Chapter 1 - What is Behavioural Neuroscience

Question 1

Behavioural Neuroscience

Answer 1

Studies the relationships between behaviour and the body (specifically the brain)

Question 2

Behaviour

Answer 2

Both overt and covert events.

Question 3

Overt

Answer 3

External (make a sound, move in a particular way, etc).

Question 4

Covert

Answer 4

Internal (learning, thinking, emotion)

Question 5

The Mind-Brain Problem

Answer 5

What is the mind and what is its relationship to the brain. (Wilhelm Wundt)

Question 6

Dualism

Answer 6

The idea that the mind and the brain are separate. Rene Descartes.

Question 7

Monism

Answer 7

The idea that the that mind and the body are one thing.

Question 8

Materialistic Monism

Answer 8

View that the mind and body and everything else are physical. The mind is a physical entity.

Question 9

Rene Descartes

Answer 9

Supported dualism. He thought there was some sort of animal spirit/string puppet controlling the brain.

Question 10

Model

Answer 10

A proposed method for how something works.

Question 11

Empiricism

Answer 11

Gathering information through observation.

Question 12

Luigi Galvani

Answer 12

Used electricity to stimulate nerves.

Question 13

Fritsch and Hitzig

Answer 13

Produced movement by electrically stimulating the brain.

Question 14

Hermann von Heimholtz

Answer 14

Demonstrated that nerves do not behave like conducting wires. Yes nerves have electricity, but they do not act like wires in a house.

Question 15

Localization

Answer 15

Specific areas of the brain do specific function.

Question 16

Phrenology

Answer 16

Trying to make a map of the brain, there are 35 different ‘faculties’ of emotion, intellect found in precise ares in the brain. It’s more complicated than this though.

Question 17

Equipotentiality

Answer 17

The opposite of localization. The brain does everything all at once.

Question 18

Nature vs. Nurture

Answer 18

An ongoing debate about the importance of genetics versus the important of environment in shaping behaviour.

Question 19

Gene

Answer 19

Biological unit that directs cellular processes and transmits inherited characteristics.

Question 20

DNA

Answer 20

Double stranded helix chain of chemical molecules.

Question 21

Zygote

Answer 21

A fertilized egg which undergoes rapid cell division and development on its way to becoming a functioning organism.

Question 22

Embryo

Answer 22

New organism as it develops over the first eight weeks.

Question 23

Fetus

Answer 23

Organism at the developmental stage between eight weeks and birth.

Question 24

Allele

Answer 24

Different versions of a gene.

Question 25

Dominant Allele

Answer 25

Produces the effect regardless of which allele it is paired with.

Question 26

Recessive Allele

Answer 26

Has influence only when it is paired with the same allele.

Question 27

Heterozygous

Answer 27

Two alleles are different.

Question 28

Homozygous

Answer 28

Two identical alleles.

Question 29

Phenotype

Answer 29

An observable characteristic. Overt genetic code.

Question 30

Genotype

Answer 30

Combination of alleles, something you cannot see. Covert genetic code.

Question 31

X-Linked

Answer 31

A characteristic found on the x chromosome.

Question 32

Polygenic

Answer 32

Characteristics determined by several genes. Most characteristics are polygenic.

Question 33

Genome

Answer 33

All the possible genes in our chromosomes.

Question 34

Human Genome Project

Answer 34

Project with the goal to map the location of all of the genes in the human chromosomes.

Question 35

Gene Expression

Answer 35

Translation of coded information into production of proteins. Have to express a gene to see it’s characteristics.

Question 36

Natural Selection

Answer 36

Those whose genes endow them with more adaptive traits are more likely to survive and reproduce.

Question 37

Heritability

Answer 37

Percentage of the variation in a characteristic attributed to genetic factors.

Question 38

Vulnerability

Answer 38

Genes contribute to predisposition for a disorder.