Chapter 2: Biological Psychology [Exam 1]

Question 1

Neuron

Answer 1

A nerve cell, specialized for sending and receiving neural messages.

Question 2

2 Steps in Neural Communication:

Answer 2

1. Takes place within a single neuron and involves the generation on an electrical signal - action potential.
2. Takes place between two neurons and involves the release of a chemical messenger from one neuron that impacts the activity of the second neuron.

Question 3

Cell Body

Answer 3

Where all of the cell structures are.

Question 4

Dendrites

Answer 4

Part of neuron that receives information.

Question 5

Axon

Answer 5

Transmit electrical impulses.

Question 6

Axon Terminals/Buttons

Answer 6

Information/impulse is transmitted and affects the next nerve.

Question 7

Receptors

Answer 7

Specialized neurons that respond to specific kinds of energy.

Question 8

Glial Cells

Answer 8

The Nervous system’s support staff.

Question 9

Acetylcholine

Answer 9

Instructs muscles to contract.
Helps with learning and memory.
Carries commands to glands and organs.

Question 10

Norepinephrine

Answer 10

Released in the brain and leads to arousal and vigilance.

Prepares us to react in emergencies - provides resources.

Question 11

Dopamine

Answer 11

Circuits support anticipation of rewards, motor control, and controlled cognition.
Cocaine and meth.

Question 12

Seratonin

Answer 12

Used in brain areas that regulate sleep cycles, mood, memory and learning.
Heroin, morphine, Oxycontin.

Question 13

Receptor Agonists

Answer 13

Enhance.

Alcohol - activate dopamine receptor in the brain’s reward circuits.

Question 14

Receptor Antagonists

Answer 14

Inhibit.

The poison curare blocks acetylcholine receptors, causing paralysis and death.

Question 15

Reuptake Inhibitors

Answer 15

SSR1 - Prozac/Fluoxitine.

Question 16

Enzyme Inhibitors

Answer 16

Initiates neurotransmitter.
Agonist.
Enzymes original job is o eliminate neurotransmitters.
Viagra.

Question 17

Brainstem

Answer 17

Contains midbrain, pons, and medulla.

Cranial nerves branch from here.

Question 18

Medulla

Answer 18

Manages hear rate, blood pressure.

Question 19

Pons

Answer 19

Manages sleep, arousal and facial expressions.

Question 20

Cerebellum

Answer 20

Maintains balance and motor coordination.
The first part of the brain affected by alcohol.
Contains the most nerve cells out of the entire brain.

Question 21

Midbrain

Answer 21

Involved in sensory reflexes, movement and pain.

Question 22

Reticular formation

Answer 22

Participates in control of mood, arousal, and sleep.

Source of most serotonin and norepinephrine.

Question 23

Thalamus

Answer 23

Involved with sensory systems - vision, hearing, touch, taste - states of arousal, learning. and memory.
“Gateway to the cortex”.
The part that helps you to “tune out”.

Question 24

Basal Ganglia

Answer 24

Voluntary movement.

Degeneration linked to Parkinson’s Disease, OCD, and ADHD.

Question 25

Hypothalamus

Answer 25

Regulation of thirst, temp, hunger, sexual behavior, and aggression.
4F’s: feeding, fleeing, fucking, and fighting.
Directs autonomic NS and endocrine system with its hormones.

Question 26

Hippocampus

Answer 26

Long-term memories.

Question 27

Cingulate Cortex

Answer 27

Front; decision-making and emotion.

Back: memory and visual processing.

Question 28

Amygdala

Answer 28

Emotional processing; fear and aggression.

Question 29

Nucleus Accumbers

Answer 29

Reward and pleasure circuit.
Social inclusion.
Addiction.

Question 30

Corpus Callosum

Answer 30

Wide band of axons connecting the Right and Left cerebral hemisphere.

Question 31

Cerebral Cortex

Answer 31

Thin layer of neurons covering the outer surface of the cerebral hemisphere.
Divided into 4 lobes.

Question 32

Frontal Lobe

Answer 32

Cognitive functions.
Contains broca’s area; production of speech.
Contains prefontal cortex; planning of behavior, attention and judgement.
Contains orbito frontal cortex; impulse control.

Question 33

Occipital Lobe

Answer 33

Visual cortex.
Pathway connects to the temporal lobe helps us recognize the objects that we see.
Pathway connects to the parietal lobe helps us process the movement of objects.

Question 34

Temporal Lobe

Answer 34

Auditory cortex.

Visual recognition.

Question 35

Parietal Lobe

Answer 35

Somatosensory cortex.
Localize through touch, pain, skin, temperature, and body position.
Processes input about taste.
Tells us how quickly something is coming toward us.

Question 36

Lateralization

Answer 36

Localization of a function in either the Right or the Left cerebral hemisphere.

Question 37

Methods to measure-manipulate brain activity are….

Answer 37

1. Single Cell Recording
2. Positron Emission Tomography (PET)
3. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)
4. Electroencephalography (EEG)
5. Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)
6. Electrical Stimulation of the Brain

Question 38

Single Cell Recording

Answer 38

Electricity

Question 39

Positron Emission Tomography (PET)

Answer 39

Blood flow, radioactive material injected so that the researcher can monitor where there is a collection of blood.

Question 40

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMA)

Answer 40

…

Question 41

Electremcephalography

Answer 41

Sensors placed on the scalp measure electrical activity in the brain.
Electricity - spatial resolution.

Question 42

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)

Answer 42

Techniques measure delivery of oxygen to the brain.

Blood flow - spatial resolution.

Question 43

Electrical Stimulation of the Brain

Answer 43

Patients are awake and alert during this process.