Chapter 1: Biology and Behaviour Flashcards by Ellen Habke

Contributions to Neuropsych: Franz Gall

Phrenology; associated development of a trait with growth of its relevant part of the brain

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Contributions to Neuropsych: Pierre Flourens

Extirplation (aka ablation); concluded that different brain regions have different functions

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Contribution to Neuropsych: William James

“Father of American psychology”; pushed for importance of studying adaptations of the individual to their environment

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Contribution to Neuropsych: John Dewey

Credited with the landmark article on functionalism; argued for studying the entire organism as a whole

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Contributions to Neuropsych: Paul Broca

Correlated pathology with specific brain regions, such as speech production from Broca’s area

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Contributions to Neuropsych: Hermann von Helmholtz

First to measure the speed of a nerve impulse

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Contributions to Neuropsych: Sir Charles Sherrington

First inferred the existence of synapses

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Functions of the hindbrain

Balance, motor coordination, breathing, and general arousal processes like sleeping and walking —> vital functions for survival

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Function of medulla oblongata

Regulation of breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure

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Functions of pons

Contains sensory and motor pathways between the cortex and the medulla

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Function of the cerebellum

Maintaining posture and balance, and coordinates body movements

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Function of the midbrain

Receives sensory and motor info from the rest of the body; associated with involuntary reflex responses to visual or auditory stimuli

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Superior colliculus receives ___________ input

Visual sensory

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The inferior colliculus receives _________ input from the __________ _________

Auditory; auditory system

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Function of the thalamus

Relay of sensory information, including all senses except for smell

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Function of hypothalamus generally

Homeostatic functions like metabolism, temperature, and water balance; key player in emotional experiences during high arousal states; endocrine and autonomic regulation

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Function of the lateral hypothalamus

Triggers eating and drinking; when the Lateral Hypothalamus is destroyed, one Lacks Hunger

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Function of ventromedial hypothalamus

Satiety centre; when the VentroMedial Hypothalamus is destroyed, one is Very Much Hungry

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Anterior hypothalamus function

Sexual behaviour; sleep and body temperature

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Functions of posterior pituitary

Release of ADH and oxytocin

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Function of pineal gland

Release of melatonin and regulation of circadian rhythms

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Function of basal ganglia

Coordination of muscle movements as they receive information from the cortex and relay it to the extrapyramidal motor system —> basically, it helps make our movements smooth and our posture steady

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Function of extrapyramidal motor system

Gathers information about body position and relays it to the CNS, but does not functional directly through motor neurone

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Function of limbic system

Emotion and memory

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Primary components of the limbic system (3)

Septal nuclei, amygdala, and hippocampus

Function of septal nuclei

Pleasure centre

Function of amygdala

Defensive and aggressive behaviours; lesions result in docility and hyper sexual states

Function of hippocampus

Consolidation of information into long-term memories, and redistribution of remote memories to the cerebral cortex

How does the hippocampus communicate with other portions of the limbic system?

The fornix

What is a gyrus?

The bumps on the cortex (I.e., the mountains)

What is a sulcus?

The folds in the cortex (I.e., the valleys)

Two basic regions of the frontal lobe

Prefrontal cortex and the motor cortex

Function of prefrontal cortex

Manages executive functions like attention, perception, memory, emotion, impulse control, and long-term planning by coordinating them in other areas of the brain

Define an association area

An area that integrates input from diverse brain regions

Define projection area

Areas that perform more rudimentary or simple perceptual and motor tasks —> contrast of association area

Location of the primary motor cortex

The prefectural gyrus, just in front of the central sulcus

Location of the central sulcus

Divides the frontal and parietal lobes

Function of primary motor cortex

Initiates voluntary motor movements

Which lobe is Broca’s area located in?

Frontal lobe; generally the left hemisphere

Location of the somatosensory cortex

Postcentral gyrus in the parietal lobe

Location and function of Wernicke’s area

Temporal lobe; language reception and comprehension

Function of temporal lobes (4)

Sound processing (auditory cortex), speech perception (Wernicke’s area), memory, and emotion (limbic system)

Function of the forebrain

Complex perceptual, cognitive, and behavioural processes; emotion and memory

Function of the frontal lobe (3)

Executive function, impulse control, long-term planning (prefrontal cortex), motor function (primary motor cortex) and speech production (Broca’s area)

Function of parietal lobes (2)

Sensation of touch, pressure, temperature and pain (somatosensory cortex); spatial processing, orientation, and manipulation

Function of occipital lobe (1)

Visual processing

Function of acetylcholine (4)

Voluntary muscle control, parasympathetic nervous system, attention, alertness

Function of epinephrine and norepinephrine (3)

Fight or flight responses, wakefulness, alertness

Function of dopamine (2)

Smooth movements, postural stability (also reward?)

Function of serotonin (4)

Mood, sleeping, eating, dreaming

Function of GABA and glucine

Brain “stabilization”

Function of glutamate

Brain excitation

Function of endorphins

Natural painkillers

Three types of catecholamines

Epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine

Norepinephrine verses epinephrine

Norepinephrine more commonly acts at a local level as a neurotransmitter; epinephrine is more often secreted from the adrenal medulla to act systemically as a hormone

Classification of serotonin

monoamine or biogenic amine

Main inhibitory NT

GABA

How does GABA act in the CNS?

Causes hyper-polarization of the postsynaptic membrane; inhibitory NT

How does glycine act in the CNS?

By hyper-polarizing the postsynaptic membrane; inhibitory NT

How does glutamate act in the CNS?

Excitatory NT

How does acetylcholine act in the CNS?

Largely as a excitatory NT

How does acetylcholine act in muscle cells?

Depends on the type of receptor; I.e., inhibitory in cardiac muscle cells, but excitatory in skeletal muscle cells

Which NT does the efferent limb of the somatic nervous system use?

Acetylcholine

Which NT does the parasympathetic nervous system use?

Acetylcholine

How does the hypothalamus regular the anterior pituitary?

via the hypophyseal portal system

Two parts of the adrenal glands

Adrenal medulla and adrenal cortex

What does the adrenal medulla do?

Releases epi and norepinephrine as part of the sympathetic NS

What does the adrenal cortex do?

Produces steroid hormones like cortisol, testosterone, and estrogen

Define innate behaviour

Genetically programmed behaviour as a result of evolution; seen in all individuals regardless of environment or experiences

Define learned behaviour

Behaviour learned through environment and experience

Define adaptive value

Extent to which a trait or behaviour positively benefits a species by influencing the evolutionary fitness of the species, leading to adaptation through natural selection

Define neurulation

When the ectoderm overlying the notochord begins to furrow, forming the neural groove surrounded by two neural folds

Define neural crest

The cells at the leading edge of the neural fold

The two plates of the neural tube

Alar plate and basal plate

What does the basal plate differentiate into?

Motor neurons

What does the alar plate differentiate into?

Sensory neurons

What is the rooting reflex?

Automatic turning of the head in the direction of a stimulus that touches the cheek

What is the Moro reflex?

Infants react to abrupt movements of their heads by flinging out their arms and then slowly retracting their arms and crying

What is the babinski reflex?

Spreading of the toes with stimulation of the sole of the foot

When does stranger anxiety develop?

Seven months

When does separation anxiety appear?

One year

When does parallel play develop?

Two years old

When does awareness of gender identity develop?

Three

What is the grasping reflex?

Closing fingers around object placed in the hand