Chapter 3 Flashcards
1
Q
Textbook question: Which part of a neuron receives input from other neurons (ordinarily)?
A
Dendrites
2
Q
Textbook question:
Which part of the neuron sends messages to other neurons?
A
Terminal Butons
3
Q
What are glia cells?
A
They are cells in the nervous system that insulate neurons, but also organize, and clean out any information/ signals that get sent through
4
Q
Are there more neuron or glia cells in the brain?
A
More neuron cells
5
Q
What does the cell body of a neuron contain?
A
the nucleus
6
Q
What does the dendrites of the neuron do?
A
receive information from other neurons
7
Q
What is myelin?
A
It insulates the axons in some vertebrae neurons to speed up the impulse transmission throughout the neuron
8
Q
What is action potential?
A
an excitation that travels along the axon a with the same amount of energy regardless of the distance that is being covered
9
Q
What is all or none law when it comes to action potential?
A
it means that it is either firing off or its not there is little to no in-between
10
Q
What is the resting potential of a neuron?
A
It is the electrical charge of an axons membrane when it is at rest which is usually -70mv
11
Q
What is the threshold of a resting/simulated neuron?
A
It is about -55 millavolts and is caused when sodium ions enter the cell
12
Q
What causes excitation of a neuron?
A
When a rush of sodium enters the sodium potassium pump
12
Q
What causes the neuron to return to its resting potential?
A
When potassium returns to the cell and brings it back to its normal charge
13
Q
Textbook question: If you simultaneously received a touch sensation on your left food and a painful sensation on your right foot, which would you feel first? Why?
A
You would feel the touch sensation first since the action potential for pain sensation travels at a slower rate.
14
Q
Textbook question: If some drug blocked all sodium gates throughout your brain, what would happen?
A
All action potentials would stop, including those that control breathing. So you would die. Don’t take that medicine.
15
Q
Textbook question: If some drug blocked all the potassium gates what would happen?
A
After an action potential, the neuron could not return to its resting potential. Therefore, a stimulus could not cause sodium to enter the cell to produce action potential. So you would die. Don’t take that medicine.
16
Q
What is a synapse?
A
It is the space between the terminal button of one neuron and the dendrites of the next. Where chemical signals are sent that either excite or inhibit the neuron.
17
Q
What is a neurotransmitter?
A
It is a chemical that activates receptors in another cell that gets sent out via terminal buttons.
18
Q
What is a postsynaptic neuron?
A
A neuron on the receiving end of the synapse
19
Q
Textbook question: why is it useful to have synapses that vary in their speed and duration of effects?
A
For vision and hearing, the brain needs instantaneous updates of information. Hunger, thirst, and sleepiness, and many other long-term behaviors are gradual processes.
20
Q
What do peptide transmitters do?
A
They reach a larger part of the brain and their effects last for minutes.
21
Q
Textbook Question: What about the neuron is most unusual, compared to other body cells?
A
A) size
B) color
C) Shape
D) Mitochondria
pg 62
22
Q
Textbook Question:
For an axon to signal increased or decreased strength of a stimulus, which of the following could it change?
A
A) frequency of firing action potentials
B) velocity of action potentials
C) amplitude (size) of action potentials
D) neurotransmitters released
pg 62
23
Q
Textbook Question:
During an action potential, what is the movement of ions?
A
A) Potassium into the cell, then sodium out
B) Sodium into the cell, the potassium out
C) Both potassium and sodium into the cell, then both out
D) Both potassium and sodium out of the cell, then in
pg 62
24
Textbook Questions: In most cases, which part of the neuron releases a neurotransmitter?
A) cell body
B) the dentrites
C) the axon
D) all parts equally
pg 62
25
Textbook Question: When a neurotransmitter excites a postsynaptic neuron, how long do the effects last?
A) just milliseconds
B) about a 1/10th of a second
C) several seconds or longer
D) the results vary from one synapse to another
pg 62
26
Textbook question: Because neurons have more than one type of receptor for each neurotransmitter, which of the following is a consequence?
A) an excitatory neuron quickly shifts to become inhibitory
B) certain drugs can alter the experience
C) prolonged brain activity can damage neurons
D) action potentials grow weaker as people age
pg 62
27
What is a stimulant?
drugs that increase energy, alertness and activity
28
What does amphetamine do to the brain?
Increases arousal and produces mostly pleasant affects but it does washes away quicker than it can be replaced causing lethargy and depression
29
What is methylphenidate (Ritalin) prescribed for?
ADHD
30
How does methylphenidate (Ritalin) work?
It reaches the same synapses as cocaine, but it is slowly released over an hour or longer and declines over a course of hours
31
Textbook question: The drug AMPT (alpha- methyl- para- tyrosine) prevents the body from making dopamine. How would a large dose of AMPT affect someone's later responsiveness to cocaine, amphetamine, or methylphenidate?
Someone who took AMPT would become less responsive than usual to it because if the neurons cannot make dopamine, they cannot release it.
32
Textbook question: Some people with ADHD experience benefits for the first few hours after taking methylphenidate pill but become less attentive in the late afternoon and evening. Why?
Its similar to what happens after taking cocaine. Neurons release dopamine and other transmitters faster than they can resynthesize them. Because it blocks reuptake the supply of transmitter dwindles, causing lethargy and mild depression. Which is what is occurring with ADHD meds.
33
What are depressants?
they are drugs that cause arousal
34
What is an example of a depressant?
Alcohol
35
What molecules are in alcohol?
Methanol, ethanol, propyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) ect. Ethanol is the type that people drink
36
What are some of the physical effects of drinking alcohol?
suppresses breathing and heart rate to a dangerous level and over time can cause liver damage or affect memory and motor control
37
What do anxiolytic or tranquilizer drugs do?
help people relax
38
Textbook question: what do alcohol and anxiolytic drugs have in common?
They increase relaxation by facilitating inhibitory synapses.
39
What are narcotics?
drugs that can cause drowsiness, dwindle feelings of pain, and decrease responsivity.
40
What are opiates?
they are natural drugs derived from opium poppy or synthetic drugs with a chemical structure similar to natural opiates
41
what do opiates do?
they make people feel happy, warm, and content with little anxiety or pain
42
What are endorphins?
Chemicals produced by the brain that bind to the opiate receptors
43
What effect does marijuana have on the brain?
It has a calming effect and unlike other drugs the neurotransmitter receptors are located on the presynaptic neuron.
44
Textbook question: An overdose of opiates produces a life-threatening decrease in breathing and heart rate. Marijuana does not ordinarily produce those effects. Why not?
Opiate receptors are abundant in the medulla, which controls the heart rate and breathing. But the medulla has few receptors that are sensitive to marijuana.
45
Textbook question: Why do methylphenidate (RItalin) pill produce milder behavioral effects than cocaine does?
A) methylphenidate acts on acetylcholine synapses whereas cocaine acts on dopamine synapses
B) methylphenidate acts on dopamine synapses, whereas cocaine acts on acetylcholine synapses
C) methylphenidate inhibits dopamine synapses whereas cocaine stimulates them
D) methylphenidate enters the brain at a slower rate and leaves at a slower rate
pg 68
46
Textbook question: For whom, if anyone is cocaine more likely to facilitate cognition?
A) children
B) People with good cognitive abilities
C) it is most helpful for people with weaker cognitive abilities
D) it is not helpful for anyone
pg 68
47
Textbook question: What is meant by the term "anxiolytic"?
A) increases anxiety
B) decreases anxiety
C) increases cognition
D) decreases cognition
pg 68
48
Textbook question: THC the active component of marijuana smoke produces it behavioral effects by what action on neurons?
A) it blocks reuptake of dopamine and serotonin
B) it decreases glutamate or GABA
C) it attaches to serotonin receptors
D) it facilitates transmission at inhibitory purposes
pg 68
49
Textbook question: What is the main reason marijuana use correlates with schizophrenia?
A) marijuana blocks dopamine synapses and leads to cognitive impairment
B) marijuana stimulates serotonin synapses and produces emotional swings
C) marijuana damages connections between the sense of organs and the brain
D) people with schizophrenia increase the use of marijuana and other drugs
pg 68
50
What is the concept of monism?
mental and brain activity are inseparable
51
What makes up the peripheral nervous system?
the nerves that connect the spinal cord to the rest of the body
51
What makes up the central nervous system?
the brain and the spinal cord
52
How does the central and peripheral nervous system work together?
The central nervous system sends out messages to the rest of the bode which is carried out via the peripheral nervous system.
53
What is the automatic nervous system made up of?
it is made up of the heart and other organs
54
What does the automatic nervous system do?
it prepares the body for increased activity and the parasympathetic nerves to conserve energy.
55
What does the enteric nervous system control?
The gastrointestinal system
56
What happens if the enteric nervous system is disconnected from the rest of the nervous systems?
It will still work
57
what are hemispheres of the brain?
what divides the brain into left and right halves
58
What the outer covering of the brain called?
the cerebral cortex
59
Where is the occipital lobe located and what does it do?
It is located at the back of the head and it supports vision
60
What is blindsight?
The ability to locate something without being able to actually see
61
Textbook question: What does blindsight tell us about consciousness?
It is possible for unconscious information to guide a voluntary action
62
Where is the temporal lobe located in the brain and what does it do?
it is located on each side of the brain and is responsible for hearing and some aspects of sight
63
Where the amygdala located and what does it do?
It is located in the temporal lobe, and it responds to information related to emotions
64
Textbook question: why can't you see your own eye movements when looking in the mirror?
During and slightly before a voluntary eye movement, part of your visual cortex responsible for motion perception becomes unresponsive
65
Where is the parietal lobe located? And what does it do?
It is located just above the temporal lobe and it focuses on the body sense like touch, pain, temperature, and location
66
Where is the primary somatosensory located?
In the front portion of the parietal lobe
67
What is the primary somatosensory focus on?
Cells sensitive to touch on different parts of the body
68
Textbook question: Parietal lobe damage interferes with which aspect of vision?
It interferes with identifying an object's location
69
What is the role of the primary motor cortex?
controls fine movements
70
Where is the prefrontal cortex?
in front of the frontal cortex
71
What is the role of the prefrontal cortex?
to remember what just happened and what you are planning to do next
72
What are mirror neurons? And what do they do?
they are neurons that are found in the frontal cortex. they are active when you make movement and when you watch someone else do a similar movement
ex. workout class
73
Textbook question: What evidence suggests that imitation produces mirror neurons as opposed to idea that mirror neurons produce imitation?
It is possible to train neurons to respond to one kind of movement the person produces and a different movement the person watches. If a person can develop these "anti- mirror" neurons, then they could probably build mirror neurons.
74
What is the corpus callosum?
a group of axons that connect the left and right hemispheres of the cerebral cortex
75
Textbook question: If a split-brain person sees an object in the left half of the world and an object in the right half, what can the person say about whether they are the same why or why not?
The person could not because the left hemisphere sees the right half of the world and the right hemisphere sees the left half of the world. So, the person could not compare the two.
76
How does a electroencephalograph or an (EGG) work?
It studies brain activity by using electrodes on the scalp to measure brain activity.
77
How does an magnetoencephalograph (MEG) work?
It records magnetic changes in the brain from the surface of the scalp
78
How does positron emission tomography or (PET) scans work?
records the radioactivity of the brain from chemicals that are injected
79
How does functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) work?
it records the activities of brain areas without exposing them to radiation
80
Textbook question: What does fMRI measure?
It measures the response of bloods hemoglobin to a magnetic field. Hemoglobin's response changes based on if it's bound to oxygen. Meaning that it can measure the amount of oxygen in a certain part of the brain and in turn how active it is.
81
Where is the hypothalamus located and what does it do?
It is just below the thalamus and regulates the needs like hunger thirst and temperature.
82
What is the role of the pons and medulla?
they control the muscles in the head for things like talking or chewing
83
Which muscles control does the spinal cord control?
any from the neck down
84
What is a reflex?
rapid, automatic response to stimulus
85
Where is cerebellum located in the brain?
it is part of the hind brain
86
What does the cerebellum control?
It controls steady movement, timing, voluntary eye movements, and recognition of emotional expressions.
87
Textbook question: people with autism spectrum disorder typically show impairments with voluntary eye movements and difficulty interpreting other's emotional expressions. What brain area is probably not functioning adequately?
The cerebellum
88
What does the autonomic nervous system control?
controls the heart, and digestive system
89
What are the two parts of the autonomic nervous system?
The sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system
90
What does the sympathetic nervous system control?
it controls your fight or flight response like sweating and increased heart rate. It can also stop your digestive system
91
What does the parasympathetic nervous system control?
will return your heart rate to normal and start the digestive process again
92
What is your endocrine system?
glands that are located all over the body that release hormones
93
What are hormones?
chemicals that are produced by glands that change the activity in the organs and throughout the body
94
Textbook question: while someone is trying to escape danger, the heart rate and breathing rate increase. After the danger passes, they go back to normal. Which part of the autonomic nervous system is active during the danger and which one is more active after it?
The sympathetic nervous system is more active during, and the parasympathetic nervous system is more active after.
95
What is unique about stem cells?
they are undifferentiated
96
What is neural plasticity?
The ability for the brain to generate new cells. However, it is more common in kids to have more plasticity allowing them to learn or adapt to injuries to the brain at a faster/ easier rate.
97
Textbook question: In the study showing changes in children's brains as that learn to play music, why is it necessary to have a control group of unexperienced children?
It is important to separate the effect of music from the effects of growing 15 months older.
98
What is social neuroscience?
the study of how the brain from a biological standpoint can affect social behavior
99
What is the binding problem?
The question of how separate brain areas work together to produce a single perception of an object. ex. watching a ventriloquist you think the sound is coming from the puppet even though you know it's not.
100
Textbook question: What two elements are necessary for binding?
For binding to occur, the brain must be able to identify aspects of the stimulus come from the same location, and they must be occurring at the same time.
101
Textbook question: What is true about people who lose vision because of massive damage to the primary visual cortex?
A) they continue to have vision in their dreams
B) they still synchronize waking and sleeping to daytime and nighttime
C) they typically pretend that they can still see
D) they can perceive color with their hands
pg 82
102
Textbook question: What is meant by blindsight?
A) the ability of blind people to find their way around using other senses
B) the ability to perceive objects without using any sensory information
C) the tendency to see optical illusions, such as thinking one line is longer than the other
D) the ability to respond to visual stimuli without conscious awareness of those stimuli
pg 82
103
Textbook question: What is a likely explanation for why some people recognize faces better than others?
A) they differ in number of connections to and from the fusiform gyrus
B) they differ in the ratio of cones and rods in the retina
C) they differ in their language and memory abilities
D) some of them have damage to the corpus callosum
pg 82
104
Textbook question: what evidence led to Gazzaniga to infer what he called the interpreter?
A) Children often respond emotionally to sentences that they do not understand
B) friends often do not unintentionally copy each other's gestures and movements
C) split-brain people sometimes imagine reasons for what the left hand does
D) the left hand often does the opposite of what the right hand is doing
pg 82
105
Textbook question: When people moved one finger while they saw someone else move a different finger, certain neurons began responding to both of these events. What does this imply about mirror neurons?
A) some mirror neurons develop their properties by learning
B) mirror neurons make it possible for us to imitate
C) each mirror neuron corresponds to a different event
D) each mirror neuron has a corresponding neuron with similar properties on the opposite side of the brain
pg 83
106
Textbook question: what is the advantage of using fMRI over PET to measure brain activity?
A) fMRI does not require expensive equipment
B) fMRI measures brain activity with far greater accuracy
C) fMRI can be used without informed consent
D) fMRI does not expose the brain to radiation
pg 83
107
Textbook question: the cerebellum is important for behaviors that require which of the following?
A) prolonged exertion
B) accurate timing
C) reflexive action
D) coordinating vision with hearing
108
Textbook question: What type of change in the brain, if any, is likely when adults have new experiences?
A) axons increase the velocity and amplitude of their action potentials
B) new neurons form in the cerebral cortex
C) axons and dendrites expand some branches and withdraw others
D) no change is evident in the structure of the brain
pg 83
109
Textbook question: what appears to be the best description of what oxytocin does?
A) it increases friendly or loving responses to almost anyone
B) it increases attention to social information
C) it improve memory and problem solving
D) it alters the brain's ratio of excitation to inhibition
pg 83
110
Textbook question: Which of the following states the binding problem?
A) How does the brain respond to sensory information with motor input?
B) how does the brain unite sensations into a unified experience?
C) How do people combine information from the left and right hands?
D) How do people respond to stimuli when they report no conscious awareness of them?
pg 83
111
How many x chromosomes do females carry?
2
112
How many x chromosome's do males carry?
1 x and 1y
113
Textbook question: suppose a father is red- green deficient and a mother had two genes for normal color vision. What sort of genes will their children have?
Normal vision because it is dominant but the daughters will carry the red-green gene since they do not get a y chromosome from the father.
114
Textbook question: When boys reach puberty, their increased testosterone activates a gene that controls facial hair. It that a sex-linked gene or a sex- limited gene?
It is a sex-limited gene because even though it is present in both sexes. The hormones that are more abundant in males activate it.
115
What is a sex-limited gene?
It occurs in both sexes but primarily affects one sex or the other
116
What does the field of epigenetics study?
Changes in gene expression without modification of the dna sequence
117
Textbook question: Why is misleading to talk about the "gene" for some behavior or ability?
Because almost every behavior is determined by a combination of genetics and the environment. Plus, almost any gene can influence multiple traits
118
What is heritability?
an estimate of the variance within a population that is due to difference in genes
119
Textbook question: If our society changed so that it provided and equally good environment for all children, would the heritability of behaviors increase or decrease?
The amount of heritability for behavior would decrease because the environments would be much more alike causing behavior to more so be changed by heredity
120
What are monozygotic twins?
identical (they shared one fertilized egg) so they have the same exact genes
121
What are Dizygotic twins?
fraternal (two separate eggs) they only share half of their genes
122
Textbook question: Suppose someone studies adopted children who developed severe depression and finds that many of their biological parents had depression, whereas few of the adopting parents did. A possible interpretation is that genetic factors strongly influence depression. What is another interpretation?
Perhaps biological mothers who are becoming depressed eat less healthy foods, drink more alcohol, or in some other way impair the prenatal development of their babies.
123
What is the multiplier effect?
That a small genetic advantage in some behavior, can alter the environment or the way one is treated. Which alters the environment and the way that person is treated.
124
Textbook question: because of the multiplier effect should we expect estimates of heritability to be higher for children or adults?
Most of the time it should be higher for adults because as people get older their behavior tends to have a larger impact on the environment around them. Which impact the way those genes are produced.
125
Textbook question: what explanation do evolutionary psychologists for the human infants' grasp reflex?
That even though it is useless for humans it was useful for ancestral species when infants had to cling to their mothers while walking
126
Textbook question: If evidence shows strong heritability for a behavior, but no common gene correlates with it, which of the following is a plausible explanation?
A) a sex- limited gene
B) a recessive gene
C) epigenetics
D) Lamarckian evolution
p92
127
Textbook question: If heritability of some trait is near zero, does that mean that genes are unimportant for that trait? Why or why not?
A) Yes. Heritability measures the importance of a gene.
B) Yes. A zero correlation indicates no effect.
C) No. If almost everyone has the same gene the heritability is low
D) No. Heritability of zero indicates that genes and environment are equally important
p92
128
Textbook question: Which of these is true about dizygotic twins?
A) Either both are male or female
B) One is male and the other is female
C) They developed from two fertilized eggs
D) They developed from one egg that split
p93
129
Textbook question: Researcher estimate heritability of a behavior by examining three types of evidence. Which of the following is NOT one of those types?
A) differences among cultures
B) examination of chromosomes
C) Comparisons between monozygotic and dizygotic twins
D) Comparisons of adopted children to their biological and adopting parents
p93
130
Textbook question: What is meant by the multiplier effect?
A) Genetic factors are more important for twins than for single births
B) The influence of a gene on the x chromosome is twice as great in females compared to males
C) Heritability times environment equals one
D) The environment can increase the effect of a genetic difference
p93
131
Textbook question: Observations about phenylketonuria provide evidence against which of the following statements?
A) A single gene can have a major effect on behavior
B) Behaviors depend on both genetic and environmental influences
C) Most children's temperament is consistent with over long periods of time
D) If something is under genetic control, it is fixed and unchangeable
p 93
132
Textbook question: What explanation do evolutionary psychologists offer for the "goose bumps" we get when we are cold?
A) Activity of the sympathetic nervous system erects the skin's hairs
B) For our ancient ancestors, hair erection increased lactation
C) Goose bumps increase out ability of attracting a mate
D) Goose bumps may be useful at some time in the future
