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MCAT P/S > Biology and Behavior > Flashcards

Biology and Behavior Flashcards

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MCAT flashcards
1
Q

Afferent neurons

A
  • sensory neurons

- transmit sensory info receptor->spinal cord/brian

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2
Q

Efferent neurons

A
  • motor neurons

- motor info brain/spinal cord->muscles/glands

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3
Q

Interneurons

A
  • b/ neurons
  • common in reflexes
  • most numerous
  • predominantly in brain/spinal cord
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4
Q

Division of NS

A
  1. Central (brain and spinal cord)
  2. Peripheral (including 31 pairs of spinal and 12 pairs of cranial nerves).
      1. Somatic (voluntary)
      1. Autonomic (involuntary, include sympathetic and parasympathetic)
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5
Q

Sympathetic NS

A
  • activated by stress
    -flight-or fight
    -dilate pupils
    -inhibits salivation
    -relax bronchi
    increase HR
  • increase sweating/polierection
    -X peristalsis, secretion
    -stimulates glucose production and release
    -neurotransmitter: adrenalin and noradrenaline
    -Xbladder contraction
  • stimulates orgasm
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6
Q

Parasympathetic NS

A

opposite of sympathetic NS

  • neurotransmitter: Ach
  • rest and digest
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7
Q

Meninges

A
  • sheath of CT
    -protection
    -anchores brain to the skull
    -resorbs CSF
    composed of three layers :
    1. dura mater (outer)
    2.Arachnoid mater
    3.Pia mater
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8
Q

CSF

A

aqueous solution in brain and spinal cord

  • protect
  • produced by ventricles in the brain
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9
Q

Major division of brain

A
  1. Forebrain (include cerebral cortex, basal ganglia, limbic system, thalamus, hypothalamus)
  2. Midbrain (include inferior and superior colliculi)
  3. Hindbrain (cerebellum, medulla oblongata, reticular formation)
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10
Q

Subdivision of embryonic brain

A
  • developed from neural tube that first develop three swelling for forebrain, midbrain and hindbrain.
  • swelling for hindbrain and forebrain swell into 2, forming 5 swelling all together
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11
Q

Hindbrain structure and development

A
  • located at juncture with spinal cord
  • aka rhombencephalon
  • in embryonic development: divides into myelencephalon (->medulla oblongata) and metenccephalon (->pons and cerebellum
  • include cerebellum, medulla oblongata, reticular formation
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12
Q

CErebelum

A
  • part of hindbrain
  • developed from metencephalon
  • motor memory
  • refined motor movements
  • posture and balance
  • coordination of body movements
  • damage: clumsiness, slurred speech, loss of balance
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13
Q

Medulla oblongata

A
  • part of hindbrain
  • developed from myelencephalon
  • vital functions (breathing, digestions, HR, BP)
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14
Q

Reticular formation

A
  • hindbrain
  • from metencephalon
  • arousal and alertness
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15
Q

Midbrain

A
  • aka mesencephalon
  • receives sensory/motor info from the rest of the body
  • involuntary reflexes trigered by visual/auditory stimuli
  • include superior and inferior colliculus
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16
Q

Superior colliculus

A

part of midbrain
receives visual sensory input
MNEMONIC: HARD LETTER FOR HARD LETTER (S->V)

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17
Q

Inferior colliculus

A

midbrain
auditory sensory input
MNEMONIC: VOVEL FOR VOVEL (I->A)

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18
Q

Forebrain

A
  • during development divides to form telencephalon (cerebral cortex, basal nuclei, limbic system) and diencephalon (thalamus, hypothalamus, posterior pituitary, pineal glands)
  • aka prosencephalon
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19
Q

functional techniques of neuroimaging

A
  1. PET (follows ingection and absorbtion of radioactive sugar in the brain
  2. fMRI (measures changes associated w/ blood flow)
  3. EEG ( measure brain activity for longer periods of time, records electrical activity)
  4. regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF): detects neural activity based on changes to blood flow
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20
Q

structural techniques of neuroimaging

A
  1. CT

2. MRI

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21
Q

Thalamus

A
  • relay station for sensory info except smell

- sorts and transmits to correct part of cerebral cortex

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22
Q

Hypothalamus: functions

A
  • hunger and thirst
  • endocrine functions
  • homeostasis
  • regulates ANS
  • drives sex behaviour
  • regulates functions of pituitary glands via hypophyseal portal system
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23
Q

Hypothalamus: subdivision

A
  1. Lateral
  2. Ventromedial
  3. Anterior
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24
Q

Lateral Hypothalamus

A

MNEMONICS: when the Lateral Hypothalamus (LH) is destroyed, one Lacks Hunger

trigger eating and drinking

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25
Q

Ventromedial hypothalamus

A

MNEMONICS: when VMH is destroyed, one is Very Much Hungry

  • satiety centre
  • gives signal to stop eating
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26
Q

Anterior Hypothalamus

A

MNEMONICS: when Anterior hypothalamus is damaged, one is Asexual

  • sexual behaviour
  • sleep
  • body t
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27
Q

Ghrelin

A

hormone that increases hunger

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28
Q

Pineal Gland

A

secrete melatonin (regulates circadian rhythm)

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29
Q

Basal ganglia

A
  • coordinate muscle movements
  • make movements smooth and posture steady
  • disease: Parkinson’s, OCD, schizophrenia
30
Q

Limbic system

A
  • memory nad emotions

- composed of septal nuclei, amygdala, hippocampus

31
Q

Septal Nuclei

A

pleasure center

32
Q

Hippocampus

A
  • learning and memory

- consolidates info to form long-term memories

33
Q

Anterograde amnesia

A
  • inability to make new memories

- old memories remain intact

34
Q

Retrograde amnesia

A
  • memory loss of events prior to the injury
35
Q

Cerebral cortex

A
  • outer surface
  • aka neocortex
  • made of gyri and sulci
  • divided into 2 hemisphere and 4 lobes
36
Q

Frontal lobe

A

composed of

  1. Prefrontal cortex:
    • supervising and directing operations of other brain regions
    • perception, memory (reminding us to remember to do something), emotion, impulse control, long-term planning
    • if damaged: impairs supervisory functions, more impulsive, less control, vulgar language and behavior, apathetic
  2. Primary motor cortex:
    • initiates voluntary movements
    • a projection area
    • motor homunculus
37
Q

Association area

A

area that integrates input from diverse brain regions

- complex processing

38
Q

Projection area

A

performs simple perceptual and motor tasks

39
Q

Broca’s area

A

frontal lobe
speech production
found in dominant hemisphere

40
Q

Parietal Lobe

A

somatosensory cortex in postcentral gyrus:

  • ivolved in somatosensory info processing
  • projection area
  • somatosensory homunculus

spacial processing and manipulation

41
Q

Occipital lobe

A

visual cortex

learnign and motor control

42
Q

Temporal Lobe

A
  1. auditory cortex: sound processing
  2. WErnicke’s area: language comprehension and reception

memory processing, emotions, language

43
Q

Contralaterraly

A

on the opposite side of the bosy

44
Q

ipsilaterraly

A

on the same side of the body

45
Q

Dominant hemisphere

A
  • usually L
  • analytic in function
  • language content, logic, math
46
Q

Nondominant hemisphere

A
  • usually R

- emotions, intuitions, creativity, spacial processing

47
Q

Ach

A
  1. CNS: attention and arousal

2. PNS: PSNS, nerve impulse transmission to muscles (voluntary)

48
Q

Catecholamines

A
  • include EN, Epinephrin and dopamin

- role in experiencing emotions

49
Q

Epinephrine

A
  • aka adrenaline
  • secreted from adrenal medulla
  • acts as hormone
  • SNS
  • flight-or-fight
  • alertness and wakefulness
50
Q

Norepinephrine

A
  • aka noradrenaline
  • SNS
  • flight-or-fight
  • alertness and wakefulness
  • acts at local level
  • low levels: depression
  • high levels: anxiety and mania
51
Q

Dopamine

A
  • movement and posture
  • usually high levels in basal ganglia
  • disbalances associated with
    1. schizophrenia (too much or oversensitivity to dopamine)
    2. Parkinson’s disease (loss of dopamine neurons)
52
Q

Serotonin

A 
mood
eatin
sleeping
dreaming
ovversupply: mania
undersupply: depression
53
Q

GABA

A
  • produces inhibitory postsynaptic potentials
  • stabilizes neural activity in the brain
  • causes hypoerpolarization of postsynaptic membrane
54
Q

Glycine

A
  • inhibitory neurotransmitter in CNS

causes Cl influx -> hyperpolarization of postsynaptic neuron

55
Q

Glutamate

A
  • excitatory neurotransmitter in CNS
56
Q

Endorphines

A
  • natural painkillers produced in brain

- type of neuromodulator (peptide neurotransmitter): have slower, but longer effect

57
Q

Cortisol

A

stress hormone

58
Q

Adrenal gland

A
  • on top of kidney
  • adrenal medulla: Epi, NE
  • adrenal cortex: corticosteroids (including cortisol). testosterone, estrogen
59
Q

Innate behavior

A
  • genetically programmed

- seen in everyone

60
Q

Learned behavior

A
  • based on experience and envi
61
Q

Family studies

A
  • rely on assumptions that family members are more similar genotypically than unrelated individuals
  • limited because can’t separate nature vs nurture
62
Q

Twin studies

A

compares likelihood that both twins exhibit the same trait (between monozygotic (identical) and DZ twins)

63
Q

Adoption studies

A

compare similarities b/ adopted children and their adoptive parents, raletive to similarities w/ their biological parents

64
Q

NS development

A

thru neurulation: notochord stimulates ectoderm to fold over and create neural tube (becomes CNS) topped with neural crest (differentiates into many different tissues)

65
Q

Primitive reflexes

A
  • dissapear with age

- include : rooting reflex, Moro, Babinski, grasping

66
Q

rooting reflex

A

turning of the head in the direction of a stimulus that touches cheek

67
Q

Moro reflex

A

extens the arms, then slowly withdraws them and cries

- dissapears after 4 months

68
Q

Babinski reflex

A

big toe extends while other toes fan outwards

MNEMONICS: Babinski sounds like something big (toe)

69
Q

Grasping reflex

A

closure of fingers when something is put on the hand

70
Q

Developmental milestones

A
  • gross and fine motor abilities progress head to toe and core to periphery
  • social skills shift from parent->self->others
  • language skills become increasingly complex

MCAT P/S (4 decks)

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