Chapter 3- Biopsychology Flashcards
Heritability
Measure of difference in peoples genes and personality traits
Genotype
Refers to the genetic makeup of an individual based on the genetic material inherited from ones parents
Punnet square
- a tool used to predict how genes will interact in the production of offspring
- B = dominant allele
- b = recessive allele
Phenotype
Describes an individuals observable characteristics such as hair colour, skin colour, height and build
Mutations
- sudden permanent change in a gene
- many are harmful but some can be beneficial
Heterozygous
Consisting of two different alleles (Aa)
Dominant alleles
Possession will ALWAYS result in in expression of that phenotype
Recessive allele
Phenotype will only be physically expressed if the person inherited one from both parents
Homozygous
Consisting of two identical alleles
Polygenic
- controlled by more than just one gene
- what majority of inheritable traits are
The endocrine system
- series of glands that produce hormones to regulate normal body functions
- pituitary gland (master gland)
- thyroid (regulates growth, metabolism, and appetite)
- gonad (sex hormones)
- adrenal ( stress response)
- pancreas (blood sugar)
Brain plasticity
- ability of nervous system to change its activity in response to stimuli
Ex., learning a new language
Mirror neurons
- activated when an organism engages in a behaviour or observes another engaged in that behaviour
-“mirrors” the actions and behaviours of others
Frontal cerebral lobes
Planning, judgement, memory, reasoning, abstract thinking, movement (motor cortex)
Temporal cerebral lobes
Hearing, language (auditory cortex)
Parietal cerebral lobes
Information about touch (sensory cortex)
Occipital cerebral lobes
Visual information (visual cortex)
Pierre flourens
- Ablation: mind is in the brain and not in the heart
- Extirpation: systematically destroyed parts of the brain to see the consequences
Phrenology
- involves measurements of bumps on the skull to predict mental traits
- shape of persons head revealed intelligence and emotional character
Hippocampus
Responsible for memories
Amygdala
- helps us stay alive (on alert)
-fear, punishment or reward
Left side = positive and negative emotions
Right side = more negative emotions
Hypothalamus
- manages body temp, hunger and thirst, mood, sex drive, blood pressure and sleep
- keeps body in homeostasis
Forebrain
Limbic system: hypothalamus, amygdala, and hippocampus
Cerebral cortex - integrates info, helps you plan, more social
Midbrain
- dopamine production
- associated with mood, reward and addiction
- gives you an understanding of yourself in an environment
Hindbrain
Heart rate, circulation, respiration, motor skills, sleep, wakefulness, arousal
- involves all parts that if damaged will kill you
Corpus callosum
-connects the right and left hemispheres of the brain
Gyri
Brain is crumpled together causing bumps called gyro
Lateralization
Concept that each hemisphere of the brain is associated with specialized functions
Left controls right and right controls left
Dendrite
- receives information from other neurons and relays it to the cell body
- 1/3 parts of a neuron
Cell body
- coordinates information, processing tasks and keeps the cell alive
- 1/3 parts of a neuron
Axon
Transmits information to other neurons, muscles or glands
Electrochemical actions
Communication of information within and between neurons
- conduction
- transmission
What is the nervous system made up of?
- glial cells
- neurons
Golgi stained neurons
Used to highlight the appearance of neurons
- each neuron composed of a body with many threads extending outward toward other neurons
- threads of each neuron do not actually touch other neurons
Luigi Galvani
- nerve impulses were electrical in nature
- galvanic skin conductance
Early reflex action theory
- nerves and muscles compared to pipes and levers
- external object can illicit an involuntary response
- reflex action did not require the mind
- precursor to stimulus —> response (behaviourism)
Epigenetics
- study of gene environment interactions such as how the same genotype leads to differently phenotypes
Genetic environmental correlation
Asserts our genes affect our environment and our environment influences the expression of our genes
Range of reaction
- asserts our genes set the boundaries within which we can operate and our environment interacts with the genes to determine where in that range we will fall
Action potential
Electric signal that is conducted along a neurons axon to a synapse
Gene
Sections on strands of DNA organized into chromosomes
The synapse
Junction between the dendrites of one neuron and the axon or cell body of another
Chromosomes
Strands of DNA wound around each other in a double - helix configuration
