Chapter 1 - Biology & Behavior Flashcards
Franz Gall
‣ Doctrine of phrenology ➡ measure bumps on skull to predict mental traits
‣ False, but prompted research on brain functions
Pierre Flourens
‣ Studied functions of major brain parts
‣ Removed parts of the brain for animals to study the effects ➡ brain has specific functions
William James
‣ Father of American psychology
‣ Functionalism = how mind functions to help ppl adapt to envt
John Dewey
Study organisms as a whole in relation to their envt
Paul Broca
‣ Observed ppl w/ brain damage to examine their behavioral deficits
‣ 1st person to show that brain impairments can be linked with specific brain lesions
‣ Broca’s area = lesion here could impair speech
Hermann von Helmholtz
‣ 1st to measure the speed of a nerve impulse
‣ Transition of psychology ➡ natural sciences
Sir Charles Sherrington
‣ 1st inferred that synapses exist
‣ Thought that synaptic transmission was electrical, but we know it’s mainly a chemical process
Sensory neurons
‣ Aka afferent neurons (ascend in cord towards brain)
‣ Transmit sensory info from receptors ➡ brain & spinal cord
Motor neurons
‣ Aka efferent neurons (exit cord on way to rest of body)
‣ Transmit motor info from the brain & spinal cord ➡ muscles & glands
Interneurons
‣ Found btw other neurons & mainly w/in the brain & spinal cord
‣ Most abundant of 3 neuron types & usually linked to reflexes (e.g. reflex arcs)
Central nervous system (CNS)
Brain + spinal cord
Peripheral nervous system (PNS)
‣ Nerve tissue & fibers outside brain + spinal cord
‣ Connects the CNS to the rest of the body & can be separated into somatic & autonomic nervous systems
Somatic nervous system
‣ Sensory & motor neurons distributed throughout the skin, joints, and muscles
‣ Transmit info via afferent fibers
Autonomic nervous system
‣ Regulates heartbeat, respiration, digestion, and glandular secretions
‣ Manages involuntary muscles associated w/ many internal organs
‣ Sympathetic & parasympathetic subdivisions (antagonistic)
Parasympathetic nervous system
‣ Conserve energy, rest & digest, Ach
‣ Resting & sleeping states ➡acts to reduce HR & constrict bronchi
‣ Manages digestion via more peristalsis & exocrine secretions
Sympathetic nervous system
‣ Activated by stress, “fight or flight” response
Limbic system
‣ Neural structures mainly associated w/ emotion & memory
‣ Aggression, fear, pleasure, and pain
Cerebral cortex
Associated w/ language processing, problem solving, impulse control, long-term planning
Hindbrain
‣ Controls balance, motor coordination, breathing, digestion, sleeping, and waking
‣ Manages vital survival functions
Medulla oblongata
Regulates breathing, HR , and BP
Pons
Has sensory and motor pathways between the cortex and the medulla
Midbrain
‣ Gets sensory and motor info from the rest of the body
‣ Associated w/ involuntary reflex responses triggered by visual or auditory stimuli
Forebrain
‣ Associated w/ complex perceptual, cognitive, and behavioral processes
‣ Emotion and memory
Neuropsychology
‣ Study of functions and behaviors associated w/ specific regions of the brain
‣ METHODS = study brain lesions, electric stimulation and recording of brain activity, EEG, rCBF
Electroencephalogram (EEG)
‣ Studies electrical activity generated by larger groups of neurons
‣ Several electrodes are placed on the scalp, noninvasive technique
Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF)
‣ Detects broad patterns of neural activity based on more blood flow to various parts of the brain
‣ Activation of region = more blood flow there
‣ Need to inhale harmless radioactive gas to be able to correlate radioactivity levels w/ regional cerebral blood flow
Computed tomography (CT)
Multiple X-rays are taken at different angles and processed by a computer to cross-sectional slice images of the tissue
Positron emission tomography (PET)
Radioactive sugar is injected and absorbed into the body & its dispersion and uptake throughout the target tissue is imaged
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Uses magnetic field to interact w/ hydrogen and map out hydrogen dense regions of the body
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
‣ Uses same base technique as MRI, but measures changes associated with blood flow
‣ Good for monitoring neural activity, since more blood flow in brain regions is typically coupled w/ neuronal activation
Thalamus
Relay station for incoming sensory info & transmits this info to cerebral cortex
Hypothalamus
‣ Feeding, fighting, flighting, (sexual) functioning
‣ Serves many homeostasis functions
‣ Primary regulator of autonomic nervous system
Basal ganglia
Coordinates muscle movement as they receive info from the cortex and relays info to brain + spinal cord
Amygdala
Defensive and aggressive behaviors, including fear & rage
Hippocampus
Learning and memory processes
Frontal lobe
‣ 2 regions = prefrontal & motor cortex
‣ Prefrontal cortex = executive function - supervise and direct other brain regions
Association area
Integrates input from diverse brain regions
Projection area
Perform rudimentary or simple perceptual and motor tasks
Primary motor cortex
Initiates voluntary movements via neural impulses down spinal cord toward muscles
Parietal lobe
‣ Spatial processing and manipulation
‣ Touch, temperature, pain
Wernicke’s area
Language reception and comprehension
Temporal lobe
Hearing, memory processing, emotion, and language
Acetylcholine
‣ Can be excitatory (skeletal muscle cells) or inhibitory (cardiac muscle cells)
‣ Voluntary muscle control, parasympathetic nervous system, attention, alertness
Catecholamines
‣ Epi (adrenaline) + norepi (noradrenaline) ➡ control alertness and wakefulness, fight or flight response
‣ Dopamine ➡ movement & posture
‣ Play role in experiencing emotions
Serotonin
‣ Plays role in regulating mood, eating, sleeping, and dreaming
‣ Oversupply ➡ mania; undersupply ➡ depression
GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)
‣ Causes inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (hyperpolarization of postsynaptic membrane)
‣ Stabilizes neural activity w/in brain
Glycine
Inhibitory NT in CNS via more Cl influx into neuron (hyperpolarizes postsynaptic membrane)
Glutamate
Excitatory NT in CNS
Neuromodulators (aka neuropeptides)
‣ Relatively slow in neurotransmission
‣ Longer effects on postsynaptic cell than NT’s
‣ Endorphins = natural painkillers
Learned behaviors
Not based on heredity, but on experience & envt
Adaptive value
How much a trait or behavior benefits a species by influencing their evolutionary fitness
Concordance rates
Likelihood that both twins exhibit the same trait
Rooting reflex
Automatic turning of the head in the direction of a stimulus that touches the cheek (e.g. nipple during feeding)
Moro reflex
‣ Extends the arms, then slowly withdraws them and cries
‣ Rxn in response to abrupt movements of the head
Babinski reflex
Toes spread apart automatically when the foot’s sole is stimulated
Grasping reflex
Close fingers around an object placed in the hand
Gross motor skills
‣ Movement from large muscle groups and whole body motion
‣ E.g sitting, crawling, walking
Fine motor skills
‣ Involve smaller muscles of the fingers, toes, and eyes
‣ More specific & delicate movement
‣ E.g. tracking motion, drawing, catching, and waving
Parallel play
Children play next to each other w/o influencing each other’s behavior
