Biological psychology Flashcards
Describe the difference between central and peripheral nervous systems.
Central NS = brain + spinal cord
Peripheral = connects the brain and the spinal cord to the rest of the body (autonomic/somatic)
Which NS controls voluntary/involuntary muscles?
Peripheral, voluntary - somatic, involuntary - autonomic.
Describe the function of parasympathetic NS.
- “rest and digest” system
- opposite of sympathetic
- promotes sexual arousal
Describe the function of sympathetic NS.
- “flight or fight” response
- network of nerves that prepare organs for a burst of vigorous activity
What is a basic unit of the nervous system?
Neuron.
Describe the parts of a neuron.
Dendrites, cell body, axon, myelin sheats, nodes of ranvier, terminal buttons.
What is a synapse?
The gap between the presynaptic and postsynaptic neurons.
What is the definition of an action potential?
Neural firing = electrical signal that passes along the axon
What is the resting membrane potential?
The electrical charge of a neuron when it is not active. (-70)
What is the activation threshold for a neuron?
-55
Excitatory signals:
Depolarize the cell membrane, increase the likelihood of neural firing.
Inhibitory signals:
Hyperpolarize the cell, decrease the likelihood of action potential.
What is the node of ranvier?
A place on the axon where the action potential is recharged. (extremely fast)
What is the cause of multiple sclerosis?
Deterioration of myelin sheath, which rapidly slows down action potentials.
What does the all-or-none principle mean?
A neuron either fires or not. Fires with the same potency each time, frequency can vary.
How are the specialized protein molecules on the postsynaptic membrane called?
Receptors.
Name the 3 major events that terminate the neurotransmitters influence in the synapse.
Reuptake, autoreception, enzyme deactivation
Explain reuptake.
The process whereby a neurotransmitter is taken back into the presynaptic terminal buttons (recycling)
Explain autoreception.
Neurotransmitters binding with receptors on the presynaptic neuron (when excess is detected)
Explain enzyme deactivation.
Enzyme destroys the neurotransmitter in the synapse.
How can drugs alter neurotransmitters?
Block reuptake, alter how NT is synthesized, raise/lower the released number of NT.
How do agonists and antagonists differ?
Agonists - enhance actions of NT (can block reuptake)
Antagonists - inhibit actions of NT (can destroy NT or block the receptors)
What is the function of acetylcholine (ACh)?
Motor control over muscles, memory, learning, sleeping and dreaming.
What is the function of norepinephrine?
Arousal, vigilance, attention (adrenaline rush).
What is the function of serotonin?
Emotional states and impulsiveness, dreaming.
What is the function of dopamine?
Reward, motivation, motor control over voluntary movement.
What is the function of GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)?
Inhibition of action potentials, anxiety reduction.
What is the function of glutamate?
Enhancement of action potentials, learning and memory.
What is the function of endorphins?
Pain reduction, reward.
Which kind of drugs is used to treat depression?
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIS).
Which neurotransmitter is associated with the Alzheimers disease?
ACh (severe memory deficit).
Which neurotransmitter is associated with the Parkinsons disease?
Dopamine (problems with movement)
Which neurotransmitter is associated with epileptic seizures?
GABA – low levels
What is the Brocas area and where is it located?
Temporal lobe, crucial for the production of language.
What does electroencephalography measure?
Electrical activity in the brain (brain waves).
How does the positron emission topography work?
Assesses metabolic activity by using a radioactive substance.
What is the difference between MRI and fMRI?
MRI - measures structure - static anatomical picture of the brain
fMRI - measures brain activity
Which of the two - fMRI and EEG - has higher temporal resolution?
EEG.
Which of the two - MRI and EEG - has higher spatial resolution?
MRI.
What does the transcranial magnetic stimulation do?
Momentarily disrupts brain activity in a specific brain region.
Single cell recordings
-invasive
What is the basic function of brain stem + spinal cord?
Houses the basic programs of survival, coordination of reflexes.
- carrying sensory info up to the brain
- carrying motor signals from the brain to initiate function
Describe the parts of brain stem.
From the top: Midbrain Pons Medulla oblongata \+ reticular formation (sleep + arousal)
What are gray/white matter made of?
Gray - neurons cell bodies
White - axons + myelin sheaths
Describe the position and function of cerebellum.
Behind the brain stem.
Motor function, coordination of “trained” movement (walking, biking), muscle memory
Name all of the subcortical regions. (5)
Thalamus, hypothalamus, hippocampus, amygdala, basal ganglia.
What is the limbic system?
Border between evolutionarily older parts of the brain and newer parts.
Function of thalamus:
A gateway to the brain. Receives almost all sensory information (not smell)–organizes is–relays it to the cortex.
Function of hypothalamus:
Regulation of bodily functions (temperature, rhythm, pressure).
Influences our basic motivated behaviors (thirst, hunger, lust).
Function of hippocampus:
Creation of new memories. Remembering stuff. Does not store memories, retrieves them.
Function of amygdala:
Associating things with emotional responses.
Function of basal ganglia:
A system of subcortical structures that are important for the planning and production of movement.
Contains nucleus accumbens – dopamine activity.
The outer layer of brain tissue, the site of all thoughts, perceptions and complex behaviors:
Cerebral cortex.
Name 4 lobes each cerebral hemisphere has:
Frontal, temporal, parietal, occipital. (more of an anatomical than functional division)
How is the bridge that connects the hemispheres called?
Corpus callosum.
Which of the hemispheres is dominant in language?
The left hemisphere.
Function of the occipital lobe:
- visual information
- eyes provide the stimulus, visual cortex provides the experience
Function of the parietal lobe:
- primary somatosensory cortex - receives sensations from touch receptors
- damage to parietal lobe — hemineglect
Function of the temporal lobe:
- auditory information
- understanding spoken language
- contributes to complex aspects of vision (perception of movement, recognition of faces)
Function of fusiform face area:
Face recognition.
Function of the frontal lobe:
-primary motor cortex (movement)
-prefrontal cortex
-working memory, cognitive control, making
decisions
-damaged PC = impulsiveness, delayed response, inappropriate behavior
Describe the difference between nervous system and endocrine system.
NS - fast, electrochemical signals
ES - slow, hormones
What is the function of pituitary gland?
Governs the release of hormones.
Which two of the endocrine glands influence reproduction and are involved in sexual behavior?
Ovaries and testes. (Gonads)
What is the function of thyroid gland?
Controls how body burns energy.
What is the term describing the period during which the female is sexually receptive and fertile?
Estrus.
What does the term (brain) plasticity mean?
The property of brain that allows it to change as a result of experience or injury. Plasticity decreases with age.
How is the production of new neurons called and in which region does it occur?
Neurogenesis, hippocampus.
What is a gene?
The unit of heredity that helps to determine the characteristics of an organism. Particular sequence of DNA.
What is gene expression?
Whether a particular gene is turned on or off.
Genome:
Provides the options (which genes are available, which will be turned on/off), and the environment determines which option is taken.
What are chromosomes made of?
DNA.
How many pairs of chromosomes does one cell contain?
23
Explain the difference between genotype and phenotype.
Genotype = the genetic constitution of an organism, determined at the moment of conception
Phenotype = observable physical characteristics, result from both genetic and environmental influences, is always changing
What does it mean for a trait to be polygenic?
Influenced by many genes.
Which field studies how genes and environment interact to influence psychological activity?
Behavioral genetics.
Explain the term heredity.
Transmission of characteristics from parents to offspring through genes.
Explain the term heritability.
A statistical estimate of the extent to which variation in a trait within a population is due to genetics. (and not due to environment or random chance)
What does the field of epigenetics study?
Looking at the process by which the environment affects genetic expression. (living under stress makes some genes more/less active and that could be passed to future generations)
What does the field of optogenetics study?
Understanding causal relationships between brain activity and behavior.
