Class 2 - Consciousness, Genetics, Evolution, Nervous, Endocrine, Brain Flashcards
Nervous system
body’s speedy, electrochemical communication network; uses neurotransmitters as mssengers
Sensory (afferent) neurons
carry info from tissues and sensory receptors to the central nervous system
Motor (efferent) neurons
carry info from central nervous system to muscles and glands
Interneurons
within central nervous system; process info between sensory inputs and motor outputs
Central nervous system
brain and spinal cord
Reflex
a simple, automatic response to a stimulus
Peripheral nervous system
somatic nervous system, autonomic nervous system
Somatic nervous system
voluntary control of skeletal muscles
Autonomic nervous system
controls glands and internal-organ muscles; sympathetic nervous system and parasympathetic nervous system
Sympathetic nervous system
arouses body and expands energy
Parasympathetic nervous system
calms body, conserves energy; rest and digest
Endocrine system
body’s slower chemical communication system
Hormones
messengers made by glands, travel through bloodstream, and affect tissue
Pituitary gland
regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands
Oxytocin
hormones and a neurotransmitter that is involved in childbirth and breast-feeding; associated with empathy, trust, sexual activity, and relationship-building.
EEG
measure electrical activity in neurons
MEG
records magnetic fields from the brain’s natural electrical currents
CT (CAT)
generate x-ray of the head
PET
Tracks where radioactive glucose goes while the brain is performing a task
MRI
uses magnetic fields and radio waves to provide map of brain structure
fMRI
measures blood-flow to brain regions by comparing MRI scans; reveals function and structure
Brain stem
medulla and pons
Medulla
heartbeat and breathing
Pons
helps coordinate movements and control sleep
Reticular formation
filters incoming stimulus and relays information; controls arousal
Thalamus
relays sensory information
Cerebellum
nonverbal learning; skill memory; coordinates voluntary movement and balance
Limbic system
amygdala, hypothalamus, hippocampus
Amygdala
linked to emotion
Hypothalamus
temperature, eating/drinking; controls pituitary glands; emotion/reward
Hippocampus
helps process/storage explicit (conscious) memories of facts and events
Cerebral cortex
frontal lobes, parietal lobes, occipital lobes, temporal lobes
Frontal lobes
speaking, muscle movements; making plans and judgments; prefrontal cortex, motor cortex
Parietal lobes
receives sensory input for touch and body position; somatosensory cortex
Occipital lobes
receive information from visual fields; visual cortex
Temporal lobes
receive information from auditory areas; auditory cortex
Association areas
not involved in primary motor or sensory functions, involved in higher mental functions; Broca and Wernicke area
Broca’s area
speaking
Wernicke’s area
understanding
Corpus Callosum
connects two cerebral hemispheres
Plasticity
the brain’s ability to change
Neurogensis
the formation of new neurons
Left hemisphere
language and arithmetic reasoning
Right hemisphere
creative, perceptual tasks, making inferences
Split brain
a condition resulting from surgery that isolates the brain’s two hemisphere
HEART experiment
HE and ART are flashed to different hemisphere
Spoon experiment
picture of spoon flashed to the right hemisphere
Consciousness
subjective awareness of ourselves and environment
Cognitive neuroscience
interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition
Dual processing
often simultaneously process info on separate conscious and unconscious tracks
Conscious and unconscious
conscious : deliberate and reflective
unconscious : automatic and intuitive
Blindsight
responding to a visual stimulus without consciously experiment it
Parallel processing
processing many aspects simultaneously
Sequential processing
processing one aspect at a time
Behavior genetics
studies the power/limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior
Heredity
the genetic transfer of characteristics from parents to offspring
Environment
every non-genetic influence
Identical twins
develop from a single fertilized egg that splits in two
Fraternal twins
develop from separate fertilized eggs
Heritability
proportion of variation among individuals in a group that can be attributed to genes
Epigenetics
the study of environmental influences on gene expression
Natural selection
inherited traits that better enables an organism to survive and reproduce will likely be passed on to the succeeding generations
Mutation
a random error in gene replication that leads to a change
Fitness
ability to survive and reproduce
Hypnosis
a social interaction in which one person suggests to another that certain perceptions, feelings, thoughts, or behaviors will spontaneously occur
Circadian Rhythm
our biological clock, regular bodily rhythm that occur on a 24-hour cycle
Sleep
a periodic natural loss of consciousness (90-min)
REM sleep
rapid eye movement sleep; a recurring sleep stage during which vivid dreams commonly occur (muscle relaxed, other body systems activie)
NREM sleep
non-rapid eye movement sleep; encompasses all sleep stages except REM sleep
Hallucinations
false sensory experiences
Alpha waves
the relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake state
Hypnagogic sensation
bizarre experience
Delta waves
large, slow brain waves associated with deep sleep of NREM-3 (hard to awaken)
Suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)
a pair of cell clusters in the hypothalamus that controls circadian rhythm
Why sleep?
protects; helps recuperate, restore/rebuild memories/skills; feed creativity; growth
Insomnia
ongoing difficulty in falling or staying asleep
Narcolepsy
Uncontrollable/sudden sleep attacks (REM) at inopportune times
Sleep apnea
stopping breathing repeatedly during sleep; momentary awakenings
Sleepwalking and sleeptalking
sleeptalking can occur in any stage; sleepwalking happens in NREM-3 sleep
Night terrors
appearing terrified, talking nonsense, sitting or walkign in NREM-3 sleep
Dream
a sequence of images, emotions, and thought passing through a sleeping person’s mind
Manifest content
dream’s symbolic storyline
Latent content
underlying/hidden meaning
Dream Theory : Freud’s wish-fulfillment
dreams preserve sleep and provide a “psychic safety valve” – expressing otherwise unacceptable feelings; contain manifest and latent content
Dream Theory : Information-processing
dreams help us sort out the day’s event and consolidate our memories
Dream Theory : Physiological function
regular brain stimulation from REM sleep may help develop and preserve neural pathways
Dream Theory : Activation-synthesis
REM sleep triggers neural activity that evokes random visual memories, which our sleeping brain weaves into stories
Dream Theory : Cognitive development
dream content reflects cognitive development and stimulate lives
REM Rebound
the tendency for REM sleep to increase following REM sleep deprivation
Psychoactive drugs
a chemical substance that alters perceptions and moods
Substance use disorder
a disorder characterized by continued substance craving and use despite significant life disruption and/or physical risk
Tolerance
the diminishing effect with regular use of the same dose of a drug, requiring the user to take larger and larger doses before experiencing the drug’s effect
Withdrawal
the discomfort and distress that follow the discontinuing an addictive drug or behavior
Depressants
drugs that reduce neural activity and slow body functions
Examples of depressants
- alcohol
- tranquilizers
- opiates
Stimulants
drugs that excite neural activity and speed up body functions
Examples of stimulants
- caffeine
2. nicotine
Hallucinogens
psychedelic drugs that distort perception and evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory input
Examples of hallucinogens
- Near-death experience
- LSD
- THC
