Chapters 1-3 Flashcards
Biological Psychology
the study of biological bases of psychological processes and behaviors
Neuroscience
study of the nervous system
Descartes
explained animal behavior like a machine, proposed that spinal reflexes and neural pathways are related to the brain, proposed the pineal gland as the connection between mind and body
Dualism
material body and non material mind
Phrenology
assigned separate functions to cortical areas, bumps on the skill were seen as larger brain regions that drove interest and skills
Paul Broca
first showed that language ability is specialized to one small region of the brain, studied brain injury side affects on different brain parts
Brain Stem
medulla oblongata, pons, midbrain, goes downward forming the spinal cord
Hebb
found neuronal connections/changes of neural pathways through learning, had the Hebbian Synapses named after him
Nervous System
complex network of nerves that carry messages through the entire body
Brain
organ of soft tissue, functions as the coordinating center of sensation and intellectual activity, held within the skull
Central Nervous System
controls activity of the body through the brain, spinal cord, and brain stem, tells peripheral what to do
Peripheral Nervous System
connects central NS to the limbs and organs, carries out actions, nerves and ganglia outside of the spinal cord, divided into autonomic nervous system and somatic nervous system
Motor Neurons
inside the spinal cord
White Matter
myelinated axons, allows for fast transmission of signals
Skull
protects the brain, anchors the scalp and face muscles, protects nerves and vessels that go to the brain, protects the eyes, protects the brain from injuries like concussions
Spinal Cord
circular bundle of nerves and nerve fibers, connects nearly all parts of the body to the brain with which it forms the central nervous system
Gray Matter
cell bodies of nerves
Sensory Neurons
outside the spinal cord
Autonomic Nervous System
automatic functions like beating heart and other internal organ workings
Sympathetic Nervous System
fight or flight responses, increase in energy
Parasympathetic Nervous System
at rest, lowers and conserves energy
Somatic Nervous System
voluntary movements like walking and writing
Dorsal
towards the back
Ventral
towards the bottom
Anterior
towards the front
Posterior
towards the back
Superior
above
Inferior
below
Medial
toward the midline
Lateral
away from the midline
Neurons
nerve cells, basic unit of the brain cell and nervous system
3 Subdivisions of the Brain
forebrain, midbrain, hindbrain, around 40 days gestation
Axon
sends impulse to the next neuron
Dendrite
receives electrical impulses from other neurons
Synapse
space between nerves, respond to feelings and movements
Beginning Stage of the Brain
neural plate —> neural groove —> neural tube, 25 days gestation
Synaptic Cleft
gap between neurons, where axons and dendrites meet to send neurotransmitters to the next neuron
Real Brain
more like a full grown brain at 100 days
Midbrain
relay systems, superior and inferior colliculus
Hindbrain
breathing, heart rate, other automatic functions, medulla, pons, cerebellum
Forebrain
personality part, largest in mammals, cerebral cortex, thalamus, basal ganglia, limbic system
Frontal Lobe
control panel for personality and ability to communicate, controls cognitive skills, emotional expression, problem solving, memory and language, judgement, and sexual behavior
Neuroplasticity
the ability of the brain to change due to environment and experience, occurs in development and adulthood
Central Sulcus
big landmark separating the front and back of the brain, separates motor and somatic
Precentral Gyrus
controls voluntary skeletal movements and skeletal muscles
Postcentral Gyrus
location of somatosensoty centers, main sensory receptive area for sense of touch
Parietal Lobe
spatial sense and navigation, sensory receptive area for the sense of hot and cold and pain
Occipital Lobe
visual processing
Temporal Lobe
involved in processing sensory input into derived meanings for the retention of visual memory, language comprehension, emotion association
Sylvian Fissure
separates temporal, parietal, and frontal lobes, also known as lateral sulcus, one of the most prominent features of the brain, longer and curved on the left
Olfactory Bulb
receives information only from the nose, discriminates amongst odors, enhancing the sensitivity of odor detection, filters out unnecessary events and improves the transmission of a few select odors, has to do with arousal and attention to modify detection of odors
Cerebellum
posture, balance, coordination, speech, may be involved with attention and language
