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Our Amazing Brain > Chapter 1: What Are the Origins of Brain and Behavior? > Flashcards

Chapter 1: What Are the Origins of Brain and Behavior? Flashcards

1
Q

Why should one study the brain?

A
  1. The brain and its production of behavior is a scientific enigma. Understanding it will improve many aspects of the world.
  2. The brain is the most complex organ and is abundant in many animals.
  3. increased understanding = increased ability to treat mental illnesses
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2
Q

The brain and spinal cord comprise the…

A

central nervous system

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3
Q

Neurons outside of the brain and spinal cord comprise the…

A

peripheral nervous system

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4
Q

What is the function of the PNS?

A

to provide sensory and motor connections to and from the CNS

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5
Q

part of the brain responsible for conscious behavior

A

cerebrum

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6
Q

The cerebrum has ____ and _____ hemispheres.

A

left and right

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7
Q

structure enfolded by the cerebrum

A

brain stem

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8
Q

What is the function of the brain stem?

A

production of unconscious behavior

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9
Q

Embodied behavior is the belief that the brain produces behavior by ______ and _________ movement.

A

making and observing

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10
Q

The cerebellum is responsible for _______ and ____________ movements.

A

learning and coordinating

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11
Q

condition where the brain remains intact/functional while the nerve pathways that produce movement are inactivated

A

locked-in syndrome

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12
Q

condition where simple behaviors are displayed while a person is essentially unconscious

A

minimally conscious state (MCS)

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13
Q

When a person is alive but cannot function even at the most basic level, they are in a…

A

persistent vegetative state (PVS)

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14
Q

T or F: A concussion is a WOUND that results from a blow to the head.

A

False; a concussion is DAMAGE to the brain, not a wound

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15
Q

A traumatic injury is a…

A

wound to the brain

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16
Q

Behavior is defined as…

A

patterns in time

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17
Q

Two types of behavior?

A

inherited and learned

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18
Q

T or F: Complex organisms such as humans utilize both types of behaviors.

A

True

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19
Q

Mentalism is defined as the belief that human intellectual functions are produced by…

A

a person’s psyche.

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20
Q

The process of Dualism: The ____ instructs the _____ _____ to direct _________ fluids from the nerves and into the muscles, and the expansion of the muscles results in bodily movement.

A

pineal gland, ventricle

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21
Q

What are the problems with Dualism?

A
  1. A dysfunctional pineal gland does not cause a reduction of intelligent behavior.
  2. Evidence does not support that muscle contractions are caused by brain fluid.
  3. The idea of an external entity violates the Law of Conservation of Matter and Energy.
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22
Q

What are the 3 main points of Materialism?

A
  1. Because all animal species are related, then their brains must be related.
  2. Because all animal species are related, then their behaviors must be related.
  3. Complex brains/behaviors evolved from simpler brains/behaviors
23
Q

Describe natural selection

A

Species with particular characteristics may survive and reproduce more likely than other species.

24
Q

A genotype…

A

defines an organism’s genetic makeup

25
Q

A phenotype…

A

defines an organism’s physical characteristics (hair color, size, etc.)

26
Q

Epigenetics…

A
  1. studies the regulation of gene expression

2. how environment and experience influence behavior

27
Q

Describe deep brain stimulation.

A

Neurological procedure in which electrodes are inserted into a specific area of the brain, and a low-voltage charge facilitates behavior.

28
Q

A clinical trial is…

A

a consensual experiment towards developing a treatment.

29
Q

Evolution of the nervous system in order?

A
  1. muscles and neurons
  2. nerve net
  3. bilateral symmetry
  4. segmentation
  5. ganglia
  6. spinal cord
  7. brain
30
Q

What is a nerve net?

A

system of neurons that exist outside the brain and spinal cord; essentially a human PNS

31
Q

In bilateral symmetry, one side of the nervous system _________ the other side of the nervous system.

32
Q

stage of nervous system evolution in which neurons are organized into groups of similar parts

A

segmentation

33
Q

In a ganglia, clusters of neurons resemble a _______ ______

A

primitive brain

34
Q

An organism that has a brain and spinal cord is called a…

35
Q

Examples of chordates?

A

mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds

36
Q

Humans are the member of the…

A

primate order

37
Q

characteristics of the primate order?

A
  • females usually have one infant per pregnancy
  • shoulder flexibility
  • eyes on the front of the face
  • brains much larger than other animals
38
Q

Humans evolved from primates that walk upright called…

39
Q

One of the humans’ hominid ancestors was…

A

Australopithecus

40
Q

Australopithecus’s upright posture was deduced from…

A
  • shape of back, pelvic, knee, and foot bones

- fossilized set of footprints showed a developed arch and big toe

41
Q

The encephalization quotient (EQ) is a quantitative measure of ________________ to __________________ for a particular __________ of an animal.

A

actual brain size to expected brain size; body size

42
Q

The bigger the EQ of an animal is…

A

the bigger the brain size, the more complex the behavior

43
Q

Brain size is also determined by the number of neurons, but it also depends on…

A
  • packing density of neurons

- area of the brain in which neurons accumulate

44
Q

A topographic map…

A

shows various functional areas of the CNS

45
Q

A connectome map…

A

shows the pathways connecting the CNS

46
Q

Name two ways in which climate may have factored in brain size.

A
  • A tectonic event caused a reshaped land mass with wet and dry environments. Hominids turned upright when exposed to the dry climate.
  • Warming in Europe led to the prosperity of modern humans and the disappearance of archaic humans.
47
Q

Any adaptive advantage that stems from the addition of neurons MUST support…

A

the energy cost of that organism.

48
Q

How could smaller bones contribute to the growth of the hominid brain?

A

Smaller bones may have changed the diet and an increased access to energy-rich food, consequently leading to brain growth.

49
Q

Why is a cooling system essential for brain health?

A

It decreases heat stress from high metabolic activity.

50
Q

Why is the brain very difficult to measure? (3 reasons)

A
  1. skull thickness
  2. indecisive choice of measurement
  3. relation to body size
51
Q

Culture is…

A

the many behaviors that have been passed from generation to generation.

52
Q

A meme is…

A

an idea, behavior or style that spreads from person to person within a culture.

53
Q

Charles Spearman found that the general intelligence factor (g factor) caused…

A

a variation of IQ scores from generation to generation.

54
Q

Howard Gardner proposed that humans have…

A

various intelligences (verbal social, etc.)

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