Ch.1 Flashcards
Intro + Research Methods
what is the relationship between biology and behavior?
biology and behavior are reciprocal in nature; bio directs behavior and vice versa
what are the two different views of mind-body connection ?
dualism: body and mind are separate entities; body is mechanical and mind is not suited for scientific study
monism: body and mind are one; mind is the product of physical neural activity
what are the two categories of imaging techniques?
structural Info: CT and MRI
functional/activity info: PET and fMRI
how and what are CT and MRI used for?
CT uses x-ray tech for info on brain and ventricles
MRI uses magnetism and radio waves for more high resolution/more detailed brain structures (like abnormal tissues)
how and what are PET and fMRI used for?
PET uses radioactive glucose or oxygen to scan which parts are using more glucose (red and yellow = most active; black and blue = least active) and to see how tissues and organs are functioning (used for brain disorders)
fMRI uses a series of MRI images taken over time to measure the blood flow and oxygen use in the central nervous system (used for differences in functioning in brain areas, like serial killers)
what are the different recording devices? which are invasive and noninvasive?
invasive: single cell recordings, patch clamps
noninvasive: EEG, evoked potentials, MEG
how and what is the EEG used for?
electrodes on the scalp record electrical brain activity; used to examine states of consciousness (sleep and epilepsy)
how and what are evoked potentials used for? what are SSEPs (Somatosensory evoked potentials)?
specialized used of EEG tech to test how the brain reacts to environmental stimuli
SSEPs are used for patients with neurological diseases - prognosis for coma patients and surgical monitoring
how and what are MEG used for?
uses special helmet to measure tiny magnetic signals by the brain, which are converted to electrical signals by special devices called SQUIDs to provide info about what parts of brain are active
used for studying brain functions, locating epilepsy, neurofeedback (training to control brain activity), and helping surgeons find location of brain problems (like tumors or damaged areas)
EEG is almost always recorded with MEG
how and what are single cell recordings used for
uses surgically implanted microelectrodes that observe and record responses of individual neurons
used to identify if problem is in a singular neuron and discover concept cells (cells that response to specific concepts)
how and what are patch clamps used for?
electrically isolate a small patch of of neurons or muscle membrane to observe/record activities of single ion channels (which are located on axons)
used in genetic engineering
how and what are lesion techniques used for? how does it differ from the ablation technique?
accessing function by studying and analyzing lesions, an area of abnormal tissue that may result from natural or deliberate brain injury
ablation technique is deliberately destroying and removing parts of the brain
what is concordance and how is it applied in psychobiology?
it is the degree of similarity between individuals, used in studies of genetics and behavior
researchers study the genetic concordance of fraternal and identical twins
researchers also study chromosomes of genetically modified animals to find and correlate behavior with knockout genes (defective genes in place of normal genes but don’t produce specific proteins that normal genes do)
how and what is stem cell research used for? how do they differ from other cells? what are the four main types of stem cells?
stem cells are undifferentiated cells that can divide and differentiate into other types of cells
used as an approach to repairing brain and spinal cord damage
they differ in that they are unspecialized cells found in various organs, can be induced to become tissue/organ specific cells w/special functions when under specific physiologic and experimental conditions
embryonic, adult, umbilical cord, amniotic fluid stem cells
embryo stem cells and their risks
come from embryos and are the most flexible stem cells - can become any type of cell
can divide endlessly in lab which may have a risk of mutations and cause tumors. may also cause an immune reaction in transplanted into the body
adult stem cells: where they are found, capabilities, and how they differ from embryonic stem cells
found in blood, nerves, muscle, cornea retina, internal organs, skin, bone marrow, they can only turn into similar cells types (e.g. bone marrow stem cells → blood cells)
unlike embryonic, adult stem cells lack immortality (can’t divide forever), lower risk of immune reaction when transplanted into the body
umbilical cord: where they are found, capabilities, risks, and uses
amniotic fluid stem cells: where they are found and capabilities compared to other stem cells
umbilical cord: come from baby’s umbilical cord, more versatile than adult but less so than embryonic, less risk of rejection than adult (highly adaptable), used for treating blood disease and strokes
amniotic fluid: found in amniotic fluid surrounding a fetus, very versatile
where are ion channels located?
axons
