Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

Behavioral Sciences > Biology and Behavior > Flashcards

Biology and Behavior Flashcards

1
Q

What is neuropsychology

A

study of the connection between the nervous system and behavior

often focuses on the functions of various brain regions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What are the three types of neurons in the nervous system

A

afferent (sensory)
efferent (motor)
interneurons

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What are reflex arcs

A

use the ability of interneurons in the spinal cord to relay information to the source of stimuli while simultaneously routing it to the brain

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What makes up the nervous system

A

CNS and PNS

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What makes up the CNS

A

Central nervous system

brain and spinal cord

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What makes up the PNS

A

Peripheral nervous system

most cranial nerves and spinal nerves

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What are the divisions of the PNS

A

somatic (voluntary) and autonomic (automatic)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What are the divisions of the autonomic system

A

parasympathetic (rest and digest) and sympathetic (flight or fight)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What are the three subdivisions of the brain

A
  • hindbrain: contains the cerebellum, medulla oblongata, reticular formation
  • midbrain: contains the inferior and superior colliculi
  • forebrain: contains the thalamus, hypothalamus, basal ganglia, limbic system, and cerebral cortex
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What are common methods for studying the brain

A

studying lesions, electrical stimulation and activity recording (EEG and regional cerebral blood flow)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What part of the brain contains the cerebellum, medulla oblongata, reticular formation

A

hindbrain

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What part of the brain contains the contains the inferior and superior colliculi

A

midbrain

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What part of the brain contains the thalamus, hypothalamus, basal ganglia, limbic system, and cerebral cortex

A

forebrain

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What does the forebrain contain

A

thalamus, hypothalamus, basal ganglia, limbic system, and cerebral cortex

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What does the hindbrain contain

A

cerebellum, medulla oblongata, reticular formation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What does the midbrain contain

A

inferior and superior colliculi

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What is the function of the thalamus

A
  • relay station for sensory information (except for smell)
  • receives sensory information and relays it to the appropriate areas of the cerebral cortex
  • in forebrain
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What is the function of the hypothalamus

A
  • maintains homeostasis
  • hunger and thirst and sexual drive
  • emotion
  • key player in experiences during high arousal states, aggressive behavior, and sexual behavior
  • controls some endocrine functions and autonomic nervous system
  • metabolism, temperature, and water balance
  • integrates with the endocrine system through the hypophyseal portal system that connects to the anterior pituitary

Four F’s: Feeding, Fighting, Flighting, Sexual functioning

  • in forebrain
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What is the function of the basal ganglia

A
  • smoothen movements
  • help maintain postural stability
  • coordinated muscle movement and relay information to the brain and spinal cord
  • in forebrain
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What is the function of the limbic system and what parts make up the limbic system

A
  • controls emotion and memory
  • septal nuclei, amygdala, hippocampus
  • all in forebrain
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What is the function of the septal nuclei

A
  • involved with feelings of pleasure, pleasure seeking behavior, and addition
  • in limbic system, which is in forebrain
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What is the function of the amygdala

A
  • controls fear (defense) and aggression

- in limbic system, which is in forebrain

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What is the function of the hippocampus

A
  • consolidates memories and communicates with other parts of the limbic system through and extension called the fornix
  • learning and memory processing
  • helps form long term memories
  • in limbic system, which is in forebrain
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What are the four parts of the cerebral cortex

A
  • frontal
  • parietal
  • occipital
  • temporal
  • in the forebrain
  • complex perceptual, cognitive, and behavioral processes
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
What is the function of the frontal lobe
- controls executive function - impulse control - long-term planning - motor function - speech production - contains primary motor cortex
26
What is the function of the parietal lobe
- sensations of touch, pressure, temperature, and pain - spatial processing - orientation - spacial manipulation - map reading, orientation in 3D - contains primary somatosensory cortex
27
What is the function of the occipital lobe
- controls visual processing
28
What is the function of the temporal lobe
- controls sound processing (auditory cortex) - speech perception (Wernicke's area) - memory and emotion - contains auditory cortex and Wernicke's area
29
The brain can be divided into two ____ hemispheres, which are ____ and _____.
cerebral | left and right
30
The ___ hemisphere is usually dominant for language in most individuals
left
31
What are meninges and the role they play in the body
- thick sheath of connective tissue - composed of three layers (dura mater, arachnoid mater, and pia mater) - help protect the brain - keep it anchored to the skull - reabsorbe CSF
32
What is CSF
Cerebrospinal fluid - aqueous solution in which the brain and spinal cord rest - produced by specialized cells that line the ventricles ( internal cavities of the brain)
33
What is the layer of the meninges and structures from brain to skin
- brain - pia mater - arachnoid mater - dura mater - bone - periosteum - skin
34
For the most part structures located at the base of the brain are associated with ____ behavior and structures located higher up are associated with ___ behavior
- base = survival | - higher up = more complex
35
What forms the brainstem
- hindbrain and midbrain
36
What is the most primitive part of the brain
- brainstem (hindbrain and midbrain)
37
What is the most recent evolutionary development of the human brain
- cerebral cortex
38
What is the role of the medulla oblongata
- lower brain structure, in hindbrain | - regulating vital functions (breathing, heart rate, blood pressure)
39
What is the role of the pons
- contains sensory and motor pathways between the cortex and medulla
40
What is the role of the cerebellum
- lower brain structure, in hindbrain , mushrooming off the pons - helps maintain posture and balance - coordinates body movements
41
What happens is the cerebellum is damaged
- causes clumsiness, slurred speech, and loss of balance | - similar to the affects alcohol has on it
42
What is the function of the superior colliculus
- midbrain | - receives visual sensory input
43
What is the function of the inferior colliculus
- midbrain | - receives sensory information from the auditory system
44
What is the main function of the midbrain
- receives sensory and motor information from the rest fo the body - involuntary reflex response triggered by visual or auditory stimuli - superior colliculus and inferior colliculus - collectively called colliculi
45
What part of the brain has the greatest influence on human behavior
- forebrain | - not necessarily needed for survival but play a huge role in intellectual and emotional capacities
46
The thalamus is a relay station for incoming sensory information, besides ___ information
smell
47
What is the main function of the lateral hypothalamus
LH - Lacks Hunger - hunger center, has special receptors thought to detect when the body needs more food or fluids - triggers eating and drinking - if this part is removed there is absolutely no drive to eat
48
What is the main function of the ventromedial hypothalamus
VMH - Very Much Hungry - satiety center - signals to stop eating - if there are brain lesions on this area it typically leads to obesity
49
What is the main function of the anterior hypothalamus
AH - Asexual if destroyed - controls sexual behavior - stimulated - leads to sexual behavior - damaged - leads to lack of sexual behavior
50
Parkinson's diseases is the destruction of the ___ which can lead to the following symptoms
- basal ganglia | - jerky movements and uncontrolled resting tremors
51
Anterograde amnesia vs retrograde amnesia
- not being able to establish any new long term memories, but old memories are intact - not being able to remember old memories but can make new ones
52
What is the function of the Broca's area
- speech production | - in frontal lobe
53
What is the function of the Wernicke's area
- language reception and comprehension | - in temporal lobe
54
What is contralaterally in the brain
- motor neurons on the left side of the brain activate movements on the right side of the body
55
What is ipsilaterally in the brain
- motor neurons on the right side of the brain activate movements on the right side of the body
56
What are neurotransmitters
- released by neurons to carry a single to another neuron or effector (muscle fiber or gland)
57
Acetylcholine is
- used by the somatic nervous system to move muscles - used by the parasympathetic nervous system - used by CNS for alertness
58
Dopamine
- maintains smooth muscle movements and steady posture
59
Endorphins and enkephalins
- natural pain killers
60
What neurotransmitters act as natural pain killers
endorphins and enkephalins
61
Ephinephrine and norepinephrine
- maintain wakefulness and alterness - mediate fight or flight responses - epinephrine acts like hormone and norepinephrine acts more like neurotransmitter - released by adrenal medulla
62
GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)
- brain stabilizer
63
glycines role as a neurotransmitter
- brain stabilizer
64
glutamates role as a neurotransmitter
- excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain
65
serotonin role as a neurotransmitter
- modulates mood, sleep patterns, eating patterns, and dreaming
66
What is cortisol
- stress hormone released by adrenal cortex
67
What is testosterone
- mediate libido - increases aggressive behavior - released by adrenal cortex - testes also produce testosterone
68
What is estrogen
- mediate libido - released by adrenal cortex - ovaries also produce estrogen
69
What are the bumps on the brain called
gyri
70
What are the folds in the brain called
sulci
71
What are seven of the most important neurotransmitters
- acetylcholine - epinephrine and norepinephrine - dopamine - serotonin - GABA and glycine - glutamate - endorphins
72
Glycine vs glutamate in the CNS
- glycine is an inhibitory neurotransmitter | - glutamate is an excitatory neurotransmitter

Behavioral Sciences (2 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions