Chapter 5 Learning Flashcards
learning
a relatively permanent change in behaviour (or behaviour potential) due to experience
reflex action
a simple, automatic, involuntary response to a specific stimulus that comes directly from the nervous system and is basically the same each time it occurs
fixed action pattern (FAP)
the innate predisposition - essentially identical among most members of a species - to behave in a certain way in response to a specific environment stimulus also known as species - specific behaviour
maturation
the physical growth and development of the body, brain and nervous system at fairly predictable ages in the life cycle
maturation behaviours
innate, age-related behaviours that result from the physical growth and development (maturation) of the body, brain and nervous system at fairly predictable ages in the life cycle
cerebellum
a structure attached to the rear of the brainstem that helps coordinate voluntary movement and balance
limbic system
a number of structures that form a doughnut-shaped neural system between the hindbrain and the cerebral hemispheres
synaptogenesis
the process by which synapses are formed between neurons
filopodia
finger-like extensions of growth cones (structures at the tips of axons and dendrites) that search for target cells during the process of synaptogenesis
pre-synaptic neuron
a neuron that sends a nerve impulse across the synapse to another neuron (post-synaptic neuron)
post-synaptic neuron
a neuron that receives a nerve impulse sent across the synapse from another neuron (pre-synaptic neuron)
action potential
a electrical charge (nerve impulse) that sweeps down the axon of a neuron, prompting the release neurotransmitters
plasticity
the ability of the brain to change its structure and relocate functions to different areas and/or neuronal networks
developmental plasticity
changes in neurons and synaptic conditions that occur as a specific consequence of development processes
adaptive plasticity
a term referring to the ability of neurons to alter the connections between the synapses in accordance to best suit the environmental conditions, when learning something new or when re-learning something after brain injury