Brain & Behavior Part 1

Question 1

What is the name of an individual nerve cell?

Answer 1

Neuron

Question 2

What are the four parts of a neuron and what are their functions?

Answer 2

Dendrites - receive electrical signals from other neurons
Soma (cell body) - contains nucleus, provides for the life processes of the cell
Axon - carries the electrical signal from the soma to the terminal buttons
Terminal buttons - release neurotransmitters that cause electrical charges to the next neuron in the chain

Question 3

What is an action potential?

Answer 3

A spike of electricity that travels down the neuron’s axon

Question 4

What is the space between the terminal buttons of one neuron and the dendrites of another neuron called?

Answer 4

Synapse

Question 5

What is a neurotransmitter?

Answer 5

Binds to receptors in the dendrites of the next neuron in the chain thereby electrically exciting or inhibiting the next cell

Question 6

What part of the brain (hindbrain, midbrain, or forebrain) contains the medulla oblongata and the pons?

Answer 6

Hindbrain

Question 7

What does the medulla oblongata do?

Answer 7

Controls breathing, heart rate, and vomiting

Question 8

What does the pons do?

Answer 8

Regulates paralysis during sleep

Question 9

What part of the brain (hindbrain, midbrain, or forebrain) contains the superior colliculus, the inferior colliculus, and the substantial nigra?

Answer 9

Midbrain

Question 10

What do the superior colliculus and the inferior colliculus do?

Answer 10

Superior - controls visual reflexes

Inferior - controls auditory reflexes

Question 11

What disease involves the death of neurons in the substantia nigra?

Answer 11

Parkinson’s disease (involved in movement)

Question 12

What part of the brain (hindbrain, midbrain, or forebrain) contains the cortex, hypothalamus, amygdala, hippocampus, and basal ganglia?

Answer 12

Forebrain

Question 13

What does the hypothalamus regulate?

Answer 13

The Four F’s: feeding, fighting, fleeing, and “mating” lol

Question 14

What does the amygdala do?

Answer 14

Controls emotional responses, particularly fear

Question 15

What does the hippocampus do?

Answer 15

Encodes long term memories

Question 16

What part of the brain was missing in HM that led to his problems transferring information from short term to long term memory?

Answer 16

Hippocampus

Question 17

What do the basal ganglia do?

Answer 17

Reward system of the brain

Question 18

According to Burnham and Phelan’s theory of how the basal ganglia work, what happens when people have a gain in their material success?

Answer 18

The basal ganglia will reward us briefly, but then our happiness will fade so we will continue to strive to make more money.

Question 19

According to Burnham and Phelan’s theory of how the basal ganglia work, what happens when people experience negative events?

Answer 19

The basal ganglia punishes us, but the emotional pain fades quickly with time so we won’t be debilitated by grief.

When life gets bad, remember: “It’s going to get better.”