II. Biological Basis for Behavior Flashcards
Neuron
basic building block of the nervous system
Dendrites
Receives messages from other neurons.
Axon terminal
Sends electrical signals(messages) to other neurons, muscles, or glands
Myelin Sheath
A fatty tissue layer that surrounds the axon, speeding up the process of neural impulses.
Action Potential
Basic way that neurons communicate.
Refractory period
A brief resting period, in which the action potential can not fire until the axon has returned to its resting state.
Threshold
The level of stimuli required for a neuron to charge
All or none response
The principle that a neuron will either charge with full force, or none.
Synapse
the place where two neurons meet to transmit information
Also known as the “Synaptic Cleft.”
Reuptake
Reabsorption of incoming neurons
Neurotransmitters
Chemical messengers that travel down the bloodstream
Endorphins
Reduce pain, relieve stress, and improves mood
Dopamine
Creates pleasure and motivation. However, too much dopamine can cause schizophrenia.
Serotonin
Regulates mood
Norepinephrine
Increases alertness, arousal, and attention.
Agonist
Chemicals that strengthen neurotransmitter activity
Antagonist
Chemicals that block neurotransmitter activity
Nervous system
The body’s speedy communication center
Central nervous system
The brain and spinal cord.
Interneurons
- Neurons in between the central nervous system.
- connect sensory neurons to motor neurons
Sensory neurons(afferent)
Sensations(information) from different parts of the body travel to the brain and spinal cord.
Autonomic nervous system
Regulates body functions including heart rate and blood pressure.
Sympathetic nervous system
Increases arousal during times of stress.
Parasympathetic nervous system
Decreases arousal after times of stress.
Motor neurons(efferent)
Messages from the brain and spinal cord travel to different parts of the body.
Peripheral nervous system
Everything besides the brain and spinal cord
Somatic nervous system
Voluntary movement through skeletal muscles
Electroencephalogram (EGG)
measures the amount of electrical activity in the brain while doing something
CT scan
X-ray of the brain
PET scan
Measures the radioactivity of glucose in the brain when a subject is given a performing task
MRI
Gives a map of the brain
shows soft tissues
Endocrine system
The body’s “slow” chemical communication center.
Adrenal glands
Regulate metabolism and blood pressure.
Pituitary gland
Master gland of the endocrine system. Under the influence of the hypothalamus, the gland controls sexual motivation and metabolism.
fMRI
Utilizes MRI scans to measure blood flow in various brain regions
Lesion
Tissue damage, being naturally or experimentally done through damage to the brain.
Wernickes’s Areas
Impairment of ability to understand speech
Brainstem
Connects the brain to the spinal cord.
Medulla
Controls breathing and heartbeat.
Thalamus
Processes every sense besides smell
Reticular formation
Nerve network in the brainstem and controls arousal
Cerebellum
Coordinates movement and balance
Limbic system
Consists of the amygdala, hippocampus, and hypothalamus
Amygdala
Controls emotions, includes fear and aggression
Hippocampus
Creates long-term memories
Hypothalamus
Controls metabolism and sex drives.
glial cells
Provides support and protection for neurons in the central nervous system.
Cerebral Cortex
Four parts of the brain that process information and thinking skills.
frontal lobes
Makes judgment and decisions
motor cortex
Generates signals that direct body movement.
parietal lobes
Processes sensory information
somatosensory cortex
Processes information from different parts of the body. When the cortex is devoted to a certain area, it becomes more sensitive.
association areas
Takes information from other lobes, jointing it, thus making an individual understand complex things
occipital lobes
Processes visual information.
temporal lobes
Processes auditory information.
Plasticity
The ability for the brain to recover after damage, often through building new experiences
Neurogenesis
The ability to form new neurons
corpus callosum
Neural fibers connecting the two hemispheres.
split brain
Surgery done to the brain, cutting the neural fibers. The two hemispheres have their own function.
dual processing
The idea that information is processed consciously and unconsciously simultaneously.
Heritability
The measurement of how much genetics influence traits
Mutation
A change in DNA
Roger Sperry
Discovered that the brain’s hemispheres have two functions, with the right controlling creativity and the left controlling intelligence.
Charles Darwin
Contributor to evolutionary psychology with “survival of the fittest.”
