Exam 1 Flashcards
What occurred during the Decade of the Brain (1990’s)? (3)
Genes contributing to the development of schizophrenia were identified.
Drugs that block addiction were discovered.
New treatments for depression were developed.
Who is credited with establishing the first psychology laboratory in Germany in 1879?
Wilhelm Wundt
Dr. Locke is a philosopher who believes there is no distinction between the physical brain and the mind. This position is known as?
Materialistic monism
_______ was a dualist.
Plato
According to the hydraulic model of the nervous system ________
Nerves were hollow tubes that allowed animal spirits to flow through them
Descartes believed that the “seat of the soul” was located in the
Pineal gland
Through their experiments, Fritsch and Hitzig showed that
Muscle movement is the result of brain stimulation
Who discovered that nerves conduct electricity at a rate significantly slower than the speed of light?
Hermann von Helmholtz
Broca’s mute patient had damage to his
Left hemisphere
The idea that different functions are localized in different portions of the brain is evidenced by?
Phineas Gage’s personality change following frontal lobe damage
With the exception of egg and sperm cells, all human body cells have
46 chromosomes
If you underwent a procedure to test for a particular disease that is triggered by a defective protein inherited from your parents, what SPECIFIC genetic component will they be looking for?
A particular allele of a gene
Female humans have
Two X chromosomes
At six weeks after conception, a developing human is known as a(n)
Embryo
How many different bases make up human DNA?
4
Enzymes
Are proteins produced by genetic mechanisms that modify rates of chemical reactions
John has type B blood and Sue has type A blood. If they have a child, what blood type is impossible for that child to have?
The child can have any type because type A is dominant or codominant with type B and both are dominant over type O
If John and Sue have a baby with type A blood, what is true of the babys alleles that determine blood type?
The baby is heterozygous for the dominant Type A allele
What is true regarding red-green color blindness?
It is an x linked recessive trait. Because it is x linked males are more likely to have it.
A trait is polygenic if
It is influenced by more than one gene
What are some of the traits believed to have a genetic basis?
Personality, drug addiction, sexual orientation.
Nearly all of the base-pair sequences of the _______ have been mapped.
Human genome
The differential survival of organisms with more adaptive traits is known as?
Natural selection.
What is true of gene activity (3)?
Genes may fluctuate in the amount of protein they code for at different times.
A gene may become active at only a certain time in the life cycle.
The activity of a gene may be influence by experience.
What trait is the most researched in terms of heritability?
Height
If people from similar environments are samples, estimates of heritability for traits will be _____ people from different environments are sampled.
Higher than if
The best way to think about a relationship among genes, environment, and intelligence is that
Genes set the potential range and environment determines the actual capacity.
Scientists estimate that there are about ______ neurons in the brain.
86 billion
Neurons account for _____ of all cells in the nervous system.
50%
The nucleus of a neural cell is located in the
Soma
A neuron that transmits information between the central nervous system and a muscle is called a(n)
Motor neuron
A _______ neuron has an axon and numerous dendrites projecting away from the cell body.
Multipolar
What is a type of neuron that may not have an axon?
Interneuron
The neural membrane is not selectively permeable to which of the following substances: sodium, potassium, oxygen, chloride?
Oxygen
When a neuron is at rest, _______ ions are more plentiful outside of the cell.
Na (sodium)
The TYPICAL resting potential of a neuron is
-70 millivolts
When the cell is at rest, why are K+ ions are strongly attracted across the cell membrane to the outside of the cell?
Mostly because of the force of diffusion.
Which of the following is not allowed to pass through the membrane Na+, Cl, K+, A-?
A-
In which direction does the sodium potassium pump move sodium?
Outside the cell
In which direction does the sodium potassium pump move postssium?
Inside the cell
Neurons undergo depolarization when
When Na+ ions enter the cell.
Depolarization is MOST similar to
Hypopolarization
When a neuron is at resting potential, Na+ ions are strongly attracted across the cell membrane because of
Electrostatic pressure and diffusion.
A neuron will fire an action potential when it is
Depolarized to its threshold.
The outflow of K+ ions during an action potential results in
Hyperpolarization
The action potentials generated by a specific neuron are all the same strength, yet humans experience events that vary in intensity. What partially accounts for this variation of experience?
The number of action potentials generated by a single neuron in a period of time.
What happens to sodium and potassium channels during the absolute refractory period? What effect does this have on action potentials?
Potassium channels are open while sodium channels are closed and cannot be opened.
An action potential cannot be generated. It ensures that the action potential will only travel in one direction.
What happens during the relative refractory period?
Potassium channels are open causing the neuron to be negatively hyperpolarized. Because the neuron is more negatively charged it requires stronger stimuli to result in another action potential.
The ____ the axon, the _____ the action potential.
Thicker, faster
In the central nervous system, myelin is formed by
Oligodendrocytes
In myelinated axons action potentials
Are propagated only at the nodes of Ranvier.
Myelination results in?
Increased speed of conduction. Saltatory conduction. Less work for the sodium potassium pump.
What are functions of glial cells?
Storing neurotransmitter, guiding developing axons, assisting the development of synapses.
Who discovered that neurons are separate cells with cell membranes NOT in contact with each other?
Ramon y Cajal
Who demonstrated that synaptic transmission is chemical?
Loewi
What scientific evidence supported the conclusion that chemical signals are used for communication across the synapse in most neurons?
The observation that fluid surrounding the heart of a frog could produce heart rate changes when injected into another frog.
When an action potential reaches an axon terminal, ______ ions enter the cell and trigger the release of neurotransmitter.
Ca2+
Fast acting receptors involved in muscle activity and sensory processing are referred to as
Ionotropic
Under normal circumstances, the neurotransmitter molecules released by a single neuron can
Cause ion channels to open triggering a graded excitatory depolarization (hypopolarization) or hyperpolarization (inhibitory).
An IPSP (inhibitory post synaptic potential) will occur if
Potassium or chloride channels open.
Action potentials are first produced
At the axon hillock.
In order for spatial summation to occur,
Several EPSPs and/or IPSPs must arrive at the same time from different inputs.
Acetylcholine is removed from the synapse by
Enzymatic deactivation
Neurotransmitters interact with receptor sites like a
Key into a lock.
Nicotinic receptors are
Stimulated by acetylcholine and found in the brain and muscles.
Are there neurons that are incapable of releasing any neurotransmitter at all?
No
Naloxone (NARCAN) is an antagonist at which receptor?
Opiate
Sammy has just taken a drug that acts as an agonist at GABA receptors. What is Sammy likely to experience?
Calmness and decreased anxiety.
The ability of neurons to carry information is increased by
Varied time intervals of neural bursts.
The solution to the problem that chains of single neurons are inadequate to handle the brains tasks is
Neural networks.
A _______ is the name for a bundle of neurons in the PNS.
Ganglion
The spinal cord is part of the _______ nervous system.
Central
What is the largest division of the mature CNS in humans?
Forebrain
The space separating the cerebral hemispheres is called the
Longitudinal fissure
The surface of the cortex appears gray because it is composed mostly of
Unmyelinated cell bodies
In the cortex, a ridge is called a
Gyrus
What is the name of the 19th century European anatomist who argued that because women have smaller brains than men, they are less intelligent?
Bischoff
Animal species that are the MOST intelligent tend to have
More convolutions on the cortex and proportionately larger forebrain
The directional term anterior means
In front of
The brain area controlling fine motor movement is located on the____.
Precentral gyrus
THe area of the motor cortex devoted to which of the following body areas is probably the smallest: lips, tongue, thumb, thigh.
Thigh
Damage to the prefrontal cortex is least likely to result in problems with
Speech comprehension
Who was a proponent of lobotomies as a treatment for mental illness?
Freeman
THe somatosensory cortex is located in the _______ lobe.
Parietal
Identifying objects by touch is a function of the
Parietal association cortex
Modern computer studies of the skull of Phineas Gage have revealed the extent of damage to the
Frontal lobes
What are some functions of the temporal lobes?
Processing auditory information, language comprehension, and visual identification of objects.
Electrical stimulation of the association areas of the temporal lobe may result in the patient experiencing
Vivid memories
The occipital lobe processes ______ information.
Visual
The thalamus receives information from all of the sensory systems EXCEPT
Smell
The hypothalamus is located _____ the thalamus.
Below
The ____ is the body’s “master” endocrine gland.
Pituitary
The sleep inducing hormone melatonin is released by the
Pineal gland
What area of the brain can be severed to prevent epileptic seizures and consists of neuron tracts connecting the hemispheres allowing the left side of the brain to share information with the right?
Corpus callosum
What are the structures of the brain stem?
Midbrain, pons, medulla
Which of the following is not a midbrain structure: superior colliculi, VTA, pons, substantia nigra.
Pons
Heart rate and breathing are controlled by the
Medulla
A person with damage to the cerebellum may
Have problems with movement
The cerebrospinal fluid protects the brain by
Cushioning the brain, removing waste products from the brain, providing nourishment to brain cells
The skeletal muscles are MOST directly controlled by the ______ nervous system.
Somatic
Which cranial nerve is sometimes considered part of the CNS rather than the PNS?
Optic
Following excape from a stressor, for example, once you have finished a presentation in your class, your heart rate will go down, your breathing rate will decrease, and you will start to feel your stomach grumbling. What portion of the nervous system is responsible for these changes?
Parasympathetic
The stage of neural development in which axons grow toward their target connections is called
Circuit formation
Cell proliferation occurs
In the innermost layer of neural tubes
Cells that form a scaffold for neural migration are called
Radial glial cells
During the first three weeks after birth, the neurons in a monkey’s corpus callosum
Loses 8 million neurons a day
Neural plasticity is retained to the greatest extent in adulthood in which brain area?
Cortical association areas
What are some of the results of fetal alcohol exposure?
Improper migration of cells, small brain size, mental retardation
Teenagers are commonly criticized for being impulsive and not fully considering the consequences of their actions. What portion of their brain might still be undergoing myelination, which can help explain this behavior?
Frontal cortex
What are some examples of brain reorganization?
Larger area of the somatosensory cortex devoted to the index finger in people who read braille.
Occipital cortex of people blind from birth responding to somatosensory information.
Phantom limb pain following amputation.
Regeneration is least likely to occur in which of the following: CNS of a frog, PNS of a frog, CNS of a mammal, PNS of a mammal.
CNS of a mammal
In the adult mammal, neurogenesis is most likely to occur in the
Hippocampus
What disorder is caused by blockage of cerebrospinal fluid affecting the development of the CNS and how can it be treated?
Hydrocephalus, a drainage shunt
What are some of the potential problems following stroke?
Edema, excitotosis, paralysis.
Traumatic brain injury can
Produce Alzheimer-like effects even in young brains.
Include concussion as one of its mild forms.
Be minimized by three weeks of rest.
Prescientific psychology approach relied heavily upon?
Logic and intuition.
The differential survival of organisms with more adaptive traits is known as?
Natural selection
The idea that genes contribute a predisposition for a disorder is called?
Vulnerability.
The biological unit that directs cellular processes and transmits inherited characteristics is?
Gene
What is biopsychology?
Study of the body and behavior.
If Susan has type A blood and John has type B blood what type of blood is it impossible for their children to have?
Type A, Type AB, Type B
Deoxyribonucleic acid has a __________ structure.
Double Helix.
The human genome project has?
Made a map of the human genes.
Phrenology, while proven to be incorrect in principle, led to the idea that __________
functions are distributed and localized
After it was learned that electricity is involved in nerve conduction Helmholtz demonstrated that there must be another component by?
Measuring nerve conduction speed.
If people from similar environments are sampled, estimates of heritability for traits will be _____ if people from different environments are sampled.
higher than
A proposed mechanism for how something works is a?
Model
Broca’s patient had damage to his
left hemiphere
When a phenotype is determined by many genes it is considered?
Polygenic
The idea that specific areas of the brain perform specific functions is known as?
Localization
The idea that individuals with more adaptive genes are more likely to survive and pass them on is called?
Natural selection.
Enzymes (3) are:
Modify chemical reactions in the body, are proteins, are produced by genetic mechanisms
An individual’s combination of genes is known as their?
Genotype
What is materialistic monism?
The idea that the body, mind, and everything else is physical.
Myelin, the fatty tissue that wraps around axons _______________
Increases action potential conduction speed.
What type of cells carry information from the body into the central nervous system?
Sensory neurons.
The two types of postsynaptic potentials are?
Excitatory and inhibitory.
Synaptic transmission is ____________.
Chemical
A neuron will fire an action potential when it is
depolarized to its threshold
Cell membranes are…
Semi-permeable.
_________ combines potentials arriving a short time apart.
Temporal summation.
What are the three major types of neurons?
Interneuron, motor neuron, sensory neuron
When a neuron is at resting potential, Na+ ions are strongly attracted across the cell membrane because of
Both electrostatic pressure and diffusion
A brief time when a neuron cannot fire after an action potential.
Absolute refractory period.
The axon terminal contains_______ which it releases to communicate with postsynaptic neurons.
Neurotransmitters.
Action potentials are produced at the?
the axon hillock
A _________ neuron sends its neurotransmitters across the synapse to the _______ neuron.
Presynaptic; postsynaptic.
______________ describes movement of ions from a high concentration to a low concentration.
Diffusion
When an action potential arrives at an axon terminal the entry of ___________ stimulates the release of vesicles carrying neurotransmitter.
Calcium
The outflow of K+ ions during the refractory period results in
hyperpolarization
Acetylcholine is removed from the synapse by?
Enzymatic deactivation
__________ allow ions and molecules to pass through the cell membrane.
Channels
The growth of axons to and connection to their targets is called ___________?
circuit formation
__________ is found in the forebrain. __________ is found in the midbrain. ___________ is found in the hindbrain.
Thalamus, superior colliculi, cerebellum.
_______ are undifferentiated cells in the body.
Stem cells.
Pathways for sensory-motor reflexes are contained in the__________?
spinal cord
A group of cell bodies in the peripheral nervous system are called _________ while a group of cell bodies in the central nervous system are called _________.
Ganglion; nucleus.
The stages of development in the nervous system include?
Proliferation and Migration.
Visual identification of objects is a primary function of?
Inferior temporal cortex.
The creation of new neurons is known as?
Neurogenesis
When neurons grow toward their target cells and form functional connections they are in which stage of neural development?
Circuit formation.
Functions of the hypothalamus include?
Control of emotion and motivated behaviors.
Bundles of axons are known as nerves in the _________ and as tracts in the ________.
PNS; CNS.
Functions of the prefrontal cortex include (3):
Impulse control, decision making, planning and organization
Ventricles are?
Fluid filled cavities in the brain.
The groove or space between two gyri is either a ________ or _______?
Sulcus or fissure
_________ controls essential processes such as heartbeat and breathing.
Medulla
________ enter the spinal cord through the ventral root of the spine while _______ enter through the dorsal root of the spine.
Motor neurons; sensory neurons.
The central nervous system is protected by (3)?
Meninges, blood-brain barrier, cerebrospinal fluid
When uninjured tissue takes over for lost neurons it is known as?
Compensation
Functions of the hypothalamus include?
Control of emotion and motivated behaviors.
