Brains and behaviour Flashcards
Structure of brain that coordinates movement
- cerebellum
Structure of brain that controls heart rate
- medulla oblongata
Structure of brain that receives sensory input from the eyes
- cerebrum
What do blind kitten experiments show about how vision develops in cats
- there is a critical period where visual stimulation is required if the visual cortex is to develop properly
- no impulses pass along axons of visually impaired eyes - so synapses that do not fire are weakened and destroyed
- adult cat is not affected as connections are already made and critical period has ended
How operant conditioning is achieved
- trail and error
- correct, reward
- wrong, punishment
- repeats behaviour to get reward
Discuss the extent to which the study of learning in animals can help us understand learning in humans
- all animals have a common evolutionary origin
- nervous system works in a similar way
- can be compared
How fMRI can improve knowledge of human brain function
- fMRI shows which parts of the brain are active
- oxyhaemoglobin doesn’t absorb radiowaves, deoxyhaemoglobin does
- active parts of the brain absorb fewer radio signals, as there is increases blood flow - which brings more O2
- 3D image can be produced
- non-invasive
Explain the effect of visual impairment on kittens
- visual stimulation is required for visual development
- during critical period
- AP need to be fired so synapses release transmitter and become established more firmly to develop the visual cortex
- inactive synapses are eliminated
- before the critical period, kittens hadn’t developed visual cortex
- kitten after five weeks had already developed visual cortex
Justify the use of animals in experiments
- animal experiments help test medicines for treatment
- help understand how human body works
- benefits greater than harms
- reduces harms when testing on humans
- utilitarian approach
Effect of sensory deprivation in an eye
- columns are narrower is visual cortex for visually impaired eye
- sensory neurone shorter
- fewer dendrites
Explain how an experiment of visual impairment shows the need for exposure to sensory information in normal visual development
- visual stimulation during critical period is required for visual development (visual cortex to develop properly)
- if an eye is deprived of stimulation, columns do not form properly
- synapses are not fired so are weakened are destroyed
Describe a piece of evidence which suggests that humans must be exposed to particular stimuli if they are to develop normal vision
- visual deprivation studies, e.g. cataract removal of children, bandaging of eyes
Describe how (CT) images could help a doctor to determine appropriate treatment of abnormalities
- location of abnormality
- size of abnormality
- nature of abnormality e.g. bleeding
- likely problems, e.g. accessibility for surgery
Explain why different abnormalities could cause different symptoms
- abnormalities in different regions
- different regions of brain have different functions
- symptoms depone on the region of the brain affected
- different types of abnormalities can cause different symptoms
Describe how fMRI is used to investigate brain function
- detects level of oxygenation of blood, measures changes in blood flow within the brain
- increased flow, increased oxygen suggest increased activity
- study brain activity related to stimuli/tasks
