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Psyc1100 > Chapter 2: The Biology of Mind > Flashcards

Chapter 2: The Biology of Mind Flashcards

1
Q

What did the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates do?

A

he correctly located the mind in the brain, it is the brain that falls in love not the heart.

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1
Q

What did Aristotle believe regarding the mind?

A

he believed that the mind was in the heart

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2
Q

What did German physician Franz Gall propose and explain it.

A

He proposed that phrenology, studying bumps on the skull, could reveal a persons mental ability and character traits

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3
Q

What does localization of function mean?

A

the idea that various brain regions have particular functions

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4
Q

What is biological psychology?

A

the scientific study of the links between biological and psychological processes

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5
Q

What is neuroplasticity?

A

the brains ability to change by building new pathways after having new experiences, changes the most in childhood

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6
Q

What was Marian Diamond responsible for?

A

she was a neuroscientist who helped understand how experience changes the brain. She also analyzed Albert Einsteins brain.

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7
Q

Animals differ yet…

A

their nervous system operate similarly

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8
Q

What is the basic building block of the nervous system?

A

neurons which are nerve cells

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9
Q

What is the cell body of a neuron?

A

the cell body is the part of the neuron that contains the nucleus

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10
Q

What is the dendrite of a neuron?

A

the bushy, branching, extensions that receive messages and conduct impulses towards the cell body

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11
Q

What is the axon of a neuron?

A

the axon passes the message through its branches to other neurons/muscles/glands

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12
Q

Are dendrites short or long, are axons short or long?

A

dendrites are short but axons can be very long and even several feet long

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13
Q

What is the myelin sheath?

A

it is a layer of fatty tissue that surrounds axons and insulates them and makes sure the signal does not disappear

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14
Q

What happens when the myelin sheath degenerates?

A

multiple sclerosis happens which is when communication to brain and body slows down, decreasing muscle control, and impaired cognition

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15
Q

What are glial cells aka glia

A

cells in the nervous system that support, protect, and nourish neurons and also play a role in learning, thinking, and memory

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16
Q

Did albert einstein have more than average neurons?

A

not really, but he had more glial cells

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17
Q

A neuron sends a message by firing an impulse called?

A

action potential which is an electrical charge that travels down an axon

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18
Q

Fluid outside axon membrane vs axons fluid interior?

A

outside: positively charged sodium ions inside: negative charge

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19
Q

the axons surface is?

A

selectively permeable

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20
Q

the positive/outside negative inside state is called the?

A

resting potential

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21
Q

most neural signals are?

A

excitatory

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22
Q

what is a threshold?

A

the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse

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23
Q

what is the refractory period?

A

in neural processing, a brief resting pause that occurs after a neuron has fired, its basically a resting pause because neurons need short breaks

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24
what is the all or none response?
a neurons reaction of either firing or not firing
25
what is the meeting point between neurons called and who named it?
sherrington called the meeting point between neurons a synapse
26
what is a synapse?
the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite of the receiving neuron
27
When an action potential reaches the terminals at the axons end, it triggers the release of?
neurotransmitters
28
neurotransmitters?
chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gap between neurons.
29
reuptake?
a neurotransmitters reabsorption by the sending neuron
30
Acetylcholine?
enables muscle action, learning, and memory
31
Dopamine?
movement, learning, attention, and emotion
32
Serotonin?
mood, hunger, sleep, arousal
33
Norepinephrine?
helps control alertness
34
Gaba?
a major inhibitory neurotransmitter
35
Glutamate?
a major excitatory neurotransmitter
36
Endorphins?
neurotransmitters that influence the perception of pain or pleasure
37
What happens if acetylcholine transmission is blocked?
muscles cant contract and we become paralyzed
38
endorphins?
natural, opiate like neurotransmitters linked to pain control and pleasure
39
Agonist?
a molecule that increases a neurotransmitters actions, some opiates are agonists
40
Antagonist?
a molecule that inhibits or blocks a neurotransmitters action
41
neurons communicating via neurotransmitters make up the bodys?
nervous system
42
What is the nervous system?
the bodys communication network with the peripheral and central nervous system
43
what is the central nervous system?
made of brain and spinal cord: it is the bodys decision maker
44
what is the peripheral nervous system?
gathers information and transmits cns decisions to other body parts
45
what are nerves?
bundled axons that connect cns with muscles and glands
46
sensory neurons?
sensory neurons: carry messages to the brain and spinal cord AFFERENT
47
motor neurons?
carry instructions from the cns to the bodys muscle and glands: EFFERENT
48
interneurons?
between sensory input and motor output, information is processed via interneurons, the body has BILLIONS of these
49
peripheral nervous system consists of what two components?
somatic and autonomic nervous system: somatic is voluntary control aka skeletal nervous system and the autonomic is involuntary movement like the heart beating
50
subdivisons of the autonomic nervous system?
sympathetic nervous system: the division of the ans that arouses the body parasympathetic nervous system: the division of the ans that calms the body
51
how many neurons does the brain have?
86 billion neurons
52
just as individual pixels combine to form a picture, the brains neurons cluster into groups called?
neural networks
53
spinal cord connects?
pns and brain
54
whats a reflex?
a simple automatic response to a sensory stimulus, knee jerk reflex
55
what is the second communication system interconnected with the nervous system?
endocrine system: which contains glands and fat tissue that secrete another kind of chemical messenger: hormones.
56
hormone?
chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands: travel through the blood stream
57
in moments of danger, what tells what to release what?
the ans tells the adrenal glands to to release epinephrine and norepinephrine which are hormones that increase heart rate, bp, and blood sugar giving energy
58
adrenal glands?
a pair of endocrine glands that sit above kidneys and secrete hormones that help arouse body in times of stress
59
whats the most influential endocrine gland and what is it controlled by?
pituitary gland which is controlled by the hypothalamus.
60
lesion?
tissue destruction: brain lesion natural or experimental
61
what is optogenetics?
a technique that allows neuroscientists to control the activity of individual neurons
62
electroencephalogram
test that measures electrical activity in the brain using small electrodes attached to the scalp
63
magnetoencephalography
brain imaging technique that measures magnetic fields of brain
64
positron emission tomography
technique for detecting brain activity where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task
65
magnetic resonance imaging
a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce images of soft tissue and a functional mri can reveal brains functioning and structure
66
what is the brainstem?
oldest part and central core of the brain, automatic survival functions: its also the crossover point
67
what is the medulla?
base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing
68
pons?
coordinates movements and control sleep
69
thalamus?
the brains sensory control center, located on top of the brainstem, transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla
70
reticular formation?
a nerve network that travels through the brainstem into the thalamus; filters info and plays a role in controlling arousal
71
cerebellum?
little brain: rear of brain stem: nonverbal learning and memory: coordinating movement and balance, judge time, discriminate textures and sounds
72
what are the cerebral hemispheres?
the two halves of the brain
73
limbic system?
neural system located below the cerebral hemispheres: associated with emotions and drives. CONTAINS AMYGDALA, HIPPOCAMPUS, AND HYPOTHALAMUS
74
amygdala?
two bean sized neural clusters in the limbic system that enables aggression and fear, linked to emotion
75
hypothalamus?
structure in the limbic system below the thalamus, directs maintenance activities such as eating drinking body temp
76
hippocampus?
a seahorse shaped brain structure processes conscious, explicit memories: the size and function decreases as we grow older
77
cerebrum?
two cerebral hemispheres contribute 85% of the brains weight
78
cerebral cortex?
thin surface layer of interconnected neural cells covering the cerebral hemispheres: the bodys ultimate control and information processing center
79
each hemispheres cortex is subdivided into 4 lobes including?
frontal, parietal, occipital, and temporal lobes
80
frontal lobe?
involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgement
81
parietal lobe?
receives sensory input for touch and body position
82
occipital lobe?
receive information from the visual feilds
83
temporal lobes?
receive information primarily from the opposite ear
84
motor cortex?
cerebral cortex area at rear of frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements
85
somatosensory cortex?
a cerebral cortex area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations
86
association areas?
areas of cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions but involved in : LEARNING, REMEMBERING, THINKING, AND SPEAKING
87
neurogenesis?
the formation of new neurons
88
corpus callosum?
large band of neural fibres connecting 2 brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them
89
split brain?
a condition resulting from surgery that separates the brains two hemispheres by cutting the fibres connecting them

Psyc1100 (9 decks)

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