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Psychology > Chapter 4: The Brain And Behavior > Flashcards

Chapter 4: The Brain And Behavior Flashcards

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1
Q

Neurons

A

The functional building blocks of the nervous system; cells that transmit the electrical activity that underlies psychological processes

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2
Q

Glial cell

A

From the greek for “glue”; cells surrounding neurons, holding them in place, providing the nutrients neurons need and insulating toxins that would harm the neurons

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3
Q

Synapse

A

A connection between neurons

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4
Q

Sensory neurons

A

Carry input messages from the sense organs to the spinal cord and brain

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5
Q

Motor neurons

A

Transmit output impulses from the brain and spinal cord to the body’s muscles and organs

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6
Q

Interneurons

A

Perform connective or associative functions within the nervous system

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7
Q

Peripheral nervous system

A

Contains all the neural structures that lie outside the brain and spinal cord

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8
Q

Somatic nervous system

A

Consists of sensory neurons that are specialized to transmit messages from the eyes, ears and other sensory receptors, and motor neurons that send messages from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles that control our voluntary movements

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9
Q

Autonomic nervous system

A

Senses the body’s internal functions and controls the glands and the smooth (involuntary) muscles that form the heart, the blood vessels, and the lining of the stomach and intestines

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10
Q

Sympathetic nervous system

A

Has an activation or arousal function, and tends to act as a total unit

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11
Q

Parasympathetic nervous system

A

Is far more specific in its opposing actions than the sympathetic nervous system, affecting one or a few organs at a time; in general, it slows down body processes and maintains a state of tranquility

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12
Q

Homeostasis

A

A delicately balanced or constant internal state

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13
Q

Central nervous system

A

Contains the brain and the spinal cord, which connects most parts of the peripheral nervous system with the brain

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14
Q

Dendrites

A

Specialized receiving units like antennae that collect messages from neighboring neurons and send them on to the cell body

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15
Q

Axon

A

Conducts electrical impulses away from the cell body to other neurons, muscles or glands

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16
Q

Resting potential

A

Internal difference of around 70 millivolts (mV)

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17
Q

Action potential

A

Electrical shift across the neural membrane, which lasts about a millisecond and propagates electrical signals down an axon

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18
Q

Absolute refractory period

A

Period during which the membrane is not excitable and cannot discharge another impulse

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19
Q

Graded potentials

A

Changes in the negative resting potential that do not reach the -50 millivolt action potential threshold

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20
Q

Myelin sheath

A

A whitish, fatty insulation layer derived from glial cells during development

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21
Q

Synaptic cleft

A

A tiny gap between the axon terminal and the next neuron

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22
Q

Neurotransmitters

A

Chemicals released by nerve cells that allow them to communicate with one another (example: acetylcholine)

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23
Q

Synaptic vesicles

A

Chambers within the axon terminals

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24
Q

Receptor sites

A

Large protein molecules embedded in the receiving neurons cell membrane

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25
Q

Re-uptake

A

The transmitter molecules are taken back into the presynaptic axon terminals

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26
Q

Acetylcholine (ACh)

A

A neurotransmitter involved in muscle activity and memory

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27
Q

Botulinum bacteria

A

Toxin-forming bacteria, a mild form of which is commonly known as botox

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28
Q

Neuromodulators

A

Chemicals that modulate the activity of diverse populations of neurons in the nervous system

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29
Q

Psychoactive drugs

A

Chemicals that produce alterations in consciousness, emotion and behavior

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30
Q

Agonist

A

A drug that increases the activity of a neurotransmitter

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31
Q

Antagonist

A

A drug that inhibits or decreases the action of a neurotransmitter

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32
Q

Neuropsychology

A

The study of the function of the brain by investigating the effects of brain damage on mental functions

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33
Q

Vascular brain injury

A

Disruption of blood flow to the brain (from f.eks. a blockage/stroke, partial blockage/ischaemia, or an enlarged artery/aneurysm)
The loss of function depends on severity of the event and position of damage

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34
Q

Tumor

A

Aka a neoplasm. Tissue mass with no physiological function that grows and disrupts normal functioning (like causing vascular problems or destroying neurons)

35
Q

Degenerative disease

A

A breakdown of neurological material. May be genetic and influenced by environmental factors. May be cortical or subcortical.

36
Q

Infectious disease

A

A virus may result in neurological symptoms. Examples: HIV, AIDS and herpes

37
Q

Trauma

A

A violent assault on the head that results in trauma to the brain. May result in vascular problems

38
Q

Epilepsy

A

Transient loss of consciousness resulting from excessive and often focused electrical activity in the brain. Often triggered by trauma, and is hard to investigate cognitively as it disrupts activity across a wide area of the brain.

39
Q

Wernicke’s aphasia

A

Results from damage in the temporal lobe, and is primarily manifested as difficulties with speech comprehension

40
Q

Broca’s aphasia

A

Results from damage to the frontal lobe and is primarily manifested as difficulties with the production of speech

41
Q

Electroencephalography (EEG)

A

Measures the activity of large groups of neurons through a series of large electrodes placed on the scalp

42
Q

Magnetoencephalography (MEG)

A

A brain imaging method that detects activity via the magnetic fields generated by brain activity

43
Q

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

A

Creates images based on how atoms in living tissue respond to a magnetic pulse delivered by the device

44
Q

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)

A

Measures how water molecules diffuse in tissue

45
Q

Functional MRI (fMRI)

A

Can produce pictures of blood flow in the brain taken less than a second apart

46
Q

Positron-emission tomography (PET) scans

A

Measure brain activity, including metabolism, blood flow and neurotransmitter activity

47
Q

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS)

A

By shining near-infrared light into the brain and measuring the ways it’s reflected, we can tell which parts of the brain use most oxygen

48
Q

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

A

Electrical stimulation of a targeted part of the brain via magnetic pulses sent from an electromagnetic coil

49
Q

Transcranial electric stimulation

A

Electrical stimulation of the brain by applying a low current to the scalp

50
Q

Hindbrain

A

The lowest and most primitive level of the brain (the ooga booga level)

51
Q

Brain stem

A

Spans the hindbrain and midbrain, hindbrain structures in the brain stem include the medulla and pons, the brain stem supports a number of vital physiological functions

52
Q

Medulla

A

Important for vital body functions like heart rate and respiration

53
Q

Pons

A

Lies just above the medulla
Relays sensory information between cerebral cortex and the cerebellum
Involved in sleep and arousal

54
Q

Cerebellum

A

Concerned primarily with muscle movement and coordination, but also plays a role in memory and learning

55
Q

Hippocampus

A

Limbic system structure involved in learning and memory (forming and retrieving memories)

56
Q

Amygdala

A

Limbic system structure involved in emotion and aggression (particularly fear)

57
Q

Cerebrum

A

Involved in sensing, thinking, learning, emotion, consciousness and voluntary movement

Superior part of the forebrain

58
Q

Reticular formation

A

Group of fibres that carry stimulation related to sleep and arousal through brain stem

Message center, either blocking or allowing messages to go through to other parts of the brain

59
Q

Thalamus

A

Relay center for incoming sensory information

Like a switchboard that organizes and reroutes input from other sensory organs

60
Q

Corpus callosum

A

Bridge of fibres passing information between the two cerebral hemispheres

61
Q

Hypothalamus

A 
Plays a big role in:
motivation and emotion
regulates hormones for:
sexual behavior, 
temperature regulation, 
sleeping, 
eating, drinking
aggression
62
Q

Limbic system

A

Helps to coordinate the behaviors needed to satisfy the motivational and emotional urges that arise in the hypothalamus
Also involved in memory

63
Q

Task: describe the structural characteristics and functions of the thalamus and the hypothalamus

A

Page 140-141

64
Q

Task: what roles do the hippocampus and amygdala play in psychological functions?

A

Page 141

65
Q

Cerebral cortex

A

The outermost layer of the brain
Consists of grey matter (dead cell bodies)
Can be seen in less primitive mammals (unlike fish)

66
Q

Motor cortex

A

Controls the 600 or more muscles involved in voluntary body movements

67
Q

Somatosensory cortex

A

Receives sensory input that gives rise to our sensations of heat, touch and cold, and to our senses of balance and body movement

68
Q

Association cortex

A

Important for many essential mental functions, like perception, language and thought

69
Q

The four lobes of the brain:

A

1: temporal lobe (under\sides)
2: frontal lobe (front)
3: parietal lobe (middle up)
4: occipital lobe (back)

70
Q

Prefrontal cortex

A

Located just behind the forehead (in frontal lobe)
Seat of the executive functions:
- mental strategic planning
- impulse control

71
Q

Describe the role of the frontal cortex in higher mental (including executive) functions

A

Page 145

72
Q

Lateralization

A

Refers to the relatively greater localization of a function in one hemisphere or the other

73
Q

Aphasia (afasi)

A

The partial or total loss of the ability to communicate

74
Q

What is neural plasticity, and what functional role does it have?

A

Page 149

75
Q

Neural plasticity

A

The ability of neurons and brain areas and networks to change in structure and function

76
Q

Neurogenesis

A

The production of new neurons in the nervous system

77
Q

Cognitive neurogenomics

A

The study of how the genome of an organism influences development if the cognitive functions of its nervous system

78
Q

Neural stem cells

A

Immature “uncommitted” cells that can mature into any type of neuron or glial cell needed by the brain

79
Q

Endocrine system

A

Consists of numerous hormone-secreting glands distributed throughout the body

80
Q

Hormones

A

Chemical messengers that are secreted from its glands into the bloodstream

81
Q

Adrenal glands

A

Twin structures perched on top of the kidneys that serve as ‘hormone factories’, producing and secreting ca 50 different hormones

82
Q

Antigens

A

Foreign substances that trigger a biochemical response from the immune system

83
Q

What evidence exists that the nervous, endocrine and immune systems communicate with and influence each other?

A

Page 154

Psychology (7 decks)

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