Ch. 3 Biological Foundations of Behavior Flashcards
The nervous system
Central Nervous System
Brain and spinal chord
Peripheral nervous system
Somatic nervous system and it deals with sensory and motor skills
Atonomic nervous system
Creates the communication with internal organs
Somatic Nervous System
Sensory and motor nerves
Sympathetic nervous system
Fight or flight
Parasympathetic NS
Calms after stressor
rest and digest
Afferent (sensory) nerves
nerve fibers responsible for bringing sensory information from the outside world into the brain.
Efferent (motor) nerves
they are the neurons that tell your body to perform an action, such as removing your hand from a hot pan.
Glial cells
Provide support and nutrition
Mirror neurons
Imitation/ social perception
(primates)
Neurons
information processing
(computing and communicating)
Dendrites
Receive and process signals from axons of other neurons
Cell body (soma)
Stores genetic information, maintains the structure of neurons and provides energy
Axon
Carries electrical impulses
Myelin Sheath
Protects the axon
Tail
the axon
Terminal buttons
The small knobs at the end of an axon that release chemicals to the neurotransmitters
Neuron Communication
electrical and chemical signals
Electrochemical
Neuronal communication
Neuron at rest: polarized
imbalance in charges
Ion channels closed
the interior of the cell is more negative than the exterior of the cell.
Semipermeable membrane
allows specific molecules/ions to pass through diffusion
Ion channels
allows passage of ions across a cell membrane
Gated membrane
allows the regulated flow of selected ions across the plasma membrane
Action potential
ion exchange along length of axon
all-or-nothing potential
neurons either transmit an impulse completely or not at all
Neurotransmitters (understand the key function of each)
chemical messengers that your body can’t function without.
Acetylcholine
muscle actions, learning, memory
Ex. black window venom (go up) the ach levels go down
Botox (go up) the ach levels go down
Alzheirmer’s go up the ach levels go down
GABA
the most common inhibitory neurotransmitter in your central nervous system. anxiety goes up the GABA levels go down (calming)
Glutamate
excitatory
learning and memory
Norepinephrine
regulates sleep
Dopamine
a chemical released in the brain that makes you feel good
Serotonin
-Regulation of sleep, mood, attention, learning
-Depression goes up the serotonin levels go down
-Prozac goes up the serotonin levels go down
Endorphins
-Natural opiates
-mediate feelings of pleasure and pain
Oxytocin
-Hormone and neurotransmitter
-Relates to onset of lactation in new mothers
-Attachment/ emotional bonds
Synapse
a small gap at the end of a neuron that allows a signal to pass from one neuron to the next
Reuptake
the process in the brain of neurons to retrieve chemicals that were not received by the next neuron.
The Brain (understand the functions of the brain)
The hindbrain
brainstem
-medulla- control breathing, regulate reflexes
-pons- sleep and arousal
Cerebellum
Motor coordination
The midbrain
vision, hearing, motor control, sleep/awake, arousal, temperature regulation.
The forebrain
deals with body movements, sensory processing, and responses to stress and fear
Hyppocampus
formation of recall of memories
Thalamus
relay station for sensory information
Basal Ganglia
coordination of voluntary movements
Hypothalamus
eating, drinking, sexual behaviors
-regulates body’s internal state
-emotion, stress, reward
(4 F’s fleeing, fighting, feeding, and fucking)
The cerebral cortex
neocortex= outermost layer
Occipital lobe
vision
temporal lobe
hearing, language processing, and memory
frontal lobe
intelligence, personality, and voluntary muscles
parietal lobe
spatial location, attention, motor control
Prefrontal cortex
frontal lobe that regulates complex cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functioning.
Wernicke’s area
region of the brain that contains motor neurons involved in the comprehension of speech
Broca’s area
plans the process of speech by interacting with the temporal cortex
Somatosensory cortex (parietal lobe)
body sensations/touch
Motor cortex (frontal lobe)
voluntary movements
-point to point mapping
Association cortex (75% of cortex)
not sensory or motor, but the association between them
Corpsus Callosum
tracts that connect the left and right cerebral hemispheres.
