Biology and Behavior (1) Flashcards
Franz Gall
associated with the development of a trait with the growth of its relevant part of the brain.
Pierre Flourens
He did extirpation/ablation on rabbits and pigeons to study the functions of major sections of the brain. Concluded that different regions have specific functions.
William James
Father of American psychology, pushed for the importance of studying adaptations of the individuals to his or her environment.
John Dewey
believed that psychology should focus on the study of the organisms as a whole as it functioned to adapt to the environment.
Paul Broca
First-person to demonstrate that specific impairment could be linked with a specific brain lesion. Such as speech production from Broca’s area.
Hermann von Helmholtz
first to measure the speed of a nerve impulse
Sir charles Sherrington
first inferred the existence of synapse. He thought that synaptic transmission was an electric process, but we now know that it is primarily a chemical process.
Three layers of meninges
(farthest to brain) Dua meter Arachnoid meter Pia meter (closest to brain)
Three subdivision of brain
Forebrain: associated with complex perceptual, cognitive, and behavioral processes.
Midbrain: receives sensory and motor information from the rest of the body. Associated with involuntary reflex responses triggered by visual and auditory stimuli.
Hindbrain: controls balance, motor coordination, breathing, digestion, and general arousal processes such as sleeping and waking.
Electroencephalogram (EEG)
used to record electrical activity generated by neurons.
regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF)
detects blood patterns of neural activity based on increased blood flow to different parts of the brain.
CT (computed tomography)
multiple x-ray taken at different angles and processed by a computer to cross-sectional slice images to tissue.
PET (position emission tomography) scan
radioactive sugar is injected and absorbed into the body, and through that tissue is imaged.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
uses a magnetic field to interact with hydrogen and map out regions of the body.
fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging)
uses the same techniques like MRI, but measures blood flow. Useful for monitoring neural activity.
Hypothalamus
Serves as homeostatic functions and is the key player in emotional experiences during high arousal states, aggressive behavior and sexual behavior.
Mnemonic: Function of four F's F: feeding F: fighting F: flighting F: Functional (sexual)
Ventromedial Hypothalamus
“satiety center” and provides a signal to stop eating.
Mnemoic: when the Ventro Medial Hypothalamus is destroyed. one is VERY MUCH HUNGRY.
Lateral Hypothalamus
Hunger center, special receptor thought to detect when the body needs more food and fluid.
Mnemoic: When the Lateral Hypothalamus is destroyed. one LACKS HUNGER.
Thalamus
Relay system for incoming sensory information, except for the smell.
Limbic System:
- Septic nuclei
- Amygdala
- Hippocampus
Septic nuclei: primary pleasure center for brain.
Amygdala: plays an important role in defensive and aggressive behavior.
Hippocampus: plays a vital role in memory and learning. Helps consolidate information to form long-term memory and can redistribute memories to the cerebral cortex.
Anterograde amnesia
Retrograde amnesia
Anterograde amnesia: not able to establish long-term memory.
Retrograde amnesia: memory loss of events that happened before the brain injury.
Basal Ganglia
coordinates muscle movement makes our body movement smooth.
Gyri and Sulci
Gyri = bumps Sucli = folds
Primary Motor Cortex
Somatosensory Cortex
Primary motor cortex: located on precentral gyrus
initiates motor movements
Somatosensory gyrus: located on postcentral gyrus
incoming sensory signals for touch, pressure, temperature, and pain.
Broca’s area
Wernicke’s area
Broca’s : (frontal) speech production
Wernicke’s : (temporal) language reception and comprehension
Dominant Hemisphere
Nondominant Hemisphere
Dominant: (usually left hemisphere) well suited for managing details. Language, logic, math skills, Broca’s, and Wernicke.
Non-Dominant: associates with intuition, creativity, music cognition, and spatial processing.
Acetylcholine
used by the somatic nervous system to move muscles
used by the parasympathetic system and central nervous system for alertness.
Dopamine
maintains smooth movements and steady posture
Epinephrine and Norepinephrine
(catecholamines)
Epinephrine (adrenaline) and Norepinephrine (noradrenaline) are involved in controlling alertness and wakefulness. They promote flight or flight response.
Low level of norepinephrine –> associated with depression
High level of norepinephrine –> associated with anxiety.
Serotonin
plays a role in regulating mood, eating, sleeping, and dreaming. Also plays role in depression.
High level of serotonin –> manic state
Low level of serotonin –> depression
GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)
produces inhibitory potentials, causing hyperpolarization of the postsynaptic neuron.
Glycine
serves inhibitory potentials in CNS by increasing Calcium influx in neuron, causing hyperpolarization
Gultamate
acts in CNS, serves excitatory potentials on postsynaptic neuron.
Endorphins
natural painkiller produced in the brain
Neurulation
Neural Crest
Neural Tube
Neurulation –> ectoderm layer begins to furrow and form a neural groove, surrounded by neural folds.
Neural crest –> migrates throughout the body to form disparate tissue.
Neural tube –> form CNS, it has an alar plate which forms sensory neurons, and basal plate which forms motor neurons.
Primitive reflexes:
- rooting reflex
- moro reflex
- babinski reflex
- grasping reflex
exists in infants and should disappear with age. They can reappear in certain nervous system disorders.
Rooting reflex
infants turn their head towards anything that brushes the cheek
Moro reflex
infants extend the arms then slowly retracts and cry in response to a sense of falling.
Babinski reflex
the big toe is extended and other toes fan in response to the brushing of the sole of the feet.
Grasping reflex
infants grab anything put into his or her hand.
