Chapter 3 - The Biology Of Behavior Flashcards
Monogenic
The hereditary passing on of trades determined by a single gene.
Event-related potential (ERP)
A technique that extracts electrical activity from raw EEG data to measure cognitive processes.
Genes
Small segments of DNA that contain information for producing proteins.
Refractory period
The span of time, after an action potential has been generated, when the neuron is returning to its resting state and the neuron cannot generate an action potential.
Soma
The cell body of the neuron.
Synapse
The junction between an axon and the adjacent neuron, we are information is transmitted from one you’re on to another.
Amygdala
A small almond shaped structure located directly in front of the hippocampus; has connections with many important brain regions and is important for processing emotional information, especially that related to fear.
Hippocampus
Olympic structure that wraps itself around the thalamus; plays a vital role in learning and memory.
Functional MRI (fMRI)
A brain imaging technique that uses magnetic fields to produce detailed images of activity in areas of the brain and other soft tissues.
Mutation
A random change in genetic sequence.
Behavioral genetics
The scientific study of the role of heredity in behavior.
All-or-none principal
The idea that, once the threshold has been crossed, either an action potential fires or it does not.
Reflexes
Inborn and involuntary behaviors- such as coughing, swallowing, sneezing, or vomiting- that are elicited by very specific stimuli.
White matter
Brain tissue made up of white myelinated axons.
Genotype
The entire genetic makeup of an organism.
Neurotransmitters
Chemicals that transmit information between neurons.
Mirror neurons
Nerve cells that are active when we observe others performing an action as well as when we are performing the same action.
Endocrine system
The system of glands that secrete and regulate hormones in the body.
Electroencephalography (EEG)
A method for measuring brain activity in which the electrical activity of the brain is recorded from electrodes placed on the person’s scalp.
Heritability
The extent to which a characteristic is influenced by genetics.
Hormones
Chemicals, secreted by glands, that travel in the bloodstream and Carrie messages to tissues and organs all of the body.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
A brain imaging technique that uses magnetic fields to produce detailed images of the structure of the brain and other soft tissues.
Interneurons
Neurons that communicate only with other neurons.
Pons
A hind brain structure that serves as a bridge between lower brain regions and higher midbrain and for brain activity.
Thalamus
A four brain structure that receives information from the senses and release it to the cerebral cortex for processing.
Glial cells
Central nervous system cells that provide structural support, promote efficient communication between neurons, and serve as scavengers, removing cellular debris.
Medulla
A hindbrain structure that extends Directly from the spinal cord; regulates breathing, heart rate, blood pressure.
Neurons
The cells that process and transmit information in the nervous system.
Sympathetic nervous system
The branch of the autonomic nervous System that activates bodily systems in times of emergency.
Reticular formation
A network of nerve fibers that runs up through both the hindbrain and the midbrain; it is crucial to waking up and falling asleep.
Wernicke’s area
The area deep in the left temporal lobe responsible for the ability to speak in meaningful sentences and to comprehend the meaning of speech.
Autonomic nervous system (ANS)
All the nerves of the peripheral nervous system that serve involuntary systems of the body, such as internal organs and glands.
Gene-by-environment interaction research
A method of studying heritability by comparing genetic markers; Allows researchers to assess how genetic differences interact with the environment to produce certain behaviors and some people but not in others.
Motor neurons
Nerve cells that carry commands for movement from the brain to the muscles of the body.
Axon
A long projection that extends from a neuron’s soma; It transmits electrical impulses toward the adjacent neuron and stimulates the release of neurotransmitters.
Hypothalamus
A limbic structure; The master regulator I have almost all major drives and motives we have, such as hunger, thirst, temperature, and sexual behavior; also controls the pituitary gland.
Corpus callosum
Nerve fibers that connect the two hemispheres of the brain.
Aphasia
A deficit in the ability to speak or comprehend language.
Graded potentials
Small changes in membrane potential that by themselves are in sufficient to trigger an action potential.
Alleles
Different forms of a gene.
Phenotype
An organism’s observed characteristics.
Action potential
The impulse of positive charge that runs down an axon.
Arborization
The growth and formation of new dendrites.
Cerebral cortex
The thin outer layer of the cerebrum, in which much of human thought, planning, perception, and consciousness takes place.
Dominant alleles
Alleles that show their affect even if there is only one allele for that treat in the pair.
Serotonin
A neurotransmitter with wide ranging affects; involved and dreaming and in controlling emotional states, especially anger, anxiety, and depression.
Cerebellum
A hindbrain structure involved in body movement, balance, coordination, fine-tuning motor skills, and cognitive activities such as learning and language.
Peripheral nervous system
The part of the nervous system that comprises all the nerve cells in the body outside the central nervous system.
Epigenetics
The study of changes in the way jeans are turned on or off without a change in the sequence of DNA.
Twin adoption studies
Research into hereditary influence on twins, both identical and paternal, who were raised apart (adopted) And who were raised together.
Glutamate
A major excitatory neurotransmitter are in the brain that increases the likelihood that a postsynaptic neuron will fire; important in learning, memory, neural processing, and brain development.
Myelin sheath
The fatty substance wrapped around some axons which insulates the axon, making the nerve impulse travel more efficiently.
Synaptogenesis
The formation of entirely new synapses or connections with other neurons.
Cerebrum
Each of the large halves of the brain; covered with convolutions, or folds.
Synaptic vesicles
Tiny sucks in the terminal buttons that contain neurotransmitters.
Cortisol
A stress hormone produced by the body to ensure that the body gets enough fuel during emotional arousal and stress.
Recessive alleles
Alleles that show their affects only when both alleles are the same.
Genome
All the genetic information in DNA.
Cingulate gyrus
A belt like structure in the middle of the brain; plays an important role in attention and cognitive control.
Reuptake
A way of removing excess neurotransmitter from the synapse, and which excess neurotransmitter is returned to the sending, or presynaptic, neuron for storage in vesicles and future use.
Basal ganglia
A collection of structures surrounding the thalamus; involved in voluntary motor control.
Ions
Chemically charged particles that predominate in bodily fluids; found both inside and outside cells.
Central nervous system (CNS)
The part of the nervous system that comprises the brain and spinal cord.
Dendrites
Finger like projections from a neuron’s soma that receive incoming messages from other neurons.
Near infrared spectrometry (NIRS)
Uses light rather than magnets to produce images of brain tissue.
Terminal button
A little knob at the end of the axon that contains tiny sacks of neurotransmitters.
Chromosome
A coiled up thread of DNA.
Insula
A small structure inside the cerebrum that plays an important role in the perception of bodily sensations, emotional states, empathy, and addictive behavior.
Positron emission tomography (PET)
A brain imaging technique that measures blood flow to active areas in the brain.
Pituitary gland
The master endocrine gland of the body; controls the release of hormones from glands throughout the body.
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)
A large molecule that contains genes.
Catecholamines
Chemicals released from the adrenal glands that function as hormones and as neurotransmitters to control ANS activation.
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)
A method of brain measurement similar to MRI that provides a measure of white matter rather than gray matter; ideal for examining connections between brain regions, rather than those regions themselves.
Neuroplasticity
The brains ability to adopt new functions, re-organize itself, or make new neural connections throughout life, as a function of experience.
Acetylcholine (ACh)
A neurotransmitter that controls muscle movement and plays a role in mental processes such as learning, memory, attention, sleeping, and dreaming.
GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)
A major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain that tells postsynaptic neuron‘s not to fire; it slows CNS activity and it is necessary to regulate and control neural activity.
Parasympathetic nervous system
The branch of the autonomous like nervous system that usually relaxes or returns the body to a less active, restful state.
Norepinephrine
A neurotransmitter that activates the sympathetic response to stress, increasing heart rate, rate of respiration, and blood pressure in support of rapid action.
Epinephrine
Also known as adrenaline, a neurotransmitter that arouses bodily systems (such as increasing heart rate).
Adrenal glands
Endocrine structures that release hormones important in regulating the stress response and emotions.
Sensory neurons
Nerve cells that receive incoming sensory information from the sense organs (eye, ear, skin, tongue, nose).
Enzymatic degradation
A way of removing excess neurotransmitter from the synapse in which enzymes specific for that neurotransmitter bind with the neurotransmitter and destroy it.
Neurogenesis
The development of new neurons.
Somatic nervous system
Nerve cells of the peripheral nervous system that serve the skeletal muscles. Somatic nerves transmit from the central nervous system (CNS) To the skeletal muscles and sensory information from the skeletal muscles back to the CNS.
Broca’s area
The area in the left frontal lobe responsible for the ability to produce speech.
Gray matter
Is the brain tissue composed of neuron cell bodies.
Resting potential
The difference in electrical charge between the inside and outside of an X on when the neuron is at rest.
Dopamine
A neurotransmitter released in response to behaviors that feel good or are rewarding to the person or animal; also involved involuntary motor control.
Polygenic
The process by which many genes interact to create a single characteristic.
