Chapter 2 - Biological Foundations Of Behavior Flashcards
Sensory and Motor Neurons
S - Send messages from brain to the body
M - everything else
Glial Cells
Small cells in the nervous system that support neurons and form the myelin sheath on axons
How Neurons Communicate
Neurons sit at negative charge and the neuron is resting, waiting for an impulse to make it fire - resting potential
There is then a depolarization where there are chemicals released to get the neuron prepared to work. During this there is a Change in electrial charge from negative to positive - action potential
The neuron then sends messages down the axon
There is then a refractory period where the neuron rests for less than a second. It then goes through the process until neurotransmitters tell it to stop
Neurotransmitters
Terminal buttons release neurotransmitters that go across the synapse looking for receptor sites. This connection tells the neuron what to do. Each neurotransmitter and receptor site has a key and lock fit, they are unique
Glutamate
Neurotransmitter that is an excitatory one. Excites neuron so that it works, it is the primer before the action potential - during depolarization
GABA
Neurotransmitter that shuts a neuron down
Dopamine
Neurotransmitter that is related to muscles movement and control
Also memory, thought, pleasure
Serotonin
Neurotransmitter Wake/sleep cycles
Low levels can lead to anxiety and depression
Norepinephrine
Pepares our bodies for action
Acts like adrenaline, but goes through neurons instead of blood
Agonists
A process that fits into receptor cites and mimics what the neurotransmitter would do, possibly doing a better job
Antagonist
It goes into receptor cite and prevents neurotransmitter from doing its job
Central Nervous System
Spinal cord and brain
Spinal cord is the connection to the rest of the body for the brain
The spinal cord can process a few messages like reflexes
The brain controls everything
Peripheral Nervous System
Connects and communicates everything from our body to our brain
Somatic
Carries information from our sensory organs and motor commands
Autonomic
Responsible for actions that we do and don’t think about, like digestion
Sympathetic
Prepares us for action and danger and can help us survive
Parasympathetic
Counter acts the sympathetic to calm us down, build up reserves, especially energy
Hindbrain and Midbrain
Made up of: Cerebellum Medulla Pons Reticular Formation Brain Stem
Cerebellum
Responsible for balance (califlower)
Reticular Formation
Responsible for noticing change in environment, breathing, heart-beat
dead - not producing electrical stimuli
Pons
Bridge between brain stem and cerebral cortex
Thalamus
Responsible for intergrating sensory input
Hypothalamus
Responsible for maintaining homeostasis
Amygadala
Responsible for danger
Hypocampus
Gatekeeper for memory
Cerebral Cortex
Made up of four lobes: Frontal Parietal Temporal Occipital
Frontal
Motor cortex - motor control/movement
Prefrontal Cortex - responsible for executive control or problem solving, logic, etc
Parietal
Sensory cortex
Physical memories
Somata sensory cortex - motor senses and senses
Touch, pressure, hot and cold, pain, body movement
Temporal
Auditory and language cortex You making sense of information Cohearant sense Wernickes area - responsible for coheancy (making sense) Auditory membranes
Occipital
Vision
Visual prophecies
Broca’s Area
In the frontal lobe, but it can move around due to damage
Speech production
Laterization and Intergration
Brain is contratralateral (works opposite)
Left hemisphere - right side of body - verbal processing
Right hemisphere - left side of the body - non verbal processing
Plasticity
How we adapt to injury
Ex: pinneas gage - rod up through frontal = attitude change
1st case study of the brain
Nature vs nurture
Genes v brought up - blank slate
Nurture - result of experience
Nature - genes
Twin studies
Comparison of twins and fraternal twins and traits
Neuron
Soma - contains the nucleus, makes the neuron the same as every other cell
Dendrites - on ends of axon the receive messages from other neurons
Axon - tube structure that carries messages away from the cell body towards other neurons
Terminal buttons - on the axon on tips of axon which neurotransmitters are dispatched into the synapse
Synapse - where the axon meets dendrites
Neurotransmitters go through the the terminal buttons though the synapse to another neuron
Myelin Sheath - insulates the charge of the neuron
Impulses go down the axon and the myelin sheath builds up around the axon to keep the electrical charge within the axon.
The loss of the myelin sheath causes the cell to loss its ability to transmit messages
Family association
Studies shared traits and relationships
Adoptive studies
Looks at twins raised in different homes
