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PSYC 1001 > Biological Psychology > Flashcards

Biological Psychology Flashcards

1
Q

Whose arguments is evolutionary psychology based off of and who created the theory of evolution?

A

Charles Darwin

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2
Q

What is natural selection?

A

Small, inherited variations that all organisms arise and develop through to increase their capability to survive

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3
Q

What is fitness in an organism?

A

The attribute concerned with better reproductive success that depends on an organism’s ability to compete, survive, and reproduce.

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4
Q

What two developments in human evolution are roles of natural selection?

A
  1. Encephalization - increase in brain size
  2. Bipedalism - the ability to walk upright on two feet
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5
Q

What is the study of genetics?

A

The study of heredity and genes

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6
Q

Each of our cells contains enduring messages from our biological genetic code. Where are these messages found?

A

Chromosomes

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7
Q

What material in an organism is heredity determined by?

A

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)

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8
Q

What are the “recipes” for protein synthesis?

A

Genes

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9
Q

What is the total set of genetic material called?

A

Genome

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10
Q

What is the term used for the study of heritable changes in gene function that happen without the DNA sequence changing?

A

Epigenetics

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11
Q

How many chromosomes do humans have?

A

23 pairs (excluding sex cells)

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12
Q

What is our genotype and what is our phenotype?

A

Genotype - the set of genes we have
Phenotype - the observable traits we have

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13
Q

Scientists use three types of designs to estimate the heritability of traits. What are they?

A
  1. Family studies
  2. Twin studies
  3. Adoption studies
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14
Q

About how many neurons are in the brain, and how many connections are between them?

A

About 100 billion neurons, with 160 billion connections between them

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15
Q

What are neurons?

A

Nerve cells specialized in communication with each other

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16
Q

What are neurotransmitters?

A

Chemical messengers that allow neurons to communicate with each other

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17
Q

What is resting potential and what is action potential?

A

Resting potential: When there aren’t neurotransmitters acting on a neuron
Action potential: Occurs when there’s enough of change in the neuron (threshold)

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18
Q

How do neurons respond to neurotransmitters?

A

They generate electrical activity

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19
Q

What is action potential?

A

Abrupt waves of electric discharge triggered by a change in the axon, the “firing” of the neuron

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20
Q

About how many times per second do neurons fire during action potential?

A

100 to 1000 times

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21
Q

What type of communication is INSIDE neurons and what type of communication is BETWEEN neurons?

A

Electrical communication IN neurons, chemical communication BETWEEN neurons

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22
Q

What are the 2 most common types of neurotransmitters in the central nervous system and what are they associated with?

A

Glutamate and GABA - associated with learning and memory

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23
Q

What type of neuropeptide, a type of neurotransmitter, affects pain reduction?

A

Endorphins

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24
Q

What do anandamides (a type of neurotransmitter) influence?

A

Eating, motivation, memory, sleep

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25
Q

Which neurotransmitter is associated with brain arousal, hunger, and sleep?

A

Norepinephrine

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26
Q

What type of neurotransmitter is responsible for motor function and reward?

A

Dopamine

27
Q

What neurotransmitter is responsible for mood, temperature regulation, aggression, and sleep cycles?

A

Serotonin

28
Q

How many amino acids do monoamines have?

A

One

29
Q

What are psychoactive drugs?

A

Drugs that interact with neurotransmitters

30
Q

What are the two different types of psychoactive drugs and what is the difference between them?

A

Agonists - enhance receptor site activity
Antagonists - decrease receptor activity

31
Q

What is the ability of our nervous system to change called?

A

Neural plasticity

32
Q

Neurons change in four ways during development. What are they?

A
  1. Growth of dendrites and axons
  2. Synaptogenesis
  3. Pruning
  4. Myelination
33
Q

What are the names of the nervous systems in the human body?

A

Central Nervous System (CNS) and Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

34
Q

The CNS is made of what two body parts?

A
  1. Brain
  2. Spinal cord
35
Q

The PNS contains two systems. What are they?

A
  1. Somatic
  2. Autonomic
36
Q

What is the purpose of the somatic system in the PNS?

A

Conveys information to the CNS for bodily movement

37
Q

What is the purpose of the autonomic system in the PNS?

A

Controls internal and involuntary organs and actions

38
Q

What are the two parts to the autonomic system in the PNS and what do they do?

A

1.Sympathetic - active during emotional arousal, meant to mobilize energy
2. Parasympathetic - controls rest after emotional arousal

39
Q

The Central Nervous System is protected by 3 layers of what?

A

Meninges

40
Q

The cerebral cortex contains 4 lobes. What are they?

A
  1. Frontal lobes
  2. Parietal lobe
  3. Temporal lobe
  4. Occipital lobe
41
Q

What is the cerebral cortex also known as?

A

The forebrain or the cerebrum

42
Q

Where is the most developed area of the human brain?

A

Cerebral cortex

43
Q

The cerebral cortex consists of two cerebral hemispheres that can communicate. What part of this area allows that?

A

Corpus callosum

44
Q

The location of Broca’s area exists here, and this area of the cerebral cortex assists in motor function, language, and memory. Where is this?

A

Frontal lobes

45
Q

What is the prefrontal cortex responsible for?

A

Thinking, planning, and language

46
Q

Which lobes contain the somatosensory cortex, which is sensitive to pressure, pain and temperature?

A

Parietal lobes

47
Q

Located in the lower part of the cerebral cortex, which lobes play a role in hearing and understanding language?

A

Temporal lobes

48
Q

Located in the temporal lobes, what is the Wernicke’s area responsible for?

A

Speech comprehension

49
Q

Located at the back of the brain, which lobes are specialized for vision?

A

Occipital lobes

50
Q

Where is the emotional centre of the brain?

A

Limbic system

51
Q

What are 4 major parts of the limbic system and what do they do?

A
  1. Hypothalamus - regulates and controls internal bodily states
  2. Thalamus - relays information from the sense organs to the primary sensory cortex
  3. Amygdala - plays a key role in fear, excitement, and arousal
  4. Hippocampus - plays a role in spacial memory
52
Q

Which part of the CNS connects the cerebral cortex and spinal cord and serves as a relay system between them and the rest of the nervous system?

A

Brain stem

53
Q

The oldest part of the brain controls our most basic functions. What is this called?

A

Hindbrain

54
Q

What is the difference between sensory nerves and motor nerves?

A

Sensory nerves - carry information from the body to the brain
Motor nerves - carry information from the brain to the body

55
Q

What is the endocrine system?

A

A system of glands that release hormones into the bloodstream

56
Q

What are hormones?

A

Chemical messengers that travel in the bloodstream to influence particular organs

57
Q

AKA the master gland, what is the purpose of the pituitary gland?

A

It controls the other glands in the body

58
Q

By which part of the brain is the pituitary gland controlled by?

A

Hypothalamus

59
Q

AKA the love molecule, what is oxytocin responsible for?

A

Reproductive functions, maternal and romantic love

60
Q

What are the 2 sexual reproduction glands?

A

Testes in males, ovaries in females

61
Q

What two hormones are released in the adrenal glands during states of emotional arousal and what are their purposes?

A
  1. Adrenaline - boosts energy production in muscle cells and restricts it in others
  2. Cortisol - regulates blood pressure and cardiovascular function
62
Q

What kind of techniques can be used to see brain structure and/or function when mapping the brain?

A

Neuroimaging techniques

63
Q

What kind of machine can measure electrical activity in the brain by the use of placing electrodes on the skull?

A

An EEG (electroencephalograph)

PSYC 1001 (8 decks)

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