates body functions
- it is a small ball like structure in between the right and left thalamus
(hypothalamus and thalamus are not the same)
what does the thalamus do
relay station
where is handles all incoming sensory information except smell
touch, vision, hearing, taste signals to the cortex
like a traffic director to make sure the signals get to the right place
is the basal gangila aprt of the diencephalon
no
what does the basal gangila do
gentle movement, prevents jerky movements
works with the motor cortext and cerebellum for coordinated voluntary movement
2 on either side that surround the thalamus
on the ends of the basal gangila = amygdala
what is included in the limbic system
it is the emotional system
contains the amygdala, hippocampus and hypothalamus
what does the hippocampus do
forming new memories
storage of memories = long term
damages = alzheimers
ability to move things from short term to long term
what does the amygdala do
best known for its role in processing fear
- ability to associate things with emotional responses
located in front of the hippocampus
attached to the end of the basal gangila
- the hippocampus and the amygdala become very active when recalling scary moments
what does the cerebral cortex do
outer layer of the brain and has 4 sections that cover the entire brain
1. occipital lobe = back of the head - vision = primary VISUAL cortex
2. parietal lobe = top, middle back = primary SENSORY cortex (touch)
3. temporal lobe = near the ear = hearing, primary AUDITORY cortex
4. frontal lobe = top flat part of head into forehead = primary MOTOR cortex = prefrontal cortext, good in planning, movement
what is the corpus callosum
bridge of axons that connects the 2 hemispheres and allows info flow between them
what is the role of the PNS
to transmit info to the CNS
respond to messages from the CNSe
explain the somatic nervous system role
concerned with the external environment
consists of the motor neurons responsible for sending signals from the CNS to the muscles = efferent pathway
consists of sensory neurons which sends signals from the skin, muscles and other organs to the CNS = afferent pathways (reverse of the motor)
explain the autonomic nervous system role
concerned with the internal environment
efferent and affereent pathwayds between the CN and smooth muscle/glands
- between the circulatory system and disgestive system
*typically involve changes in involuntary bodily functions like heart ate, digestion, perspiration
SYMPHATHETIC NS - prepares the body for action - fight or flight, increases breathing and o2
PARASYMPATHETIC NS - returns the body back to its resting/normal state of rest and digest
- both symp and para work complementary
what is a afferent neuron
afferent = neuron that carry information to the CNS from the PNS
(sensory neurons)
feeling a hot stove sends rapid signals to your brain
arrives to the CNS
what is a efferent neuron
a neuron that moves signals away from the CNS and to the PNS
(motor neurons)
- moving your hand away from the hot stove is the signal your brain gives to ur hand after the sensory signal sends it to ur brain
exits the CNS
what is the purpose of the endocrine system
works with the nervous systme to regulate psychological activity
use of hormones
what are hormones
they are chemical substances released into the blood stream by endocrine glands until they rwach the targetted tissue
this is slower in communication since it is less in need but it is long lasting and widespread
explain how the pituitary gland works to release hormones
the hypothalamus is the homeostasis regulator so it secretes a releasing factor
this releasing factor causes the pituitary glans to release a hormone which is specific to the issue
- hormones travel thru the blood stream
what causes the hyperpolarization in the cell membrane of a neuron
efflux of K+
movement out of the cell
what are gilal cells in the NS
they are non neuronal cells
they provide support and maintenance for neurons
some of them = support and repair neurons
some of them form myelin sheaths around axons in the CNS and PNS (PNS = schwann cells)
In the study by Caspi et al. (2002), which combination of gene and environmental factor was found to be associated with the most increased probability of being a violent criminal?
Lower levels of MAO gene + maltreatment during childhood
maltreatment = harmful or abusive actions directed towards a person/child
