Biology and Behavior Flashcards
The doctrine of phrenology (the idea that if one trait was well developed, then the part of the brain responsible for that trait would expand) was created by?
Frantz Gall
The 1st person to study functions of the brain through extirpation (ablation) on rabbits and pigeons was?
Pierre Flourens
-Various parts of the brain removed to note behavioral consequences
The father of Psychology that developed functionalism (study of how mental processes help individuals adapt to their environment) was?
William James
The idea that Psychology should focus on the study of the organism as a whole as it functions to adapt to the environment is credited to?
John Dewey
The 1st person to demonstrate that specific functional impairment could be linked to specific brain lesions was?
Paul Broca
-Broca’s area (left side of brain)
The 1st person to measure the speed of a nerve impulse was?
Hermann von Helmholtz
-Credited with transition of psych out of philosophy realm and into quantifiable natural science realm
The existence of synapses was 1st inferred by?
Sir Charles Sherrington
Neurons that transmit sensory info from receptors to spinal cord and brain are?
Sensory Neurons (afferent neurons)
Neurons that transmit motor info from brain and spinal cord to muscles and glands are?
Motor neurons (efferent neurons)
Neurons linked between other neurons, located primarily in the brain and spinal cord, and are often linked to reflexive behavior are?
Interneurons
The _____ consists of sensory & motor neurons distributed throughout the skins, joints, and muscles
Somatic nervous system
The _______ regulates heartbeat, respiration, digestion, and glandular secretions. (Involuntary muscles)
Autonomic nervous system (Automatic)
The main role of the parasympathetic nervous system is to do what ?
Conserve energy
The PNS components are…?
- Constricts pupils
- Stimulates flow of saliva
- Constricts bronchi
- Slows heartbeat
- Stimulates peristalsis & secretion
- Stimulates bile release
- Contracts bladder
The sympathetic nervous system is activated by?
Stress
The SNS components are…?
- Increases heart rate
- Redistributes blood to muscles of locomotion
- Increases blood glucose conc
- Relaxes the bronchi
- Decreases digestion and peristalsis
- Dilates the eyes
- Releases epinephrine
- Stimulates orgasm
- Inhibits bladder contraction
The thick 3-layered tissue region that covers the brain…?
Meninges
- Dura mater (connected to skull)
- Pia mater (connected to brain)
- Arachnoid mater (inbetween)
A group of neural structure primarily associated with emotion and memory…?
Limbic system
The region of the brain that controls balance, breathing, motor coordination, digestion, and general arousal processes is the ?
Hindbrain (rhombencephalon)
-During embryonic development, rhombencephalon branches into myelencephalon (medulla oblongata) and metencephalon (pons and cerebellum)
The lower brain structure responsible for regulating vital functions such as breathing, heart rate, and digestion is…?
Medulla oblongata
Pons contain sensory and motor pathways between which 2 regions?
Cortex and medulla
The structure that helps maintain balance, posture, and coordinate body movements is…?
Cerebellum
The region associated with involuntary reflex responses triggered by visual and/or auditory stimuli is the..?
Midbrain (mesencephalon)
- Superior colliculus: visual sensory input
- Inferior colliculus: auditory sensory input
The region associated with the intellectual and emotional capacities within human characteristics is the..?
Forebrain (prosencephalon)
-During prenatal development prosencephalon divides to form telencephalon (basal ganglia, limbic system, and cerebral cortex) and diencephalon (hypothalamus, thalamus, posterior pituitary gland, and pineal gland)
Inserting ultrasensitive microelectrodes into individual brain cells to record electrical activity is which method?
EEG (electroencephalogram)
Inhaling a harmless radioactive gas to detect increased blood flow to different regions of the brain is conducted by?
rCBF (regional cerebral blood flow)
Multiple X-rays taken @ different angles that show cross sectional images of the tissue is which scanning device?
CT/CAT (computed [axial] tomography) scan
The method that involves radioactive sugar to be injected and absorbed into the body to produce tissue image is…?
PET (positron emission tomography) scan
A magnetic field that interacts with the hydrogen atoms to map out hydrogen dense regions of the body is which method ?
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
-fMRI (functional) uses same technique but more specific for changes associated with blood flow
A structure in the forebrain that serves as a relay station for incoming sensory info (except for smell) is the ?
Thalamus
The structure in the forebrain that is essential for homeostatic functions is the?
Hypothalamus
The “hunger center” of the hypothalamus that detects whenever the body is low on fluids is the?
LH (lateral)
-Triggers eating and drinking
The “satisfy center” of the hypothalamus that provides signals to stop eating is the ?
-VMH (ventromedial)
The part of the hypothalamus that controls sexual behavior is the?
- AH (anterior)
- Also regulates sleep & body temp
The site of release for the hypothalamic hormones, antidiuretic hormone and oxytocin, is which structure ?
Posterior pituitary gland
-Comprised of axonal projections from the hypothalamus
The structure responsible for maintaining biological rhythms is the?
Pineal gland
- Secretes melatonin
- Receives direct signals from retina
The group of structures that coordinate muscle movement as they recieve info from the cortex & relay this info to the brain & spinal cord is known as?
Basal ganglia
-Help make our movements smooth and posture steady
The ____ gathers info about body position & carries this info to the CNS, but doesn’t function directly through motor neurons.
extrapyramidal system
The disease characterized by jerky movements and uncontrollable resting tremors due to the destruction of the basal ganglia is known as?
Parkinson’s disease
-Associated with loss of dopaminergic neurons in basal ganglia
What contains one of the primary pleasure centers in the brain?
Septal nuclei
A structure that plays an essential role in aggressive and defensive behaviors is the ?
Amygdala
Which part of the limbic system plays a vital role in learning & memory?
Hippocampus
-Communicates w/ the rest of the limbic system through fornix (long projection)
The inability to establish new long term memories is termed?
Anterograde amnesia
-memories before brain injury usually still in tact
The loss of long-term memories before injury transpired is termed?
Retrograde amnesia
The structure of the limbic system that functions in high order cognitive processes is the ?
Anterior cingulate cortex
-Impulse control, decision-making, emotion, and motivation
The outer surface of the brain is termed?
Cerebral cortex
-Composed of gyri and sulci
The cerebrum is divided into 2 halves termed?
Cerebral hemispheres
Role and functions of the prefrontal cortex are ?
- supervise and direct operations of other regions of the brain
- emotion
- memory
- impulse control
- long-term planning
- perception
An area that integrates input from diverse regions of the brain is termed ?
Association area
Areas of the brain that perform more rudimentary perceptual and motor tasks is termed ?
Projection areas
-Ex: primary motor cortex: initiates voluntary motor movements by sending neural impulses down the spinal cord toward the muscles
A region in the left hemisphere of the brain that is essential for speech production is known as?
Broca’s area
Components of the parietal lobe include?
- Sensory signals (touch, temp, pressure, pain)
- Spatial processing and manipulation
The primary site of most sound processing is where ?
Auditory cortex
The area of the brain associated with language reception and comprehension is ?
Wernicke’s area
A chemical used by neurons to send signals to other neurons is a ?
Neurotransmitter
- Agonist: drugs that mimic actions of neurotransmitters
- Antagonists: drugs that block the action of neurotransmitters
Which neurotransmitter in the PNS transmits nerve impulses to the muscles ?
Acetylcholine
-Used by parasympathetic & sympathetic (small portions)
Which neurotransmitter in the CNS is linked to arousal and attention?
Acetylcholine
The neurotransmitters responsible for controlling wakefulness & alertness are ?
Epinephrine (adrenaline) & norepinephrine (noradrenaline)
-Fight or flight response
A catecholamine (essential role in emotions) that plays an important role in posture and movement is ?
Dopamine
-Dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia (disease arises from too much dopamine or oversensitivity to it)
____ is thought to play an essential role in regulating mood, eating, sleeping, and dreaming.
Serotonin
Which neurotransmitter produces inhibitory postsynaptic potentials in order to stabilize neural activity in the brain?
GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)
-Causes hyperpolarization of postsynaptic membrane
The amino acid that also functions as an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the CNS by increasing Cl- influx into the neuron is ?
Glycine
-Similar to GABA (hyperpolarizes postsynaptic membrane)
The amino acid that also acts a excitatory neurotransmitter in the CNS is?
Glutamate
The neuromodulator/neuropeptide that acts as a natural pain killer produced in the brain are?
Endorphins
-Have similar actions to morphine
Which part of the pituitary gland is the “master” and why?
Anterior because it releases hormones that regulate activities of endocrine glands elsewhere in the body
-Controlled by the hypothalamus itself
The part of the adrenal glands that releases norepinephrine and epinephrine is the?
Adrenal medulla
The part of the adrenal glands that releases corticosteroids and cortisol (stress hormones), and also aids in sexual functioning by producing sex hormones is the ?
Adrenal cortex
The extent to which a trait or behavior positively benefits a species by influencing the evolutionary fitness of the species is termed?
Adaptive value
-Leads to adaptation through natural selection
What is the difference between nature vs nurture?
Nature is the influence of inherited characteristics on behavior while nurture is the influence of environment on behavior
_____ refer to the likelihood that both twins exhibit the same trait.
Concordance rates
What is occuring when the ectoderm overlying the notochord begins to furrow (forming a neural groove surrounded by 2 neural folds) ?
Neurulation
- Cells at end of neural fold are called neural crest
- When neural tube closes, CNS forms
The ____ is the automatic turning of the head when a stimulus touches the cheek of a baby
Rooting reflex
The Moro reflex is characterized by a baby doing what?
Reacting to abrupt movements of their head by flinging their arms out, then slowly retracting their arms and crying
Which reflex causes for the toes of a baby to spread apart automatically when the sole of their foot is stimulated ?
Babinski reflex
Movement from large muscle groups and whole body motion such as sitting, crawling, and walking is termed ?
Gross motor skills
Movement of smaller muscles such as finger, toes, and eyes is termed ?
Fine motor skills
