Ch. 2 Review Flashcards
Studies the relationship between biological processes (especially brain activity and behavior
Physiological Psychology
Biological causes for abnormal behavior
Physiological Psychology
Biologists of psychology
Physiological Psychology
Cell body (Powerhouse)
Soma
Branching structures that receive signals from other neurons
Dendrites
Fiber that carries signals away from other cells
Axon
Insulated material that encases some axons - speed BoOsT
Myelin sheath
Small knobs at the end of axons that release neurotransmissions at synapse
Terminal buttons
Neuron’s stable negative charge when inactive
Resting potential
Voltage spike that travels along axons
Action Potential
Brief time after spike firing before another can begin (ALL OR NOTHING DANIEL)
Absolute Refractory Period
Al-or-None Law
A neuron either fires or it does not
Brain and spinal chord
Central Nervous System
Goes up from spinal chord - basic body functions
Hindbrain
Coordinates fine muscle movement/coordination - alcohol affects this
Cerebellum
Involved in sleep and arousal
Pons
Regulates automatic functions such as breathing and circulation
Medulla
Involved in finding objects in space; synthesizes dopamine
Midbrain
Most complex - part of brain that THINKS
Forebrain
Relay center for cortex; distributes incoming sensory signals except olfactory (smell)
Thalamus
Handles complex mental activities such as sensing, learning, thinking, and planning
Cerebrum
Primary sensory cortex
Parietal lobes
Primary visual cortex
Occipital lobes
Primary thinking cortex
Frontal lobes
Involved in mental reasoning; working memory
Prefrontal cortex
Cerebellum
Hindbrain
POns
Hindbrain
Medulla
Hindbrain
Thalamus
Forebrain
Cerebrum
Forebrain
Parietal lobes
Forebrain
Temporal lobes
Forebrain
Occipital lobe
Forebrain
Frontal lobes
Forebrain
Frefrontal cortex
Forebrain
Loosely connected network that contributes to emotions, attitudes, fears
Limbic System
Contributes to memory
Hippocampus
Involved in learning of fear responses and anger - angry Galitsky
Amygdala
Regulates basic biological needs such hunger, thirst, and sex
Hypothalamus
Consists of glands that secrete chemicals called hormones into bloodstream - regulate responses to stress, sexual development, hormones
Endocrine System
Nerves to voluntary muscles, sensory receptors
Somatic Nervous System
Nerves to skeletal muscles, blood vessels, smooth muscles, and glands
Autonomic Nervous System
Sensory function to motor
Afferent
Motor function to sensory
Efferent
Speeds up bodily resources
Sympathetic
Calms down bodily resources
Parasympathetic
Monitor electrical activity of brain over time, yielding trace lines called brain waves
EEG
Provides precise function of brain structure
CT/MRI scans
Removing a piece of the brain to learn about the functioning
Lesioning
Monitor level of activity of brain over time
PET scan
Sending weak current into a brain structure to stimulate that area
ESB
New technique that permits scientists to temporarily slow or stop activity in a specific area of the brain (used as a form of anesthesia)
TMS
Released by neurons that control and contract muscles; possible linked to Alzheimer’s
Acetylcholine
Increased levels lead to schizophrenia
Dopamine
Decreased levels lead to Parkinson’s
Dopamine
Dopamine circuits activated by
Reward center and midbrain
Natural high; pain suppressor
Endorphins
Inhibitory transmitter that contributes to regulation of neurotransmission
GABA
Abnormal levels linked to catecholamines; contributes to modulation of mood and arousal
Norepinephrines
Regulates sleep, mood, sense of well-being, abnormal levels linked to depression and OCD
Serotoninin
Mainly linked with ALS
ATP
Receptive problem; difficulty understanding words
Wernike’s aphasia
Problems producing words
Broca’s aphasia
Difficulty carrying out certain tasks
Aproxia
Right hemisphere controls
Left side of body
Visual/spatial abilities, art, emotion, intuition, creative processing, spatial, musical, and visual recognition tasks
Right side brain
Left hemisphere controls
Right side of body
Math, logic, language, problem soling, logical processing, language, speech, reading, and writing
Left side brain
Organisms mutate in endliess ways
Darwin’s insight
Some traits are hereditary
Darwin’s insight
Variation in hereditary traits might affect organisms’ traits and reproductive success
Darwin’s Insights
Reproductive success of an organism relative to survival
Fitness
How characteristics sculpted through natural selection because they helped sole a problem of survival or reproduction when they emerged
Adaptation
The sum of individuals own reproductive success and reproductive success of all others
Inclusive Fitness
Species’ typical patterns of behavior often reflect evolutionary solutions to adaptive problems
Adaptive traits
Threadlike strands of DNA that carry genetic info
Chromosomes
Genetic segments that are key functional units in hereditary transmission
Genes
Homozygous
Same
Heterozygous
Different
Person’s genetic makeup
Genotype
Person’s physical characteristics
Phenoytype
Assess trait resemblance among blood relatives
Family studies
Compare trait resemblance of identical and fraternal twins
Twin studies
Compare adopted children to their genetic parents and to adoptive parents
Adoption studies
Determines location and chemical sequence of specific genes, which can help pinpoint links between particular genes and genetic traits
Genetic mapping
The limbic system is involved in the regulation of emotion memory, and
Motivation
Hunger center of the brain
Hypothalamus
All sensory info passes through the thalamus except
Smell
Charge of largely unconscious but vital functions
Medulla Oblongata
Emotion and agression
Amygdala
The limbic system is a loosely connected network of structures located roughly along the border between the cerebral cortex and deeper subcortical areas. Limbic mean s
Edge
The brainstem resembles
Cauliflower!
The left hemisphere of the human brain was implicated int eh control of language as early as
1861
Split brain surgery dude
Roger Sperry
Damage leads to problems with the comprehension of language
Wernicke’s area
Which hemisphere is faster at processing visual spatial than which?
Right; left
Hormones released by the stomach and intestines help control what
Digestion
The endocrine system is controlled by the nervous system through the
Hypothalamus
Secretes hormones in response to stress can signal the hypothalamus to inhibit further hormone output
Adrenal medulla
Levels of many hormones are regulated through
Negative feedback systems
Body’s sexual glands
Gonads
Hormones being released several times a day in outbursts that only last a few minutes
Pulsatile
What two characteristics jointly shape behavior
Logic and Heredity
Female wood frogs are sexually reproductive
5 nights a year
Consists of random fluctuation in gene frequencies over generations as a result of chance alone
Gene Flow
Monogamy tends to emerge when male and female parental investements are roughly
Opposite
Biochemical bases of genetic information
Molecular geneticists
Natural selection works on
Environment rather than society
Genes for detached earlobes are dominant over genes for attached earlobes
Heterozygous
Empirical approach depends on
Experimenting
Empirical methods are
Lifeblood of the scientific enterprise
Origin of Species was written in
1795
Sex cells that form a zygote each have
23 chromosomes
Human physiological makeup is influenced by
Genes
Control centers for the endocrine system
Thalamus, cerebellum
Twins that don’t have exactly the same genotype
Dizygotic
Second cousins with a 6.25% genetic relationship fit into which degree of relatedness?
3rd degree
