Biology And Behaviour Flashcards

1
Q

What are the three major parts of the brain and their embryonic brain subdivisions

A

Hindbrain (rhombencephalon) - divides into metencephalon (pons and cerebelllum ) and myelencephalon (medullla oblongata )
Midbrain (mesencephalon ) - contains superior and inferior colliculus
Forebrain (prosencephalon) - telencephalon (cerebral cortex, basal ganglia, lambic system) and diencephalon (thalamus, hypothalamus, posterior pituitary and pineal glands)

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2
Q

Superior collliculus

A

Receives visual sensory input

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3
Q

Inferior collliculus

A

Receives auditory sensory input

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4
Q

What are two non invasive ways to study brain activity and how do they work?

A

EEG (electroencephalogram)- places electrodes on scalp and measures patters on electrical activity
Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) - inhale harmless radioactive gas and then look at regions where we have increased blood flow

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5
Q

Thalamus

A

Part of the forebrain that acts as relay station for incoming sensory information for all senses but smell and send them to the cerebral cortex

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6
Q

Hypothalamus

A

Subdivided into the lateral hypothalamus, ventromedial hypothalamus, and anterior hypothalamus
Important for homeostasis, emotional experience, high arousal states, aggressive behaviour, sexual behaviour, hunger and thirst

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7
Q

Lateral hypothalamus

A

Hunger center - has receptors that detect when the body needs more food or fluids
If this part of the brain does not work you lack hunger - would not eat or drink

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8
Q

Ventromedial hypothalamus

A

Satiety centre - provide signals to stop eating - if this is part of the brain is not working you are “VMH - very much hungry - would lead to obesity

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9
Q

Anterior hypothalamus

A

Controls sexual behaviour - damage would cease sexual activity
Also regulates sleep and body temperature

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10
Q

Basal ganglia

A

In middle of brain - coordinate movement and received information from cortex and relays to spinal cord via extrapyramidal motor system
Makes our movements smooth and posture steady
Parkinson’s disease has destruction of basal ganglia

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11
Q

Limbic system

A

Interconnected structures looping around central portion of the brain - controls emotion and memory - includes septal nuclei, amygdala and hippocampus

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12
Q

Septal nuclei

A

Primary pleasure centres in the brain - can cause addictive behaviour

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13
Q

Amygdala

A

Defensive and aggressive behaviour, fear and rage - aggression and fear greatly reduced when amygdala not functioning

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14
Q

Hippocampus

A

Learning and memory, consolidate information to form long term memory, redistributes memory to cerebral cortex
Communicates w/ limbic system through fornix

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15
Q

Anterograde amnesia

A

Not being able to establish new memories

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16
Q

Retrograde amnesia

A

Memory loss of events that transpired before brain injury

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17
Q

Cerebral cortex

A

Aka neocortex - outer surface of brain - most recent to evolve - has many gyri (bumps) and sulci (folds)
Four lobes - frontal, temporal, parietal , occipital

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18
Q

Prefrontal cortex

A

Manages executive function by supervising and directing operations of processes for perception, memory (does not store memories itself but let us know we have them), emotion, impulse control and long term planning
Communicates with reticular formation in the brain stem controlling alertness or attention - wake up or relax

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19
Q

Association area

A

Integrates input from diverse brain regions

Eg. Many different inputs needed to solve a puzzle

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20
Q

Projection area

A

Perform more rudimentary or simple perceptual motor tasks

Eg. Visual cortex

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21
Q

What may happen if a person had a prefrontal legion

A

Impulsive, less in control of behaviour , depressed

22
Q

Primary motor cortex

A

Located on the precentral gyrus - initiates voluntary motor movements by sending impulses down the spinal cord towards the muscle
Is a projection area

23
Q

Motor homunculus

A

Neutrons in motor cortex area arranged systematically - size in cortex based in need for finer motor control

24
Q

Area in the frontal lobe that is vital for speech production

A

Broca’s area- only found in 1 hemisphere

25
Q

Parietal lobe

A

Located to the rear of the frontal lobe
Contains the somatosensory cortex which is a projection area for sensory signals for touch, pressure, temperature and pain
Also associated with spatial processing and manipulation - orient of self and others in 3D space

26
Q

Occipital lobe

A

At the rear of the brain and contain the visual/striate cortex
Also has role in learning and motor control

27
Q

Temporal lobe

A

Contains the auditory cortex, wernicke’s area and hippocampus (memory processing, emotion, language)

28
Q

Auditory cortex

A

Part of the temporal lobe - sound processing - speech and music

29
Q

Wernicke’s Area

A

Language reception and comprehension

30
Q

Contralateral

A

Cerebral hemisphere will cause action in the side of the body opposite to it
Opposite is ipsilateral (eg. Hearing )

31
Q

Dominant hemisphere

A

Usually the left - the one that is more heavily stimulated during language reception and production
Analytic , good for managing details, language, logic, math
Contains Broca’s area dnd wernicke’s area
[letters, words, language sounds, speech, reading, math, complex voluntary movement ]

32
Q

Non dominant hemisphere

A

Usually the right - intuition, creativity, music cognition, spatial processing
Holistic image, less prominent role in language,
More sensitive to tone of language or mood
[faces, music, emotions, geometry, sense of direction ]

33
Q

Acetylcholine

A

In peripheral nervous system it transmits nerve impulses to muscles
Uses mainly in parasympathetic system, but inner ages sweat glands in sympathetic
CNS linked to attention and arousal - loss of cholinergic neutrons can lead to Alzheimer’s

34
Q

Epinephrine and norepinephrine

A

Are catecholamines and are important in experience of emotions
Control alertness and wakefulness, primary NT. Of sympathetic nervous system
NE usually more local NT while epinephrine is secreted from adrenal medulla to act systemically as a hormone

35
Q

What is associated with low levels of NE? High levels?

A

Depression

Anxiety and mania

36
Q

Dopamine

A

Catecholamine important for movement and posture - high levels usually found in basal ganglia to help with movement and postural stability

37
Q

Dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia

A

Too much dopamine or an over sensitivity to dopamine can cause delusions, hallucinations and agitation

38
Q

Loss of dopaminergic neutrons in the basal ganglia

A

Parkinson’s - resting tremor, jerky movements and postural instability

39
Q

Serotonin

A

Monoamine catecholamine
Regulates mood, eating, sleeping and dreaming
Depression and mania

40
Q

GABA

A

Produces inhibitory post synaptic potentials - stabilizes neural activity in the brain - causes hyperpolarization of postsynaptic neutrons

41
Q

Neormodulators

A

Aka neuropeptides
Slower and longer effects
Eg. Natural pain killers endorphins and enkephalins

42
Q

Reflex

A

A behaviour that occurs automatically in response to a given stimulus

43
Q

Primitive reflexes

A

Reflexes that we have when we are young but typically disappear at a distinctive time - retention of these can indicate issues with neurological development

44
Q

Rooting reflex

A

Automatic turning of the head when a stimulus brushes the cheek

45
Q

Moro reflex

A

Infants react to abrupt movements of their heads by flinging out arms, slowly retracing and crying
-usually disappears after 4 months - continuation at 1 year is strong indicator of developmental difficulties

46
Q

Babinski reflex

A

Toes spread apart automatically when the sole of the fooot is stimulated

47
Q

Grasping reflex

A

Occurs when infant closes fingers around an object when put in hand

48
Q

Gross motor skills

A

Movement from large muscle groups and whole body movement

49
Q

Fine motor skills

A

Smaller muscles such as fingers eyes and toes

Tracking motion, drawing, catching and waving

50
Q

Stranger anxiety

A

Fear or apprehension of unknown individuals - develops at 7 months

51
Q

Separation anxiety

A

Fear of being away from parent figure - begins at 1 year

52
Q

Parallel play

A

Begins at age 2 - children will play alongside each other without influencing one anthers behaviours
Before this it was solitary to onlooker