Midterm 1 Flashcards
Brain
- “tissue within the skull’
- produces & is affected by behavior
organ of soft nervous tissue that functions as coordinating centre of sensation & intellectual activity
Behavior
obserable phenomenon produced by NS that has both a cause & function
Behavior & Brain→ Nature vs. Nurture?
not reducible to being simply result of nature vs nurture
- affected by BOTH
- affect each other
- inextricably linked
Perspectives on Brain & Behavior (3)
1) Mentalism
2) Dualism
3) Materialism
1) Mentalism
* who?
Aristotle
- explanation of behavior as function of nonmaterial mind
- mind (“soul/psyche”) found in heart & departed from body after death
- brain cooled blood
2) Dualism
- who?
- behavior produced by?
- location
Rene Descartes
- 2 entities (nonmaterial mind & material body) contribute to behavior
-
mind directs rational behavior (through brain)
- in pineal gland beside ventricles
- regulates behavior/movement by directing flow of ventricular fluid to muscles
-
body/brain direct all other behaviors via mechanical & physical principles
- sensation, movement digestion
-
mind directs rational behavior (through brain)
- influenced by mechanical devices of the time (hydraulics)
Dualism - Problems with Descartes Theory (3)
1) Mind-Body Problem
2) Pineal gland involved in biological rhythms but NOT intelligence or behavioral control
3) fluid is NOT pumped from ventricles to control movement
Mind-Body Problem
how does a non-material mind & physical brain/body interact?
3) Materialism
* supporting evidence?
behavior explained as function of NS without explanatory recourse to mind
- EVIDENCE: case studies → people with brain damage indicate that brain controls behavior & produces mind
NO nonmaterial mind
- mind has physical basis → BRAIN
Phineas Gage → significance?
story shows that changes to brain can change behavior
Evolution of Evolution
- who?
Alfred Wallace & Charles Darwin struck by the many similarities (physical atrributes & behavior) among species
- questioned how species could be so different yet similar at the same time
- lead Darwin to propose his theory of Natural Selection
Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection
- involves?
- how?
involves gradual change in frequency that a gene is expressed within a population
- occurs over many generations
- organisms with advantageous traits for given environment are able to survive & procreate
Epigenetics
study of differences in gene expression related to environment & experience
How are traits naturally selected?
source of variability (i.e. genetic mutation)
→ adaptive trait → ↑ chance of survival → trait passed on to offspring
Implications of Natural Selection for study of brain/behavior (3)
1) Brain/neurons are related
2) behaviors are related
3) complexity in brain & behavior evolved gradually, in response to environmental demands & experience
1) Brain/neurons are related
enables animal models for studying structures & functions
- because all animal species are related, so too must their brains
2) behaviors are related
enables animal models for studying behaviors
- all species of animals are related, so too must their behavior
Why study Brain & Behavior? (3)
1) how brain produces behavior is major unanswered scientific question
2) many behavioral disorders can be explained & potentially cured by understanding brain
3) brain = most complex living organ on Earth
1) how brain produces behavior is major unanswered scientific question
study brain for purpose of understanding humanity
understanding brain function allows improvements in many aspects of our world (educational/economic/social systems)
2) many behavioral disorders can be explained & potentially cured by understanding brain
2000+ disorders are related in some way to brain abnormalities
Anterior
frontal
rostral
Posterior
caudal
back
Dorsal
superior
above
Ventral
Inferior
below
Medial
middle
Lateral
side
Dorsal side
spinal cord vs. brain
spinal cord: back
- think animal on all fours
brain: top of head
(3) Planes
1) Horizontal
2) Sagittal
3) Coronal
1) Horizontal
aka Axial/Transverse
- divides body into superior & inferior parts
2) Sagittal
* (2) types
vertical plane passing from anterior to posterior, dividing body into right & left halves
a) mid-sagittal: sagittal plane through midline
b) parasagittal: any plane parallel to sagittal plane
3) Coronal Plane
any vertical plane that divides body into dorsal & ventral sections
Contralateral vs. Ipsilateral
In reference to pathways within the body
- Contralateral = situated on/coordinated with opposite side of body
- Ispilateral = belonging to/occurring on same side of the body
Afferent vs. Efferent
Afferent = incoming info (sensory) into CNS
Efferent = outgoing info leaving CNS
NERVOUS SYSTEM
- Afferent nerves
sensory pathways
- nerve impulses conducting from receptors/sense organs towards CNS
- dendrites pick up sensory stimuli
NERVOUS SYSTEM
- Efferent nerves
motor pathways
- conduct nerve impulses away from CNS to effector organs
- axons receive impulse from cell body
Interneurons
- located in CNS
- connect sensory & motor neurons
- play role in reflex arc
- allow quicker responses without involving brain
Primary Functions of the Brain (3)
1) Create a sensory reality
2) Store & integrate information
3) Produce behavioral response in response to information
PRIMARY FUNCTIONS OF THE BRAIN:
1) Create a sensory reality
- varies across species
- more acute/sensitive senses (i.e. dogs)
- varies across individuals
- i.e. rods/cones (color blind)
Nervous System
- made up of? (3)
- functions?
1) Brain
2) Spinal Cord
3) Nerves
- recieves information (via nerves)
- interprets information (via brain)
- generates responses to information (through spinal cord to effector organs)
Nervous System
- divided into (2) main parts
1) CNS
2) PNS
CNS
- functions?
- (2) parts
-
recieves, processes, interprets, stores & responds to sensory information
1) Brain
2) Spinal cord - bridge b/w brain & peripheral nerves
2) Spinal Cord
* definition
collection of neurons & supportive tissue running from base of brain down center of back
- protected by spinal column
2) Spinal Cord
* injury
INJURY leads to paralysis
- Quadriplegia
- Paraplegia
Quadriplegia
partial/total inability to move all four limbs
- caused by damage to cervical spinal cord segments (C1-C6)
Paraplegia
partial/total inability to move lower limbs
- caused by damage to thoracic, lumbar or sacral region of spinal cord
2) Spinal Cord
* roles
- role in voluntary movement & automatic functions
- carries sensory info to brain
- carries motor commands from brain
- controls spinal reflex
Spinal Cord → Spinal REFLEX
automatic response to sensory information that is independant of brain
- sensation at side relayed to neurons in spinal cord via sensory pathway
- spinal cord returns signal along motor pathway causing “reflex”
- signal is also sent to brain, alerting it to sensation & response
Example of Spinal Reflex
- describe
Patellar Reflex
- stimuli (tap below knee) → AP in muscle spindle within quad
- travels to spinal cord via sensory neuron → Glu release @ synapse
- motor neuron activated → quadricep contraction (extension)
-
interneuron activated → inhibitory Glycine release → inhibit antagonist muscles causes hamstring relaxation
- detect info, determines which muscle to contract & stimulates motor response (coordinate reflex)
Interneuron role in Spinal Reflexes
integration of motor commands & sensory feedback signals is used to control muscle activity during movement
- coordinate reflex
Spinal Cord Regions (5)
- Cervical (C1-C6)
- Thoracic (T1-T12)
- Lumbar (L1-L5)
- Sacral (S1-S5)
- Coccygeal
PNS
- functions
- divided into (2) main systems
- provides information to CNS
- provided with response information from CNS
1) Somatic NS
2) Autonomic NS
1) Somatic NS
consists of spinal & cranial nerves
- sensory info from receptors in skin/muscles/joints/sense organs recieved by sensory nerves & sent to CNS
- motor nerves carry messages from CNS to skeletal muscles to produce movement
Cranial Nerves
- 12 pairs
- monitored by brain
- sensory, motor or mixed (both)
- supply:
- sense organs
- face & head muscles
4 involved in Parasympathetic Division of ANS
- oculomotor, facial, glossopharyngeal, vagus
- many are attached at brainstem region
Cranial Nerves (12)
- Olfactory
- Optic
- Oculomotor
- Trochlear
- Trigeminal
- Abducens
- Facial
- Auditory Vestibular
- Glossopharyngeal
- Vagus
- Spinal Accessory
- Hypoglossal
Olfactory
1
smell
sensory
Optic
2
sensory
vision
Oculomotor
3
motor
eye movement
Trochlear
4
motor
eye movement
Trigeminal
5
mixed
masticatory movements & facial sensations
Abducens
6
Motor
eye movement
Facial
7
mixed
facial movement & sensation
Auditory Vestibular
8
sensory
hearing & balance
Glossopharyngeal
9
mixed
tongue & pharynx movement & sensation
Vagus
10
mixed
- sensory info about heart, BV, viscera
- movement of larynx & pharynx
Spinal Accessory
11
motor
neck muscles
Hypoglossal
12
motor
tongue muscles
Mnemonic to remember:
a) Cranial Nerves
b) sensory/motor/mixed
a) Oh Oh Oh Tiny Tits Are Fun And Give Virgins Awkward Hips
b) Some Say Marry Money But My Brother Says Big Brains Matter Most
Spinal Nerves
monitored by spinal cord
- each contains both sensory & motor fibers
- supplies a single dermatome
DERMATOME
region of body that corresponds to particular spinal nerve that it is innervated by
area of skin supplied by a particular spinal nerve
Law of Bell & Magendie
Sensory fibers → dorsal side of spinal cord (→ CNS)
Motor fibers → ventral side of spinal cord (→ body)
Spinal Nerves
- Ventral vs. Dorsal Fibers
Ventral Fibers
- carry info from spinal cord → muscles
Dorsal Fibers
- carry info from body → spinal cord