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Intro to Psych > Biology of Behavior > Flashcards

Biology of Behavior Flashcards

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1
Q

What is neural plasticity?

A

Changeable, malleable, work with it

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2
Q

How is the brain plastic?

A

The brain can rewire itself and respond to injury

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3
Q

Neural communication?

A

Multipolar neuron; information coming in from dendrites that collect the information from other neurons via neurotransmitters

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4
Q

What are neurotransmitters?

A

A CHEMICAL message from another neuron

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5
Q

What is the function of dendrites?

A

They grab chemical messages and pull them into the neuron

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6
Q

What is the information processing center of the neuron?

A

Cell body

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7
Q

What does the cell nucleus do?

A

Decides whether information is important enough to get passed on down the axon (going down electrically!) (axon is like an electrical wire)

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8
Q

What is the white, fatty coating on axons called?

A

Myelin sheath

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9
Q

What does the myelin sheath do?

A

Helps give off signals quickly and efficiently (not all axons have a sheath)

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10
Q

Axon all or none fashion?

A

The axon either fires or it doesn’t; there is no halfway point

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11
Q

What restarts the cycle?

A

Chemical transmission to another neuron

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12
Q

Are neurons the only thing working in the brain?

A

No

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13
Q

Electrochemical

A

Things are electrical and chemical in nature; it just depends where you are on a neuron

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14
Q

How does information get passed on?

A

Neurons fire depending on the different elements in the neuron at the time

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15
Q

What is resting potential of a neuron?

A

When a neuron is not doing anything

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16
Q

What happens at the neuron threshold?

A

Neuron fires

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17
Q

What is the neuron firing known as?

A

Action potential

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18
Q

What happens after action potential?

A

Neuron returns to resting potential

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19
Q

What is it called when a neuron can’t fire after an action potential?

A

Refractory period
~ Neuron can’t fire again until axon sends information to another neuron and process restarts

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20
Q

What part of a neuron bumps up against other neurons?

A

Axon terminals

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21
Q

Where are chemical transmitters released?

A

Into the “key holes” on the receptor sites on the receiving neuron at the site of the synaptic gap

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22
Q

What happens if the myelin sheath is destroyed?

A

Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
~ slow and spotty affect on neurons

23
Q

What is the “gap” where information is passed to the next neuron called?

A

Synapse

24
Q

Ach

A

Involved in learning and memory and motor ability

~This is implicated in Alzheimer’s Disease (depleted so problems with memory, etc.)

25
Q

Endorphins

A

Naturally occurring opiates produced in the brain (pain killers)

26
Q

“Runner’s High” endorphins

A

to subdue pain

27
Q

If you take opiates… how does it affect the production of endorphins?

A

your brain doesn’t feel the need to make its own endorphins; if you try to get off opiates, your brain can’t protect you from the pain if something happens

28
Q

Dopamine

A

Involved in movement and reward and addiction

29
Q

Dopamine’s implication on Parkinson’s Disease?

A

Tremors, very unique gait/walking (short, shuffling due to lack of dopamine for movement)

30
Q

How is dopamine involved in reward and addiction?

A

High feeling and want to do it again (root cause for addiction)

31
Q

What are the two broad divisions of the nervous system?

A

1.) Central
2.) Peripheral

32
Q

Central Nervous System includes what?

A

brain and spinal cord

33
Q

Peripheral Nervous System includes what?

A

Stuff on the outside (everything except brain and spinal cord)

34
Q

What are the three neuron types?

A

1.) Sensory
2.) Motor
3.) Interneurons

35
Q

What kind of information do sensory neurons carry?

A

Sensory information (touch, taste, smell, hear, etc.)

36
Q

Why are interneurons important?

A

Backup neuron; fail safe

36
Q

What kind of information do motor neurons carry?

A

Movement information

37
Q

Example of the role interneurons play when you put your hand near a flame?

A

You have to move your hand away, but interneuron overrides conscious ability to remove hand because if you take too long to react and wait for the signal from the brain, you will burn your hand

~You don’t have to think about removing your hand; you have the quick reflex to move your hand because of the interneuron

~This is a survivor mechanism!

38
Q

What are the two divisions of the Peripheral Nervous System?

A

1.) Somatic System
2.) Autonomic System

39
Q

Somatic System

A

Muscle control

40
Q

Autonomic “Automatic” System

A

Really important because it takes care of internal organs so you don’t have to

41
Q

What are the two divisions of the Autonomic Nervous System?

A

1.) Parasympathetic
2.) Sympathetic

42
Q

Sympathetic Division

A

~Fight or Flight response
~Your body needs energy to respond to a threat/stress so this system gets you ready for that

Ex. Symptoms:
Heart accelerates
Digestion on hold
Bladder relaxes

43
Q

What happens once you are safe?

A

Parasympathetic system (calming system) takes over: heart rate slows back down, digestion resumes as usual, bladder contracts, etc.

44
Q

About the central nervous system…

A

Focus mostly on brain not spinal cord

Brain is exceptional with clusters involved

Spinal cord does have multiple pathways that go up and down parts of the body (elevators go both ways ex.; two way system)

45
Q

What are some central nervous system reflexes?

A

Spinal reflex
Pain reflex (something sharp)

46
Q

The endocrine system?

A

Hormones are released, etc.

Hormones are chemical in nature

47
Q

What are two of the major players of the endocrine system?

A

1.) Thyroid
2.) Genitals

48
Q

The Nervous System is…

A

One giant loop/feedback system

Information from outside world is brought in and we base our behavior off that

49
Q

Types of Neural Measures?

A

EEG
MEG
PET
MRI
fMRI

50
Q

What is an ElectroEncephaloGram (EEG) used for?

A

Measures electrical activity in brain
1.) Suspicion of seizures
2.) Slowing of the brain’s electricity (due to injury)

51
Q

MRI and what is it used for?

A

Angle is cut down the center of the head so you are looking into brain

~To see if pathology (damage) or shrinkage (butterfly in picture is glued, but in image B, it looks bigger because of shrinkage of brain)

52
Q

What is an example of brain shrinkage/damage?

A

Alzheimer’s Disease

Intro to Psych (13 decks)

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