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Biopsychology And Mind-Brain Problem Flashcards

Dualism vs. Materialism, PNS, neurons, the 🧠

1
Q

What two basic cell types is a nervous system composed of

A

Glial cells and neurons

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2
Q

What are glial cells

A

They play a supportive role to neurons: provide insulation, transport nutrients and waste products, mediate immune responses, provide scaffolding on which the nervous system is built, help neurons line up closely together to allow neuronal communication.

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3
Q

Are glial cells or neurons more abundant

A

Glial cells are more abundant, they outnumber neurons 10 to 1

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4
Q

Neurons

A

They serve as interconnected information processors that are essential for all the tasks of the nervous system

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5
Q

What are the main parts of a neuron

A

Semi-permeable cell membrane, cell body or Soma, axon, dendrites, myelin sheath, terminal buttons that contain synaptic vesicles that house neurotransmitters.

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6
Q

What is a Soma

A

The cell body of a neuron, signals are transmitted from dendrites across the Soma, contains cell nucleus

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7
Q

What are dendrites

A

Tree like Branches extending from the Soma of a neuron. They serve as input sites or signals are received from other neurons.

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8
Q

What is the main function of a neuron

A

It is a small information processor

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9
Q

What is the function of an axon

A

Signals are transmitted electrically across the Soma and down a major extension of the Soma known as the axon

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10
Q

Where are terminal buttons located

A

They are extensions from the axon

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11
Q

What do the terminal buttons contain

A

Synaptic vesicles

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12
Q

What do synaptic vesicles house

A

Neurotransmitters which are chemical messengers of the nervous system

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13
Q

What is a synapse

A

A very small space between two neurons and an important site where communication between neurons occurs

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14
Q

What happens once neurotransmitters are released into the synapse

A

They travel across a small space and bind with corresponding receptors on the dendrite of an adjacent neuron

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15
Q

What are receptors

A

Proteins on the cell surface where neurotransmitters attach, vary in shape, with different shapes matching different neurotransmitters

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16
Q

How does a neurotransmitter know which receptor to bind to

A

The neurotransmitter and the receptor have what is referred to as a lock and key relationship

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17
Q

Biological perspective

A

This is when the focus of a psychological disorder is on the physiological causes of that behavior

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18
Q

Which disorders are biological perspectives used on and why

A

Disorders such as depression and schizophrenia because they are found to be associated with imbalances and one or more transmitter systems

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19
Q

How do psychotropic medications help disorders like depression and schizophrenia

A

These are drugs that treat psychiatric symptoms by restoring neurotransmitter balance

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20
Q

What are the two major subdivisions of the nervous system

A

Central nervous system and peripheral nervous system

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21
Q

What makes up the central nervous system

A

The brain and spinal cord

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22
Q

What makes up the peripheral nervous system

A

The PNS is made up of nerves carrying messages back and forth between the central nervous system and the muscles, organs, and senses in the periphery of the body

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23
Q

What are nerves

A

Thick bundles of axons

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24
Q

What are the two major subdivisions of the peripheral nervous system

A

The somatic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system

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25
What is a somatic nervous system
The part of the PNS That controls the body's skeletal muscles (motor information) and processes sensory information, traditionally thought of as conscious or voluntary
26
What is the function of motor neurons
They carry instructions from the central nervous system to the muscles, and are also known as efferent fibers.
27
What is the function of sensory neurons
They carry sensory information to the central nervous system, and are known as afferent fibers, they are activated by chemical and physical stimuli, and illicit sensations such as pain, touch, temperature, itch
28
Autonomic nervous system
This is a part of the peripheral nervous system that controls involuntary muscles, internal organs and glands and is generally considered to be outside the realm of voluntary control
29
The autonomic nervous system is subdivided into what 2 divisions
The sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system
30
Sympathetic nervous system
Involved in preparing the body for stress related activities, prepares the organs for rigorous activity and is involved in psychological arousal
31
Parasympathetic nervous system
Is associated returning the body to routine, day-to-day operations, slows down bodily functions and is involved in psychological relaxation
32
If the parasympathetic system is activated does that mean that the sympathetic nervous system is deactivated
Both systems are always on but one is usually more active than the other, dependent on the relative amount of input from either system. Each organ receives efferent nerves from the CNS that consist of opposing parasympathetic and sympathetic nerves
33
What happens when our sympathetic nervous system is activated
- can result when faced with stressful or higher arousal situations - dilates pupils, inhibits salivation, increases heart rate dilate bronchi, inhibits digestion, blood pressure increases, bladder relaxes, liver releases glucose, adrenaline (Epi, NE) surges into bloodstream - also known as fight or flight response
34
What happens when parasympathetic nervous system is activated
- calms or conserves energy - pupils constrict, stimulates elevation, heart rate slows, blood pressure returns to normal, bronchi constrict, digestion is stimulated, contracts bladder, liver begins to store glucose in the form of glycogen for future use
35
Function of spinal cord
It is like a relay station, it routes messages to and from the brain and also has its own system of automatic processes called reflexes
36
What occurs in the brain stem
Control of breathing and digestion
37
Each segment of the spinal cord that corresponds with a vertebrae is connected to what part of the nervous system
The peripheral nervous system, nervous branch out from the spine at each vertebrae, sensory nerves bring messages in, motor nerves send messages out of the muscle organs, messages travel to and from the brain through every segment
38
The surface of the brain is known as the
Cerebral cortex
39
Gyri
A distinctive pattern of folds or bumps
40
Sulci
Grooves
41
What is the longitudinal fissure of the brain do
It is a deep groove that separates the brain into the left and right hemisphere
42
Thick band of neural fibers that connect the two hemispheres of the brain
Corpus callosum
43
Function of corpus callosum
Allows the two hemispheres to communicate with each other and allows for information being processed on one side of the brain to be shared with the other side
44
What is a cerebral cortex associated with
Higher level processes such as consciousness, thought, emotion, reasoning, language, and memory
45
What are the two hemispheres associated with the cerebral cortex
The right and left hemispheres
46
Forebrain
It's the largest part of the brain. It contains a zero cortex and subcortical structures such as the thalamus, hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and limbic system
47
How many subdivisions are there of each cerebral hemisphere
They are subdivided into four lobes
48
What are the four lobes of the brain
Frontal, cradle, temporal, and occipital lobes
49
Frontal lobe
- located in the forward part of the brain, extending back to a Central sulcus - involved in reasoning, motor control, emotion, and language
50
What is contained in the frontal lobe
Motor cortex, prefrontal cortex, Broca's area
51
Motor cortex
Involved in planning and coordinating movement
52
Prefrontal cortex
Responsible for higher level cognitive functioning
53
Broca's area
Essential for language production
54
What are the three main categories that the brain and its parts are divided into
The four brain, midbrain, and hindbrain
55
Parietal lobe
- Located immediately behind the frontal lobe | - involved in processing information from the body's senses
56
What is contained in the parietal lobe
Somatosensory cortex
57
Somatosensory cortex
Essential for processing sensory information from across the body, such as touch, temperature, and pain
58
Temporal lobe
- located on the side of the head | - associated with hearing, memory, emotion, and some aspects of language
59
What is contained in the temporal lobe
The auditory cortex, and Wernicke's area
60
Auditory cortex
The main area responsible for processing auditory information
61
Wernicke's area
Important for speech comprehension
62
Occipital lobe
- located in the very back of the brain | - contains visual cortex
63
Visual cortex
Responsible for interpreting incoming visual information
64
Thalamus
- sensory relay for the brain | - all of our senses except for smell are rooted through here and directed to other areas of the brain for processing
65
Limbic system
- Processes both emotion and memory | - the sense of smell projects directly through here and that is why smell can evoke emotional responses
66
What structures make up the limbic system
The hippocampus, the amygdala, and the hypothalamus
67
Hippocampus
Essential structure for learning and memory
68
Amygdala
Involved in our experience of emotion such as fear, aggression, and anger, and in tying emotional meaning to our memories, and motivation
69
Hypothalamus
- Regulates a number of homeostatic processes including the regulation of body temperature, appetite, and blood pressure - regulates sexual motivation and behavior
70
Which structure serves as an interface between the nervous system and the endocrine system
The hypothalamus
71
What structures comprise the midbrain
It is comprised of structures located deep within the brain, between the forebrain and the hindbrain. These structures include the reticular formation, substantia nigra, and the ventral tegmental area (VTA)
72
Reticular formation
Important and regulating the sleep wake cycle, arousal, alertness, and motor activity
73
Substantial nigra and ventral tegmental area
- Contains cell bodies that produce dopamine - critical for movement - involved in mood, reward, and addiction
74
The degeneration of what structure is responsible for Parkinson's disease
Substantia nigra and VTA
75
Hindbrain
- located in the back of the head and looks like an extension of the spinal cord - contains medulla, pons, and cerebellum
76
Medulla
Controls the automatic process of the automatic nervous system such as breathing, blood pressure, and heart rate
77
Pons
Serves to connect the brain and the spinal cord and involved in regulating brain activity during sleep
78
Brainstem is made up of
Medulla, ponds, and midbrain
79
Cerebellum
- Receives messages from muscles, tendons, joints, and structures in our ear that control balance, coordination, movement, and motor skills - helps process some types of memories involved in learning and performing tasks
80
Electroencephalography
Provides a measure of a brain's electrical activity. An array of electrodes are placed around a person's head. The signals received by the electrodes result in a printout of the electrical activity of the brain.
81
Myelin sheath
Often covers axons and increase the speed of transmission of neural impulses
82
Each hemisphere controls
The opposite side of the body
83
What is the mind brain problem
It involves trying to answer the question if the mind and brain are two different things/are consciousness separate from our physical brain
84
Mind
Consciousness or current experience or soul
85
Brain
Physical structure seen when a skull is cut open
86
Dualism
The belief that there are different kinds of substance that exist independently such as your experience resides in your mind and a separate from what may be going on in your physical brain, they function and dependently
87
Materialism
A form of monism which is the belief that everything that exists is made up of physical substance, therefore your experience is a direct result of what's going on in your physical brain such as electrochemical activity
88
What do non-scientists believe and what do neuroscientists believe
Non-scientists believe in dualism and neuroscientists believe in materialism
89
Portion of the brain responsible for four basic life support, the most primitive part of the brain
Hindbrain
90
Region of brain involved in higher level thought processes
Frontal lobes

Psychology (7 decks)

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