Chapter 3 - The Biological Bases of Behaviour Flashcards
the specialized cells that make up the nervous system are:
neurons
the four parts of the neuron are:
- cell body (soma)
- dendrites
- axon
- axon terminals
the structure that keeps the cell alive is the:
soma
“branches” from the cell body that receive signals are:
dendrites
conducts electrical impulses away from soma
axon
sends signals to other cells
axon terminals
- holds neurons in place
- make and move nutrients
- form the myelin sheath
- remove toxins
these are all the characteristics of:
glial cells
what are the two basic functions of neurons?
1) generate electricity
2) release chemicals
what are the three basic steps of cell activation?
1) cell is at rest with electrical resting potential
2) cell is stimulated and ions flow across cell membrane
3) absolute refractory period
what is the charge of a neuron at rest?
-70mV
what is depolarization?
cell is stimulated and sodium ions flow into the cell
what is repolarization?
opens ion channels to let potassium out of the cell
true or false: the cell can fire during the absolute refractory period
false
what is the all-or-none law?
action potentials occur at a uniform and maximal intensity
a fatty, white insulation layer derived from glial cells during development that insulate neurons
myelin sheath
places where the myelin sheath is either extremely thin or absent, allowing conduction to “skip ahead”
nodes of ranvier
the nodes of ranvier allow for _______ signals
faster
true or false: neurons do not make physical contact at the synapse
true
neurons communicate across gaps called a:
synaptic cleft
chemical substances that carry messages across the synapse to either excite other neurons, or inhibit their firing
neurotransmitters
the five stages of chemical communication are:
1) synthesis
2) storage
3) release
4) binding
5) deactivation
the creation of neurotransmitters is:
synthesis
neurotransmitters are stored in:
synaptic vesicles
neurotransmitters attach to __________ on the post synaptic neuron
receptor sites
neurotransmitters that increase the resting potential of post-synaptic neuron (increase hyperpolarization) are:
inhibitory neurotransmitters
neurotransmitters that decrease resting potential of post-synaptic neuron are:
excitatory neurotransmitter
what does it mean to have specialized neurotransmitters?
different brain systems are sensitive to different transmitters
which neurotransmitter is excitatory, is expressed in the whole brain, and is responsible for learning and memory?
glutamate
which neurotransmitter is inhibitory, expressed in the whole brain, and is responsible for anxiety and motor control?
GABA
which neurotransmitter is excitatory, and is involved in muscle movement and memory?
acetylcholine
which neurotransmitter is both excitatory and inhibitory, functions at various sites, and is involved in learning, memory, wakefulness, and eating, and can also cause depression and panic disorders?
norepinephrine
which neurotransmitter is mostly inhibitory, functions at various sites, is involved in mood, eating, sleep, and arousal; and is associated with depression, sleeping, and eating disorders?
serotonin
which neurotransmitter is both excitatory and inhibitory, functions at various sites, is involved with voluntary movement, learning, motivation, and pleasure; and is associated with depression, Parkinson’s disease, and schizophrenia?
dopamine
which neurotransmitter is inhibitory, is involved with insensitivity to pain (oversupply), and hypersensitivity to pain and immune problems (undersupply)
endorphins
neurons that carry input messages from the sense organs to the spinal cord and brain are:
sensory neurons
neurons that transmit output impulses from the brain and the spinal chord to muscles and organs are:
motor neurons
neurons that perform connective or associative functions within the nervous system are:
interneurons
what two types of neurons are in the somatic nervous system?
sensory and motor neurons
what is the somatic nervous system responsible for?
voluntary motor control
what is the autonomic nervous system responsible for?
involuntary functions such as respiration, circulation, and digestion
the two subsections of the autonomic system are the:
sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems
what part of the autonomic nervous system is responsible for activation and arousal?
sympathetic
what part of the autonomic nervous system is responsible for slowing down body processes and returning the body to a state of rest?
parasympathetic nervous system
what is the central nervous system made up of?
the spinal cord and brain
simple stimulus-response sequences that are triggered at the spinal cord are:
spinal reflexes
what part of the brain is highly developed, with numerous functions?
forebrain
what part of the brain is responsible for reflex actions and voluntary movements?
midbrain
what part of the brain is responsible for vital functions and coordinating movements?
hindbrain
what are the five key components of the forebrain?
- cerebral cortex
- basal ganglia
- limbic system
- thalamus
- hypothalamus
what are the four lobes of the cerebral cortex?
- frontal
- parietal
- occipital
- temporal
the outer layer of the cerebral hemispheres involved in thinking and mental processes is the:
cerebral cortex
collections of neurons crucial to motor function are the:
basal ganglia
the part of the limbic system responsible for memory is the:
hippocampus
the part of the limbic system responsible for emotional response is the:
amygdala
the reward system in the limbic system is the:
nucleus accumbens
the part of the forebrain that relays incoming sensory information through groups of neurons that project to the appropriate region in the cortex is the:
thalamus
the part of the forebrain that regulates basic biological drives is the:
hypothalamus
the three main parts of the midbrain are the:
- reticular formation
- superior colliculi
- inferior colliculi
what part of the midbrain is involved in the regulation of consciousness, sleep, wakefulness, and attention?
reticular formation
what part of the midbrain is involved in vision?
superior colliculi
what part of the midbrain is involved in hearing?
inferior colliculi
what are the three main parts of the hindbrain/brainstem?
- medulla
- pons
- cerebellum
what part of the hindbrain controls heart activity, breathing, swallowing, and digestion?
the medulla
what part of the hindbrain is the relay station for signals between higher levels of the nervous system and lower levels, regulates sleep and dreaming, controls muscles and glands in the face and neck, and controls vital functions like respiration?
the pons
what part of the hindbrain controls bodily coordination, balance and muscle tone, and is involved in muscle memory?
cerebellum
what is the Broca’s area?
part of the brain responsible for speech formation
what is Wernicke’s area?
part of the brain responsible for speech understanding
which part of the cerebral cortex controls the muscles involved in voluntary body movements?
motor cortex
which part of the cerebral cortex receives input (heat, touch, cold, balance)?
somatic sensory cortex
where is the primary auditory cortex located?
temporal lobe of both hemispheres
where is the primary visual cortex?
occipital lobe
what is the association cortex?
involved in higher levels of function, found within all lobes of the cerebral cortex
what part of the brain is associated with creativity, feelings, intuition, humour, colour, rhythm, and physical senses?
the right hemisphere
which side of the body does the right hemisphere connect to?
the left side
which part of the brain is associated with analytical thinking, logic, rules, structure, mathematics, speech, language, and time?
the left hemisphere
which part of the body does the left hemisphere connect to?
the right side
where is the left visual field processed?
right hemisphere of the brain
where is the right visual field processed?
left hemisphere of the brain
what part of the brain allows the left and right hemispheres to communicate?
corpus callosum
what is the procedure where the corpus callosum is severed? what is this procedure used to treat?
corpus callostomy, used to treat epilepsy
which brain imaging technique measures activity
(how often neurons are firing) via electrodes?
electroencephalography (EEG)
which brain imaging technique builds a picture of the brain based on the differential absorption of x-rays?
computer tomography (CT)
what are some pros and cons of a CT?
pros: cheap, good at showing structure
cons: does not show what is active, not the greatest image
which brain imaging technique builds a picture of the brain using trace amounts of short-lived radioactive material?
positron emission tomography (PET)
what are some pros and cons of a PET?
pros: cheap, shows what’s active
cons: does not show structure, more general
which brain imaging technique builds a picture of the brain using a strong magnetic field that interacts with tissues?
structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
what are some pros and cons of an MRI?
pros: high quality image, only structure not function
cons: expensive, hard to access
which brain imaging technique detects changes in blood oxygenation and flow?
functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
what are some pros and cons of an fMRI?
pros: shows function and structure, very accurate
cons: expensive, hard to interpret
which brain imaging technique builds a picture of water movement in the brain (showing direction and connectivity between different parts of the brain) using an MRI scanner?
diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)
which brain imaging technique uses infrared light to measure changes in blood oxygenation?
near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS)
which brain imaging technique induces electrical activity via magnetic field, allowing us to turn different parts of the brain on and off?
transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
