Chapter 2: Biological Psychology [Exam 1] Flashcards
Neuron
A nerve cell, specialized for sending and receiving neural messages.
2 Steps in Neural Communication:
- Takes place within a single neuron and involves the generation on an electrical signal - action potential.
- Takes place between two neurons and involves the release of a chemical messenger from one neuron that impacts the activity of the second neuron.
Cell Body
Where all of the cell structures are.
Dendrites
Part of neuron that receives information.
Axon
Transmit electrical impulses.
Axon Terminals/Buttons
Information/impulse is transmitted and affects the next nerve.
Receptors
Specialized neurons that respond to specific kinds of energy.
Glial Cells
The Nervous system’s support staff.
Acetylcholine
Instructs muscles to contract.
Helps with learning and memory.
Carries commands to glands and organs.
Norepinephrine
Released in the brain and leads to arousal and vigilance.
Prepares us to react in emergencies - provides resources.
Dopamine
Circuits support anticipation of rewards, motor control, and controlled cognition.
Cocaine and meth.
Seratonin
Used in brain areas that regulate sleep cycles, mood, memory and learning.
Heroin, morphine, Oxycontin.
Receptor Agonists
Enhance.
Alcohol - activate dopamine receptor in the brain’s reward circuits.
Receptor Antagonists
Inhibit.
The poison curare blocks acetylcholine receptors, causing paralysis and death.
Reuptake Inhibitors
SSR1 - Prozac/Fluoxitine.
Enzyme Inhibitors
Initiates neurotransmitter.
Agonist.
Enzymes original job is o eliminate neurotransmitters.
Viagra.
Brainstem
Contains midbrain, pons, and medulla.
Cranial nerves branch from here.
Medulla
Manages hear rate, blood pressure.
Pons
Manages sleep, arousal and facial expressions.
Cerebellum
Maintains balance and motor coordination.
The first part of the brain affected by alcohol.
Contains the most nerve cells out of the entire brain.
Midbrain
Involved in sensory reflexes, movement and pain.
Reticular formation
Participates in control of mood, arousal, and sleep.
Source of most serotonin and norepinephrine.
Thalamus
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”.
Basal Ganglia
Voluntary movement.
Degeneration linked to Parkinson’s Disease, OCD, and ADHD.
Hypothalamus
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.
Hippocampus
Long-term memories.
Cingulate Cortex
Front; decision-making and emotion.
Back: memory and visual processing.
Amygdala
Emotional processing; fear and aggression.
Nucleus Accumbers
Reward and pleasure circuit.
Social inclusion.
Addiction.
Corpus Callosum
Wide band of axons connecting the Right and Left cerebral hemisphere.
Cerebral Cortex
Thin layer of neurons covering the outer surface of the cerebral hemisphere.
Divided into 4 lobes.
Frontal Lobe
Cognitive functions.
Contains broca’s area; production of speech.
Contains prefontal cortex; planning of behavior, attention and judgement.
Contains orbito frontal cortex; impulse control.
Occipital Lobe
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.
Temporal Lobe
Auditory cortex.
Visual recognition.
Parietal Lobe
Somatosensory cortex.
Localize through touch, pain, skin, temperature, and body position.
Processes input about taste.
Tells us how quickly something is coming toward us.
Lateralization
Localization of a function in either the Right or the Left cerebral hemisphere.
Methods to measure-manipulate brain activity are….
- Single Cell Recording
- Positron Emission Tomography (PET)
- Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)
- Electroencephalography (EEG)
- Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)
- Electrical Stimulation of the Brain
Single Cell Recording
Electricity
Positron Emission Tomography (PET)
Blood flow, radioactive material injected so that the researcher can monitor where there is a collection of blood.
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMA)
…
Electremcephalography
Sensors placed on the scalp measure electrical activity in the brain.
Electricity - spatial resolution.
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)
Techniques measure delivery of oxygen to the brain.
Blood flow - spatial resolution.
Electrical Stimulation of the Brain
Patients are awake and alert during this process.
