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Psychology 104 > Chapter 3: Biological foundations of behavior > Flashcards

Chapter 3: Biological foundations of behavior Flashcards

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1
Q

What are neurons

A

Nerve cells which form the basic building blocks of the nervous system

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2
Q

What is the cell body of the neuron

A

It contains biochemical structures that maintain the neuron and the nucleus, which carries DNA

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3
Q

What does the axon do

A

Send signals to other neurons

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4
Q

What do dendrites do

A

Receive signals from other neurons

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5
Q

What are myelin sheath

A

Fatty insulators that cover the axon

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6
Q

What are nodes of ranvier

A

Intervals in the myelin sheath where there is little or not fat

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7
Q

What does myelination do

A

It increases the speed on nerve impulses, with the signal jumping from node to node across the axon

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8
Q

What is multiple sclerosis (MS)

A

MS is neurological disorder in which the immune system attacks the myelin sheath, causing neurons to be demyelinated. This leads to a range of problems (vision, stamina etc.)

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9
Q

What are glial cells

A

They help support, nourish, protect neurons in many ways and there are a 10-1 ratio of glial cells to neurons

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10
Q

What is the blood brain barrier (BBB)

A

A lining of specialized tightly packed glial cells in the brain’s blood vessels that screen out foreign toxins. The potency of drugs are defendant on how they cross the BBB.

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11
Q

What is a state of polarization in neurons

A

When neurons are in resting potential at -70mV due to an uneven distribution of ions.

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12
Q

What is an action potential

A

Sodium channels opening up and Na+ flowing into the cell from outside causing a shift in potential from -70-+40. This is referred to as depolarization

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13
Q

What is repolarization

A

K+ channels being opened and flooded out

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14
Q

What is the all or none law

A

Action potentials aren’t fired unless a threshold is reached.

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15
Q

What are graded potentials

A

Small changes in the resting potential that do not reach the threshold required to trigger an action potential

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16
Q

What is the absolute refractory period

A

A period after an action potential is fired where another can’t be fired as the neuron restores balance

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17
Q

Describe modifying neuron firing in the medical field with an exampl

A

Using numbing cream in the mouth to prevent action potentials from being fired in reaction to pain during surgery

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18
Q

Where and how do interactions between neurons occur

A

It occurs in the synaptic cleft and is done through neurotransmitters

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19
Q

What are neuotransmitters

A

Chemical messengers which excite or inhibit neurons

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20
Q

What are the 5 stages of neurotransmission

A
  1. Synthesis: formation in neuron
  2. Stroage: in synaptic vesicles
  3. Release from presynaptic membrane to postsynaptic
  4. Binding to receptor sites
  5. Deactiviation via break down and chemical re-uptake
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21
Q

What is a cause of Parkinson’s

A

Not enough neurotransmitters being transmitted

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22
Q

How do neurotransmitters excited or inhibit neurons

A

By either stimulating the flow of Na+ (excitation) or release of K+(inhibition)

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23
Q

What are neuromodulators

A

Neurotransmitters with more widespread effects.

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24
Q

What is glutamate

A

The primary excitatory neurotransmitter which is important for learning and memory (think of a green light). Not enough can lead to depression

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25
Q

What is GABA

A

The primary inhibitory neurotransmitter which is important for motor control and anxiety. Breakdown of GABA leads to Huntington’s disease, which can cause tremors and personality changes

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26
Q

What is acetylcholine

A

An excitatory neurotransmitter involved with memory and muscle activity. Overproduction leads to seizures and underproduction can lead to Alzheimer’s disease

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27
Q

What is norepinephrine

A

Mainly involved with “fight or flight” response. Also involved with learning, memory, wakefulness, and eating. Lacking can cause depression, too much can cause panic attacks

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28
Q

What is dopamine

A

Involved with motivation, reward, feelings of pleasure, and voluntary motor control

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29
Q

What is seratonin

A

Involved with mood, apatite, sleep, arousal and learning. Imbalances can cause depression and anxiety in this is the target for anti-depressants

30
Q

What are endorphins

A

Opiate-like substances produced by the body and released when in pain to reduce it. Increase feeling of pain is a lack of endorphins

31
Q

What are agonists

A

Drugs that bind to neurotransmitters that increase their activity

32
Q

What are antagonists

A

Drugs that bind to neurotransmitters that decrease their activity

33
Q

What are the parts of the central nervous system (CNS)

A

The brain and the spinal chord

34
Q

What makes up the peripheral nervous system

A

The neurons that connect the CNS with muscles, glands, and sensory receptors

35
Q

What are the somatic and autonomic nervous system

A

Somatic- related to voluntary behavior

Autonomic- related to involuntary behavior

36
Q

Describe spinal reflexes

A

Simple spinal movements that don’t need any communication with the brain in order to occur (ie. burning your hand against a candle)

37
Q

What is the purpose of the somatic division of the PNS and what is it made up of

A

The somatic division allows us to sense and respond to our environment via sensory and motor nerves

38
Q

What is the purpose of the autonomic division of the PNS.

A

To control the bodies internal environment and is involved with breathing, digestion, circulation etc

39
Q

What are the two divisions of the autonomic division of the PNS

A

Parasympathetic- Inhibits, calms

Sympathetic- excites/activates

40
Q

Give an example of interactions with the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems

A

If a fight or flight response is needed, the sympathetic system activates and increases heart rate. The parasympathetic system will then return things to hemostasis

41
Q

What can test verbal and non-verbal behaviors

A

Neuropsychological tests

42
Q

What is destruction and stimulation and why is it important

A

Opening up the skull of someone and stimulating the brain and seeing how the body reacts. This is done to provide insight to the brain and examine known areas of damage

43
Q

What is an electroencephalogram (EEG)

A

They record electrical activity in the brain via a cap that has electrodes which pick up electron activity. We can use it to also study event-related potentials (ERP), which is how the brain changes in response to certain events

44
Q

What is a computerized tomography (CT) scan

A

Uses x-rays to find the physical structure of the brain

45
Q

What is a positron emission tomography (PET) scan

A

A person is injected with a harmless radioactive tracer and brain activity is traced

46
Q

What is Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

A

Used to measure biological structures by measuring response to magnetic pulses (more high resolution anatomy)

47
Q

What is a fMRI

A

Measure neural activity by detecting changes in magnetic response to hemoglobin

48
Q

Where is the brain stem and what are its parts and purposes

A

The brain stem is closest to the spinal chord and it contains the medulla which modulates the heart and respiration and pons which regulate sleeping, dreaming, and respiration

49
Q

What is the cerebellum

A

In charge of muscular movement (mostly reflexive/fast), coordination, learning/memory

50
Q

What is in the hind brain

A

The brain stem and the cerebellum

51
Q

What is reticular formation important for

A

Consciousness and attention

52
Q

What do the ascending and descending parts of the mid brain do

A

The ascending part sends inputs to higher regions while the descending blocks off or admits signals

53
Q

What are the parts of the forebrain and describe them

A

The thalamus which routes sensory info to other parts of the brain, the basal ganglia which controls voluntary movements and plays a role in learning/reward. Finally, the hypothalamus is important for controlling drives and with the pituitary gland, affects hormones

54
Q

What are the parts of the limbic system and describe them

A

The hippocampus forms and retrieves memories, the amygdala organizes emotional response patterns (mostly aggression and fear), and the nucleus accumbens are associated with dopamine release and feelings of reward/motivation

55
Q

What are the four lobs of the cerebral cortex

A

The frontal, occipital, parietal and temporal

56
Q

Describe the frontal lobe

A

Involved with decision making, self-awareness, speech, skeletal motor function, and emotional regulation

57
Q

Describe the parietal lobe

A

Body sensations, integrations of sensory information

58
Q

Describe the temporal lobe

A

Contains the primary auditory cortex, complex visual processing, memory, language

59
Q

Describe the occipital lobe

A

Contains the primary visual cortex (basic visual processing)

60
Q

What is the primary motor cortex

A

Controls voluntary/complex movements and located near the frontal lobe

61
Q

What is the somatic sensory cortex

A

Receives sensory input from various parts of the body and found in the parietal lobe

62
Q

What does it mean to be contralateral in terms of the somatic sensory cortex and primary motor cortex

A

It means signals from one side of the body are received at the opposite side of the hemisphere

63
Q

What is involved with touch

A

The somatic sensory cortex

64
Q

Which senses aren’t specialized in areas of the cortex

A

Smell/taste

65
Q

Describe association cortex

A

Areas of the brain that have no motor/sensory function and are involved in higher level cognition

66
Q

Where is language production involved (talking)

A

Broca’s area (frontal lobe)

67
Q

Where is language comprehension involved (understanding)

A

Wernicke’s area (temporal lobe)

68
Q

What is neural plasticity

A

The ability for neurons to change structure/function over time(eg. as you get better at guitar, parts of your motor/sensory cortex change)

69
Q

What is nerugenesis

A

Creation of new neurons, perhaps by decrease in stress or as exercise decreases

70
Q

What separates the two hemispheres of the brain

A

The corpus callosum

71
Q

What is lateralization

A

The tendency for some cognitive functions to be localized in one hemisphere.

72
Q

What are split brain patients

A

Patients with no corpus callosum which can restrict presentation of stimuli to a specific hemisphere in these patients

Psychology 104 (9 decks)

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