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Psych 202 > Biological Basis of Behavior > Flashcards

Biological Basis of Behavior Flashcards

1
Q

What is a neuron?

A

A nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system

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2
Q

What is the function of the cell body in a neuron?

A

It contains the nucleus and cytoplasm, serving as the neuron’s largest part

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3
Q

What do dendrites do in a neuron?

A

They receive messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body

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4
Q

Where do messages pass to other neurons or muscles?

A

Through the axon

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5
Q

What is the role of the terminal branches of an axon?

A

They transmit messages to other neurons through their branched endings

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6
Q

What is a neural impulse?

A

An electrical signal traveling down the axon, also called action potential

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7
Q

What is the purpose of the myelin sheath in a neuron?

A

It covers the axon to speed up neural impulses

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8
Q

How does action potential propagate along a myelinated axon?

A

Through saltatory conduction

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9
Q

What condition involves damage to the myelin sheath in the CNS?

A

Multiple sclerosis, causing tremors, weakness, and other symptoms

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10
Q

What is the all-or-none response in neurons?

A

A neuron either fires with full strength or does not fire at all

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11
Q

What type of signal depolarizes the cell membrane to increase firing likelihood?

A

An excitatory signal

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12
Q

What does an inhibitory signal do to a neuron?

A

It prevents action potentials by hyperpolarizing the target cell

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13
Q

What is the resting state of an axon characterized by?

A

More negative particles inside than outside due to anions

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14
Q

How is a neuron’s polarization maintained in the unstimulated state?

A

By keeping Na+ ions outside and K+ ions inside with other negatively charged proteins

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15
Q

What happens during depolarization of a neuron?

A

Sodium gates open, allowing sodium into the axon and making it more positive

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16
Q

What is the refractory period of a neuron?

A

The phase when a neuron cannot generate another action potential after firing

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17
Q

What are neurotransmitters?

A

Chemical messengers that cross synaptic gaps between neurons

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18
Q

What is a synapse?

A

The junction where information is transmitted from one neuron to another

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19
Q

What are the functions of dopamine as a neurotransmitter?

A

It regulates motor behavior, learning, attention, and emotion

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20
Q

Which neurotransmitter enables learning, memory, and muscle contraction?

A

Acetylcholine

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21
Q

What role does serotonin play in the body?

A

It affects hunger, sleep, arousal, and mood

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22
Q

What is norepinephrine responsible for?

A

Controlling alertness and arousal

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23
Q

What type of message does GABA usually communicate?

A

An inhibitory message

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24
Q

What does glutamate usually communicate?

A

An excitatory message involved in memory

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25
Q

What is the role of endorphins as neurotransmitters?

A

They influence the perception of pain or pleasure

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26
Q

What is the nervous system?

A

The body’s electrochemical communication network, consisting of peripheral and central systems

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27
Q

What are nerves?

A

Bundled axons forming neural cables that connect the CNS to muscles and glands

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28
Q

What are the types of neurons?

A

Sensory, motor, and interneurons

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29
Q

What do sensory neurons (afferent) do?

A

They carry information from sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord

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30
Q

What do motor neurons (efferent) do?

A

They carry outgoing information from the CNS to muscles and glands

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31
Q

What does the central nervous system (CNS) include?

A

The brain and spinal cord, coordinating sensory and motor messages

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32
Q

What is the peripheral nervous system (PNS)?

A

The sensory and motor neurons connecting the CNS to the rest of the body

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33
Q

What does the somatic nervous system (SNS) control?

A

Voluntary movement of skeletal muscles

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34
Q

What does the autonomic nervous system (ANS) regulate?

A

Glands and internal organ muscles, with sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions

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35
Q

What is the function of the sympathetic nervous system?

A

It arouses the body during stressful situations, increasing energy and alertness

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36
Q

What does the parasympathetic nervous system do?

A

It calms the body, conserving energy and promoting digestion

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37
Q

What composes the brain?

A

The cortex and subcortical structures, carrying out various functions

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38
Q

What is the spinal cord’s primary role?

A

A two-way connection between the PNS and brain, overseeing reflex pathways

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39
Q

What are the steps of a reflex?

A

Sense receptors send signals via sensory neurons, interneurons process them, and motor neurons direct movement

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40
Q

What is the endocrine system?

A

A set of glands secreting hormones into the bloodstream for chemical communication

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41
Q

What part of the brain controls the pituitary gland?

A

The hypothalamus

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42
Q

What does the pituitary gland secrete?

A

Hormones influencing other glands and body functions

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43
Q

What does growth hormone (GH) regulate?

A

Body growth and metabolism

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44
Q

What does oxytocin (OT) stimulate?

A

Uterine contractions, milk release, pair bonding, and trust

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45
Q

What is the function of the thyroid gland?

A

Regulating metabolism

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46
Q

What do the parathyroids control?

A

Calcium levels in the blood

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47
Q

What hormones do adrenal glands secrete?

A

Epinephrine and norepinephrine, which help during stress

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48
Q

What does the pancreas regulate?

A

The level of sugar in the blood

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49
Q

What hormones are secreted by the testis?

A

Male sex hormones

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50
Q

What do ovaries produce?

A

Egg cells and female sex hormones

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51
Q

How is the brain studied using lesions?

A

By destroying brain tissue and studying the effects on behavior

52
Q

How does stimulation help study the brain?

A

By electrically or chemically activating regions to observe their functions

53
Q

Which methods measure brain structure?

A

CT, MRI, and fMRI scans

54
Q

Which methods measure brain function?

A

EEG, MEG, PET, and fMRI scans

55
Q

What does an EEG record?

A

The electrical activity sweeping across the brain’s surface

56
Q

What does MEG measure?

A

Magnetic fields from the brain’s electrical activity

57
Q

What does a CT scan show?

A

A slice of brain structure using combined x-ray images

58
Q

What does a PET scan detect?

A

Where radioactive glucose is used during brain activity

59
Q

What does an MRI reveal?

A

Detailed structures within the brain using magnetic fields

60
Q

What does an fMRI show?

A

Changes in blood flow to indicate activity in specific brain areas

61
Q

What is the brainstem responsible for?

A

Automatic survival functions like heart rate and respiration

62
Q

Where is the medulla located, and what does it control?

A

At the base of the brainstem, controlling heart rate and breathing

63
Q

What does the pons coordinate?

A

Sleep and movements

64
Q

What is the reticular formation responsible for?

A

Controlling arousal and filtering sensory stimuli

65
Q

Where does the thalamus relay messages?

A

To sensory receiving areas and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla

66
Q

Which structures are part of the limbic system?

A

The hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus, associated with emotions and drives

67
Q

What is the hippocampus important for?

A

Storing conscious memories of facts and events

68
Q

What is the amygdala linked to?

A

Emotion, fear, and aggression

69
Q

What does the hypothalamus govern?

A

Body temperature, hunger, thirst, and the endocrine system via the pituitary gland

70
Q

What is the cerebral cortex?

A

The brain’s control and information-processing center

71
Q

What functions are controlled by the frontal lobes?

A

Speaking, motor movements, and decision-making

72
Q

What do the parietal lobes process?

A

Sensory input for touch and body position

73
Q

What information is processed in the temporal lobes?

A

Auditory input, primarily from the opposite ear

74
Q

What is the function of the occipital lobes?

A

Processing visual information from the opposite visual field

75
Q

Which cortex controls voluntary movements?

A

The motor cortex

76
Q

What does the somatosensory cortex register?

A

Touch and movement sensations

77
Q

What is processed in the auditory cortex?

A

Sound information from the ears

78
Q

Where does the visual cortex receive input?

A

From the eyes

79
Q

What are association areas involved in?

A

Higher mental functions like learning, remembering, and speaking

80
Q

How did Phineas Gage’s injury contribute to neuroscience?

A

It demonstrated the role of the frontal lobes in personality and emotional regulation

81
Q

What is the role of Broca’s area?

A

Expressive language, located in the left frontal lobe

82
Q

What is Wernicke’s area responsible for?

A

Receptive language, located in the left temporal lobe

83
Q

What is brain plasticity?

A

The ability of the brain to change by reorganizing after damage

84
Q

What is neurogenesis?

A

The formation of new neurons

85
Q

What does split brain surgery involve?

A

Cutting the corpus callosum, isolating the two hemispheres

86
Q

What connects the two hemispheres of the brain?

A

The corpus callosum

87
Q

How is information processed from the eyes?

A

Each visual field sends input to the opposite hemisphere

88
Q

What did Michael Gazzaniga study?

A

Split brain patients and lateralization of brain function

89
Q

What functions are associated with the left hemisphere?

A

Language, math calculations, and literal interpretations

90
Q

What are right hemisphere functions?

A

Perceptual tasks, inferences, and visual perception

91
Q

What is consciousness?

A

Awareness of ourselves and our environment

92
Q

What does cognitive neuroscience combine?

A

Brain activity studies with learning and perception

93
Q

What is dual processing?

A

Processing information on conscious and unconscious tracks

94
Q

What is blindsight?

A

Responding to visual stimuli without conscious experience

95
Q

What is parallel processing?

A

Unconscious handling of multiple aspects of a problem simultaneously

96
Q

What is sequential processing used for?

A

New information or solving difficult problems

97
Q

What is heredity?

A

Genetic transfer of characteristics from parents to offspring

98
Q

What does environment include?

A

Non-genetic influences like nutrition and surroundings

99
Q

What do behavior geneticists study?

A

How genetics and environment influence behavior

100
Q

What is a chromosome?

A

A threadlike structure carrying genetic information

101
Q

What is DNA?

A

A molecule containing genetic information in chromosomes

102
Q

What are genes?

A

Units of heredity making up chromosomes

103
Q

What does the human genome contain?

A

All genetic instructions for making an organism

104
Q

What are identical twins?

A

Monozygotic twins developing from a single fertilized egg

105
Q

What are fraternal twins?

A

Dizygotic twins developing from two separate fertilized eggs

106
Q

What do twin studies reveal?

A

The impact of genes and environment on behavior

107
Q

What is heritability?

A

How much variation among individuals is due to genes

108
Q

What is molecular genetics?

A

Studying molecular structure and function of genes

109
Q

What is epigenetics?

A

Changes in gene expression without altering DNA

110
Q

What is evolutionary psychology?

A

Study of evolution of behavior and mind

111
Q

What does natural selection explain?

A

Survival and reproduction of traits in a population

112
Q

What are adaptive behaviors?

A

Behaviors that promote survival and reproduction

113
Q

What are mutations?

A

Random errors in gene replication leading to changes

114
Q

What do sex chromosomes determine?

A

Biological sex, with XX in females and XY in males

115
Q

What are gender roles?

A

Behaviors expected for males and females in a society

116
Q

What does social learning theory propose?

A

Behavior is learned through observation, imitation, and rewards

117
Q

What is gender identity?

A

A person’s sense of being male, female, or non-binary

118
Q

What is androgyny?

A

Displaying both traditional masculine and feminine traits

119
Q

What is gender typing?

A

Acquiring traditional male or female roles

120
Q

What are schemas?

A

Mental frameworks for organizing and interpreting information

121
Q

What is a gender schema?

A

A framework for understanding what it means to be male or female

122
Q

How does testosterone influence development?

A

Promotes male sex organ development in the fetus

123
Q

What is estrogen responsible for?

A

Promoting female sex organ development and other reproductive functions

124
Q

What is an intersex condition?

A

An atypical combination of male and female physical features

125
Q

How does culture shape behavior?

A

Through shared behaviors, ideas, attitudes, and values

126
Q

What is a collectivist culture?

A

Emphasizing group goals and harmony

127
Q

What is an individualist culture?

A

Promoting personal goals and identity

Psych 202 (7 decks)

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