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Psych 200 > Chapter 3 > Flashcards

Chapter 3 Flashcards

1
Q

How many neurons are in the brain?

A

85-100 billion

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2
Q

How many synapses per neuron?

A

Around 1000

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3
Q

What are the 3 parts of a neuron and their purpose?

A
  1. Dendrite
    - receives messages form other neurons
  2. Cell Body
    - processes all incoming signals from dendrites
    - can receive signals directly as well
    - contains the vital cell structures (nucleus, DNA)
  3. Axon
    - sends OUT signals to other neurons, muscles or glands
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4
Q

What is the concentration at resting potential?

A

More Na+ outside the cell, more K+ inside the cell at resting potential

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5
Q

What are the 5 steps in an action potential and parts of each step?

A
  1. Resting Potential
  2. Depolarization
    - Na+ flooding into the cell causing the charge to become positive relative to the outside of the cell
  3. Repolarization
    - the sodium potassium pumps are at work because the Na+ and K+ are on the wrong side of the cell membrane at this point
  4. Hyper-polarization
    - the cell becomes more negative than it needs to
    - overshoot
  5. Resting Potential
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6
Q

What is a graded potential?

A

An electrical pulse that does not meet threshold, therefore an action potential does not fire.
Many graded potentials can be added together to reach the threshold.

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7
Q

Glial Cells 4

A

Made to take care of the neuron
- keep them in place
- manufacture needed nutrients
- absorb toxins and waste
- in development, helps convey them to the right place
(HOLD THEM, FEED THEM, PROTECT THEM, GUIDE THEM)
also produces some myelin

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8
Q

Myelin 5

A
  • fatty layer pf insulation surrounding an axon
  • makes sending signals much faster
  • more like a string of beads
  • the breaks in between are called Nodes of Ranvier
  • not all neurons have a myelin sheath
  • some Glial cells produce myelin
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9
Q

Damage to myelin causes?

A

Multiple sclerosis

  • brain and spinal problems
  • vision, balance, arm or leg movement problems
  • lifelong condition
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10
Q

What is a neurotransmitter?

A

A chemical substance that helps neurons communicate with each other

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11
Q

5 steps of chemical communication across the synapse

A
  1. Synthesize
    - neurons make the NT
  2. Storage
    - store NT in synaptic vesicles
  3. Release
    - when action potential reaches axon terminals of presynaptic neuron, vesicles pop
  4. Binding
    - molecules of NT attach to special receptors on the postsynaptic neuron
  5. Deactivation
    - receptors and NT are pulled apart, ending the signal
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12
Q

Excitation NT

A

some NT make the postsynaptic neuron more likely to fire

  • binding with receptor site causes some Na+ to enter the postsynaptic neuron
  • If enough excitation an action potential will fire
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13
Q

Inhabitation NT

A

some NT make postsynaptic neuron less likely to fire

  • makes inside even more negative
  • even harder to reach threshold
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14
Q

Name the 7 Neurotransmitters

A
  1. Glutamate
  2. Acetylcholine
  3. Serotonin
  4. Dopamine
  5. GABA
  6. Endorphins
  7. Norepinephrine
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15
Q

Glutamate

A
  • excitatory
  • learning and memory
  • too much=seizures, neuron death
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16
Q

Acetylcholine

A
  • excitatory
  • muscle movement and memory
  • too little= Alzheimer’s disease, paralysis
  • too much= convulsions
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17
Q

Dopamine

A
  • excitatory and inhibitory
  • reward, pleasure, voluntary motor control, control of thought
  • too little= parkisons disease
  • too much = schizophrenia
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18
Q

GABA

A
  • inhibitory
  • motor control, lowering anxiety
  • too much=limits brain function (drunk)
  • too little= tremors, lose motor control, anxiety
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19
Q

Serotonin

A
  • inhibitory
  • mood, pleasure
  • too little= depression and or anxiety
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20
Q

Endorphins

A
  • inhibitory
  • inhibiting pain
  • too little= hypersensitivity to pain
  • too much= insensitivity to pain
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21
Q

Norepinphrine

A
  • excitatory
  • adrenaline, stress hormone
  • vigilance and awakeness
  • too little= depression, anxiety
  • too much= anxiety
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22
Q

Agonist drugs 3

A
  • increase activity of a NT
  • synthesizes, stores and releases more
  • can directly activate receptor site or slow down and stop deactivation
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23
Q

Antagonist drugs 3

A
  • decrease activity of a NT
  • synthesized, releases, stores less
  • or binds to receptor without activating it (blocking it)
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24
Q

4 types of methods for studying the brain & description

A
  1. destruction and stimulation
    - ablation: removing a portion of the brain (animal)
    - lesions: focused damage on a specific part of the brain (humans) usually using tiny electrodes
    - stimulation: using tiny electrodes to hit a single neuron
    Stimulation discovered Localization of Function (specific cognitive functions are served by specific areas of the brain)
  2. neurological testing
    - testing verbal and non verbal behaviours known to be affected by brain damage
    - typically used in clinical settings
  3. electrical reading
    - use of electrodes to measure the electrical activity in the brain
    - EEG hair net to map out/ measure activity
  4. Brain imaging
    - computerized PET, CAT xrays
    - fMRI
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25
Q

PET scans

A

measure using radioactive glucose injections.

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26
Q

fMRI

A

much more precise than PET or CT scans

measures the magnetic properties of the brain

27
Q

Ablation

A

removing a portion of the brain in animals

28
Q

Lesions

A

focused damage in a specific area of the brain

29
Q

How was localization of function found

A

stimulation of awake patients

30
Q

Hindbrain 3 parts

A

Medulla
Pons
Cerebellum

31
Q

Medulla

A
  • heart rate and respiration

- point where motor and sensory nerve tracts cross

32
Q

Pons

A
  • Sleeping and wakefullness

- somewhat involved in respiration

33
Q

Cerebellum

A
  • balance
  • coordination
  • fine motor movements, walking
  • does not initiate movement but coordinates it
34
Q

Midbrain is responsible for

A
  • motor and sensory pathways
  • relay station for visual and auditory info
  • eye movements
  • coordinates eye and body movements
  • RETICULAR FORMATION
35
Q

Reticular formation

A
  • extends from hindbrain all the way to forebrain
  • wake and sleep cycles
  • gatekeeper of attention
36
Q

Forebrain 3 parts

A

Thalamus
Basil Ganglia
Hypothalamus
also called cerebrum, two halves

37
Q

Thalamus

A
  • relay system for sensory input

- visual, auditory, body senses (balance)

38
Q

Basil ganglia

A
  • voluntary movement

- Parkinson’s disease associated with malfunction of basil ganglia

39
Q

Hypothalamus

A
  • connection to pituitary gland
  • basic biological urges
  • pleasure from electrical stimulation
40
Q

Limbic system 3

A

Nucleus accumbens
amygdala
hippocampus

41
Q

nucleus accumbens

A
  • reward, motivation

- connection to hypothalamus

42
Q

Amygdala

A
  • emotional response

- anger fear

43
Q

hippocampus

A
  • forming and retrieving memories

- spatial awareness

44
Q

cerebral cortex

A
  • think wrinkly layer on very outside of brain
  • this is what sets us apart from other species
  • holds 80% of the neurons in the brain
45
Q

Partial lobe holds what and its function

A

somatosensory cortex

  • behind the central sulcus
  • body senses (touch temp)
  • behind the central sulcus
  • left brain activates right body
46
Q

Frontal lobes holds what and its funtion

A

primary motor cortex

  • in front of the central sulcus
  • all VOLUNTARY movement
  • left brain activates right side of the body etc
47
Q

Occipital lobe contains what and its function

A

primary visual cortex

- where the visual signals go first, then they will spread to parietal and temporal lobes

48
Q

Temporal lobe contains what and its function

A

auditory cortex

- where the auditory signals go first, then each ear sends to both sides of the brain

49
Q

Association cortex

A

areas of the brain that are not directly involved with receiving signals.

  • found in all 4 lobes
  • about 75% of the humans cortex
  • involved in higher mental processes (language, problem solving)
50
Q

Broca’s area location and function

A
  • located in frontal lobe

- speech production- articulating words, grammar

51
Q

Wernicke’s area location and function

A
  • located in temporal lobe
  • language comprehension
  • necessary to understand words, either written or spoken
  • babbling, world salad
52
Q

Frontal lobe

A
  • speech production
  • skeletal muscle movement
  • planning, emotion, self-awareness, responsibility
53
Q

Prefrontal lobe

A
  • planning ahead
  • setting goals
  • judging the situation
54
Q

Lateralization

A

using one side of the brain more than the other

- pronounced in males, and right handed people

55
Q

Left brain

A
  • language and math

- brocas area, wernickes area

56
Q

Right brain

A
  • arts, spatial awareness

- face recognition, navigation, mental imagery

57
Q

Genes

A
  • sections of DNA
  • instructions for building the proteins in our body
  • 23 pairs of chromosomes, 46 total in every cell
58
Q

Chromosomes

A
  • rod like structures of DNA strands

- all cells except eggs and sperm contain 46 total, 23 pairs. reproductive parts contain half.

59
Q

Polygenic transmission

A

a single gene cannot define a trait, there are multiple genes contributing to the phenotype

60
Q

gene engineering 2 types and what they do

A
  • recombinant DNA: use of enzymes to cut out sections and insert into another organism, usually bacteria
  • Gene knockout: knocking out the gene to see if it effects behaviour
    the problem: polygenic transmission
61
Q

Heritability coefficient

A

the measure of how much variation of a gene that can be attributed to genetic variation

62
Q

Concordance rates

A

the likelihood of 2 people sharing a trait
- twin studies
adoption studies

63
Q

twins share how much DNA

A

fraternal 50%

identical 100%

Psych 200 (6 decks)

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