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MCAT > High-Yield Science > Flashcards

High-Yield Science Flashcards

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MCAT flashcards
1
Q

Parts of the hindbrain

A

Medulla oblongata, pons, reticular formation and cerebellum

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2
Q

Medulla oblongata

A

Regulating vital functions: breathing, heat rate, blood pressure, and digestion

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3
Q

Reticular formation

A

Controls general arousal processes and alertness

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4
Q

Cerebellum

A

Maintain posture, balance and coordination of body movements

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5
Q

Parts of the hypothalamus

A

Anterior hypothalamus, ventromedial hypothalamus and lateral hypothalamus

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6
Q

Anterior hypothalamus

A

Regulates sexual behavior, sleep and body temperature

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7
Q

Ventromedial hypothalamus

A

The satiety center

Provides signals to stop eating

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8
Q

Lateral hypothalamus

A

The hunger center

Contains special receptors though to detect when the body needs more food or fluids

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9
Q

Parts of the cerebrum

A

Basal ganglia, limbic system and cerebral cortex

Right and left hemispheres

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10
Q

How is the cerebrum associated with Parkinson’s disease?

A

Damage to the basal ganglia, resulting in jerky movements and controlled resting tremors

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11
Q

How is the cerebrum associated with schizophrenia?

A

Damage to the basal ganglia
Within the cerebrum are ventricles follies with cerebrospinal fluid that ultimately floes into the central canal in the middle of the spinal cord. Research has linked abnormally enlarged ventricles with symptoms often seen in schizophrenia, including social withdrawal, flat affect, and catatonic states

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12
Q

Where is the hindbrain located?

A

Where the brain meets the spinal cord

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13
Q

Pons

A

Contain sensory and motor pathways between the cortex and the medulla

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14
Q

Where is the cerebellum?

A

At the top of the hindbrain

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15
Q

What does damage to the cerebellum result in?

A

Clumsiness, slurred speech, loss of balance

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16
Q

What does alcohol largely affect?

A

The cerebellum, resulting in clumsiness, slurred speech and loss of balance

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17
Q

Basal ganglia

A

Coordinate muscle movements as they receive information from the cortex and relay this information to the brain and spinal cord
Include the extrapyramidal motor system, which gathers information about body position and carries this information to the brain and spinal cord, helping to smoothen movements and study posture

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18
Q

What are the two main types of photoreceptors in the retina?

A

Cones and rods

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19
Q

Feature detection theory

A

We interpret objects by assessing specific characteristics, such as lines, shapes or specific kinds of motion to identify something of importance v. something of little value

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20
Q

Parallel processing

A

The psychological counterpart to feature detection theory
Refers to out analysis of different attributes of an object though separate pathways before integrating them
Requires the interpretation of color, motion, shape, and depth as separate entities, which are then combines to create a cohesive view of the world

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21
Q

Cones

A

Used for color vision and perceiving fine details

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22
Q

When are cones most effective?

A

In bright light

23
Q

When are rods most effective?

A

In reduced light

24
Q

Rods

A

Allow for perception only of an achromatic, Lowe-resolution image
Allow for night vision

25
Q

Are there more rods or cones in the retina?

A

Rods

26
Q

What kind of photoreceptors exist in the fovea?

A

Cones

27
Q

Where is visual acuity best on the retina?

A

In the fovea

28
Q

When is the fovea most sensitive?

A

Normal daylight vision

29
Q

Parvocellular cells

A

Used for shape and boundary detection

30
Q

Magnocellular cells

A

Used for motion detection

31
Q

What is the typical timeline for language development in children?

A 
First year of life: babbling
9 - 12 mo: babbling peaks
12 - 18 mo: adding 1 word per month
18 mo: explosion of language
18 - 20 mo: 2-word sentences
2 - 3 y: 3-word sentences
5 y: language is mastered
32
Q

Nativist (biological) theory of language acquisition

A

Humans have an innate capacity for language

This capacity is sometimes referred to as the language acquisition divide, a theoretical pathway in the Bain that allows infants to absorb and process language rules. It is though that this divide is triggered by exposure to language. Thus, the nativist theory posits that children must be exposed to language during a critical period between the age of two and puberty in order to fully develop their linguistic abilities.

33
Q

Learning (behaviorist) theory of language acquisition

A

Language acquisition is accomplished through operating conditioning. Caregivers repeat and reinforce the sounds that mimic their own spoken language. Thus, over time, the infant perceives that certain sounds are highly values and are reliably reinforced, while others have little value and are not reinforced, with the result of shaping the child’s acquisition of language.

34
Q

Broca’s aphasia

A

Intact speech comprehension

Reduced or absent speech production

35
Q

Wernicke’s aphasia

A

Intact speech production

Reduced or absent speech comprehension

36
Q

Conduction aphasia

A

Intact speech production and comprehension

Loss of the ability to repeat verbal information

37
Q

Cannon-Bard theory of emotion

A

Event –> physiological arousal + emotional response

38
Q

James-Lange theory of emotion

A

Event –> physiological arousal –> emotional response

39
Q

Is the spinal cord the only pathway for feedback from the visceral organs?

A

No, the vagus nerve, which feeds directly into the medulla oblongata, performs this function as well

40
Q

What did Darwin have to say about emotions?

A

Emotions are products of evolution, as a result, emotions and their corresponding expressions are universal
Because all humans evolved the same set of facial muscles, these muscles would show the same expression when communicating an emotion, regardless of differences in society or culture

41
Q

How did Edman further develop Darwin’s ideas about emotions?

A

Identified seven universal emotions: happiness, sadness, contempt, surprise, fear, disgust and anger
Each of these universal emotions comes with a specific set of facial cues, regardless of culture or society

42
Q

A three-year-old has begun to explore her surrounding and is learning that she is able to control the world around her. She brushes her own teeth, dresses herself and has begun to develop personal interests. According to Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development, what is the next conflict this child will face?

A

Integrity v. Guilt :: The child should feel a sense of purpose, have the ability to initiate activities and have the ability to enjoy accomplishment

43
Q

Two college roommates are constantly at odds because one is extremely messy and the other is obsessively tidy. According to Freudian analysis, how can the differences between these roommates be explained in terms of psychosexual fixation?

A

Anal fixation

44
Q

A child of busy parents is often left on his own to play and learn. According to Vygotsky, what effect would the consistent absence of a more knowledgable other have on the child’s locus of control and self-efficacy?

A

Persistent external locus of control and low self-efficacy

45
Q

Depressive episode

A

Lasts at least two weeks and includes five of the depressive episode symptoms

46
Q

What diagnoses may include a depressive episode?

A 
(Sadness + SIG E. CAPS)
Feeling down or sad
Changes in sleep patters
Loss of interest
Feelings of guilt
Loss of energy
Difficulty concentrating
Changes in weight or appetite
Psychomotor retardation or agitation (feeling or seeming slowed down or agitated)
Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide
47
Q

Hypomanic episode

A

Less severe than manic episodes and requires 3 symptoms of manic episodes lasting 4 days

48
Q

Children were observed on Halloween while trick-or-treating. Candy was left on the porch of a home with a note saying Please take only one piece of candy. It was observed that children trick-or-treating alone or with one friend or sibling were very likely to take only one piece of candy, but that children in groups were dramatically more likely to take handfuls of candy. What social process is at play, and what influence does the nature of the holiday have on the observed results?

A

De-individuation :: During Halloween, children are dressed up in costumes, which increases anonymity, making them even more likely to behave in atypical ways

49
Q

An Olympic weightlifter is preparing for a competition and records his clean-and-jerk weights over a period of three months during his independent training sessions. He sees increases in his lifts as he progresses towards the competition, but plateaus in the final month. At the competition, he reaches a personal record, adding seven kilograms to his lift. What social process best describes the improved performance at the competition?

A

Social facilitation

50
Q

Max is a high school student who has typically shown mediocre performance. He transfers to a new school and befriends a group of high achieving students. Max’s grades in his first semester are much above his previous grades. What social process describes these results?

A

Peer pressure

51
Q

How does nonverbal communication add to a conversation?

A

Nonverbal cues serve several functions in communication, but their primary purpose is often to express emotions
Nonverbal communication can also be used to convey attitudes
One can communication personality traits through nonverbal communication
Nonverbal cues may be culture specific

52
Q

Alter-casting

A

The imposition of an identity onto another person

One assigns a role to another person

53
Q

Ingratiation

A

The use of flattery or conforming to expectations to win someone over
e.g. blindly agreeing with another person, complimenting another person before asking for a favor, trying to live up to the good boy, good girl imagery

54
Q

Aligning actions

A

Related to excuse-making and rationalization of questionable behavior
It may be associated with an external locus of control and may be used to encourage others to make situational–rather than dispositional–attributions

MCAT (7 decks)

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