Chapter 1 Flashcards
1990s were deemed the…
Decade of the Brain
- period of intense research and awareness
- new understanding of neurological diseases, emotional disorders, and addictions
behavioural neuroscience
studies the relationship between behaviour and the body, specifically the brain
behaviour
both overt (external) and covert (internal) events
Overt
make a sound, move a particular way
Covert
learning, thinking, and emotion
Mind-brain problem
what is the mind and what is it’s relationship to the brain
Dualism
idea that the mind and body are separate
Monism
idea that the mind and body consist of the same substance
materialistic monism
view that thee body and mind and everything else are physical
Model
a proposed mechanism for how something works
Empiricism
gathering information through observation
Late 1700s
Luigi Galvani used electricity to stimulate nerves
1870
Fritsch and Hitzig produced movement by electrically stimulating the brain
Hermann von Heimholtz
demonstrated nerves do not behave like conducting wires
Localization
specific areas of the brain carry out specific functions
Phrenology
35 different “faculties” of emotion, intellect found in precise areas of the brain
Equipotentiality
the brain can function as an undifferentiated whole
Nature versus Nurture
an ongoing debate about how important heredity is relative to environmental influences in shaping behaviour
- fairly controversial topic in psychology, especially in regards to public opinion
Gene
biological unit that directs cellular processes and transmits inherited characteristics
DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid)
double-stranded double helix chain of chemical molecules
Zygote
fertilized egg which undergoes rapid cell division and development on its way to becoming a functioning organism
- each parent contributes 23 chromosomes
- contains 46 in total
Embryo
new organism as it develops over first 8 weeks
- after zygote undergoes cell division
Fetus
organism at developmental stage between 8 weeks and birth
Alleles
different versions of a gene
Dominant Allele
produces effect regardless of which allele it is paired with
Recessive Allele
has influence only when paired with the same allele
Heterozygous
two alleles are different
Homozygous
two identical alleles
Phenotype
an observable characteristic
Genotype
combinations of alleles
X-linked
a characteristic produced by an unpaired gene on the x-chromosome
Polygenic
characteristics determined by several genes
Genome
all the genes in our chromosomes
Human Genome Project
project with goal to map the location of all the genes on the human chromosome
- found that only 3% of human DNA encodes for something, the rest is junk DNA
Gene Expression
translation of encoded information into production of proteins
Natural Selection
survival of the fittest
- those whose genes endow them with more adaptive traits are more likely to survive and reproduce
Heritability
percentage of the variation in a characteristic attributed to genetic factors
Vulnerability
genes contribute to predisposition for a disorder
