Biological Basis of Behavior Flashcards
(127 cards)
1
Q
What is a neuron?
A
A nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system
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
3
Q
What do dendrites do in a neuron?
A
They receive messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body
4
Q
Where do messages pass to other neurons or muscles?
A
Through the axon
5
Q
What is the role of the terminal branches of an axon?
A
They transmit messages to other neurons through their branched endings
6
Q
What is a neural impulse?
A
An electrical signal traveling down the axon, also called action potential
7
Q
What is the purpose of the myelin sheath in a neuron?
A
It covers the axon to speed up neural impulses
8
Q
How does action potential propagate along a myelinated axon?
A
Through saltatory conduction
9
Q
What condition involves damage to the myelin sheath in the CNS?
A
Multiple sclerosis, causing tremors, weakness, and other symptoms
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
11
Q
What type of signal depolarizes the cell membrane to increase firing likelihood?
A
An excitatory signal
12
Q
What does an inhibitory signal do to a neuron?
A
It prevents action potentials by hyperpolarizing the target cell
13
Q
What is the resting state of an axon characterized by?
A
More negative particles inside than outside due to anions
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
15
Q
What happens during depolarization of a neuron?
A
Sodium gates open, allowing sodium into the axon and making it more positive
16
Q
What is the refractory period of a neuron?
A
The phase when a neuron cannot generate another action potential after firing
17
Q
What are neurotransmitters?
A
Chemical messengers that cross synaptic gaps between neurons
18
Q
What is a synapse?
A
The junction where information is transmitted from one neuron to another
19
Q
What are the functions of dopamine as a neurotransmitter?
A
It regulates motor behavior, learning, attention, and emotion
20
Q
Which neurotransmitter enables learning, memory, and muscle contraction?
A
Acetylcholine
21
Q
What role does serotonin play in the body?
A
It affects hunger, sleep, arousal, and mood
22
Q
What is norepinephrine responsible for?
A
Controlling alertness and arousal
23
Q
What type of message does GABA usually communicate?
A
An inhibitory message
24
Q
What does glutamate usually communicate?
A
An excitatory message involved in memory
25
What is the role of endorphins as neurotransmitters?
They influence the perception of pain or pleasure
26
What is the nervous system?
The body's electrochemical communication network, consisting of peripheral and central systems
27
What are nerves?
Bundled axons forming neural cables that connect the CNS to muscles and glands
28
What are the types of neurons?
Sensory, motor, and interneurons
29
What do sensory neurons (afferent) do?
They carry information from sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord
30
What do motor neurons (efferent) do?
They carry outgoing information from the CNS to muscles and glands
31
What does the central nervous system (CNS) include?
The brain and spinal cord, coordinating sensory and motor messages
32
What is the peripheral nervous system (PNS)?
The sensory and motor neurons connecting the CNS to the rest of the body
33
What does the somatic nervous system (SNS) control?
Voluntary movement of skeletal muscles
34
What does the autonomic nervous system (ANS) regulate?
Glands and internal organ muscles, with sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions
35
What is the function of the sympathetic nervous system?
It arouses the body during stressful situations, increasing energy and alertness
36
What does the parasympathetic nervous system do?
It calms the body, conserving energy and promoting digestion
37
What composes the brain?
The cortex and subcortical structures, carrying out various functions
38
What is the spinal cord's primary role?
A two-way connection between the PNS and brain, overseeing reflex pathways
39
What are the steps of a reflex?
Sense receptors send signals via sensory neurons, interneurons process them, and motor neurons direct movement
40
What is the endocrine system?
A set of glands secreting hormones into the bloodstream for chemical communication
41
What part of the brain controls the pituitary gland?
The hypothalamus
42
What does the pituitary gland secrete?
Hormones influencing other glands and body functions
43
What does growth hormone (GH) regulate?
Body growth and metabolism
44
What does oxytocin (OT) stimulate?
Uterine contractions, milk release, pair bonding, and trust
45
What is the function of the thyroid gland?
Regulating metabolism
46
What do the parathyroids control?
Calcium levels in the blood
47
What hormones do adrenal glands secrete?
Epinephrine and norepinephrine, which help during stress
48
What does the pancreas regulate?
The level of sugar in the blood
49
What hormones are secreted by the testis?
Male sex hormones
50
What do ovaries produce?
Egg cells and female sex hormones
51
How is the brain studied using lesions?
By destroying brain tissue and studying the effects on behavior
52
How does stimulation help study the brain?
By electrically or chemically activating regions to observe their functions
53
Which methods measure brain structure?
CT, MRI, and fMRI scans
54
Which methods measure brain function?
EEG, MEG, PET, and fMRI scans
55
What does an EEG record?
The electrical activity sweeping across the brain's surface
56
What does MEG measure?
Magnetic fields from the brain's electrical activity
57
What does a CT scan show?
A slice of brain structure using combined x-ray images
58
What does a PET scan detect?
Where radioactive glucose is used during brain activity
59
What does an MRI reveal?
Detailed structures within the brain using magnetic fields
60
What does an fMRI show?
Changes in blood flow to indicate activity in specific brain areas
61
What is the brainstem responsible for?
Automatic survival functions like heart rate and respiration
62
Where is the medulla located, and what does it control?
At the base of the brainstem, controlling heart rate and breathing
63
What does the pons coordinate?
Sleep and movements
64
What is the reticular formation responsible for?
Controlling arousal and filtering sensory stimuli
65
Where does the thalamus relay messages?
To sensory receiving areas and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla
66
Which structures are part of the limbic system?
The hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus, associated with emotions and drives
67
What is the hippocampus important for?
Storing conscious memories of facts and events
68
What is the amygdala linked to?
Emotion, fear, and aggression
69
What does the hypothalamus govern?
Body temperature, hunger, thirst, and the endocrine system via the pituitary gland
70
What is the cerebral cortex?
The brain's control and information-processing center
71
What functions are controlled by the frontal lobes?
Speaking, motor movements, and decision-making
72
What do the parietal lobes process?
Sensory input for touch and body position
73
What information is processed in the temporal lobes?
Auditory input, primarily from the opposite ear
74
What is the function of the occipital lobes?
Processing visual information from the opposite visual field
75
Which cortex controls voluntary movements?
The motor cortex
76
What does the somatosensory cortex register?
Touch and movement sensations
77
What is processed in the auditory cortex?
Sound information from the ears
78
Where does the visual cortex receive input?
From the eyes
79
What are association areas involved in?
Higher mental functions like learning, remembering, and speaking
80
How did Phineas Gage's injury contribute to neuroscience?
It demonstrated the role of the frontal lobes in personality and emotional regulation
81
What is the role of Broca's area?
Expressive language, located in the left frontal lobe
82
What is Wernicke's area responsible for?
Receptive language, located in the left temporal lobe
83
What is brain plasticity?
The ability of the brain to change by reorganizing after damage
84
What is neurogenesis?
The formation of new neurons
85
What does split brain surgery involve?
Cutting the corpus callosum, isolating the two hemispheres
86
What connects the two hemispheres of the brain?
The corpus callosum
87
How is information processed from the eyes?
Each visual field sends input to the opposite hemisphere
88
What did Michael Gazzaniga study?
Split brain patients and lateralization of brain function
89
What functions are associated with the left hemisphere?
Language, math calculations, and literal interpretations
90
What are right hemisphere functions?
Perceptual tasks, inferences, and visual perception
91
What is consciousness?
Awareness of ourselves and our environment
92
What does cognitive neuroscience combine?
Brain activity studies with learning and perception
93
What is dual processing?
Processing information on conscious and unconscious tracks
94
What is blindsight?
Responding to visual stimuli without conscious experience
95
What is parallel processing?
Unconscious handling of multiple aspects of a problem simultaneously
96
What is sequential processing used for?
New information or solving difficult problems
97
What is heredity?
Genetic transfer of characteristics from parents to offspring
98
What does environment include?
Non-genetic influences like nutrition and surroundings
99
What do behavior geneticists study?
How genetics and environment influence behavior
100
What is a chromosome?
A threadlike structure carrying genetic information
101
What is DNA?
A molecule containing genetic information in chromosomes
102
What are genes?
Units of heredity making up chromosomes
103
What does the human genome contain?
All genetic instructions for making an organism
104
What are identical twins?
Monozygotic twins developing from a single fertilized egg
105
What are fraternal twins?
Dizygotic twins developing from two separate fertilized eggs
106
What do twin studies reveal?
The impact of genes and environment on behavior
107
What is heritability?
How much variation among individuals is due to genes
108
What is molecular genetics?
Studying molecular structure and function of genes
109
What is epigenetics?
Changes in gene expression without altering DNA
110
What is evolutionary psychology?
Study of evolution of behavior and mind
111
What does natural selection explain?
Survival and reproduction of traits in a population
112
What are adaptive behaviors?
Behaviors that promote survival and reproduction
113
What are mutations?
Random errors in gene replication leading to changes
114
What do sex chromosomes determine?
Biological sex, with XX in females and XY in males
115
What are gender roles?
Behaviors expected for males and females in a society
116
What does social learning theory propose?
Behavior is learned through observation, imitation, and rewards
117
What is gender identity?
A person's sense of being male, female, or non-binary
118
What is androgyny?
Displaying both traditional masculine and feminine traits
119
What is gender typing?
Acquiring traditional male or female roles
120
What are schemas?
Mental frameworks for organizing and interpreting information
121
What is a gender schema?
A framework for understanding what it means to be male or female
122
How does testosterone influence development?
Promotes male sex organ development in the fetus
123
What is estrogen responsible for?
Promoting female sex organ development and other reproductive functions
124
What is an intersex condition?
An atypical combination of male and female physical features
125
How does culture shape behavior?
Through shared behaviors, ideas, attitudes, and values
126
What is a collectivist culture?
Emphasizing group goals and harmony
127
What is an individualist culture?
Promoting personal goals and identity
