Module 3-5 - biology of behavior Flashcards
What do phrenology and biological psychology have in common?
They share focus on the links between the brain and behavior. Phrenology faded because it had no scientific basis- skull bumps don’t reveal mental traits and abilities.
How does learning a new skill affect the structure of our brain?
Thanks to its neuroplasticity, our brain changes in response to the experience we have. Learning and practicing a new skill, such as playing an instrument , can promote the development of new neural pathways and cause lasting changes in brain organizations.
When a neuron fires an action potential, the information travel through the axon, the dendrites, and the cell body, but not in that order. Place these three structures in order.
dendrites, cell body, axon
How does our nervous system allow us to experience the difference between a slap and a tap on the back?
Stronger stimuli (slap) cause more neurons to fire and to fire more frequently than happens with weaker stimuli (tap).
What happens in the synaptic gap?
Neurons send neurotransmitters (chemmical messengers) accros this tiny space between one neuron’s terminal branch and the next neuron’s dendrite or cell body.
What is reuptake? What two other things can happen to excess neurotransmitters after a neuron reacts?
Reuptake occurs when excess neurotransmitters are reabsorbed by the sending neuron. Neurotransmitters can also drift away or be broken down by enzymes.
Curare poisoning paralyzes animals by blocking ACh receptors involved in muscle movements. Morphine mimics endorphin actions. Which is an agonist and which is an antagonist?
Morphine is an agonist and curare is an antagonist.
Serotonin, dopamine, and endorphin are all chemical messenger called…
Neurotransmitter
How was the ANS involved in Hawaiians’ terrified responses, and in calming their bodies once they realized it was a false alarm?
The sympathetic division of the automatic nervous system would have directed arousal (accelerated heartbeat, inhibited digestion, and so forth), and the parasympathetic division would have directed calming.
Why is the pituitary gland called the master gland?
Responding to signals from the hypothalamus, the pituiary gland releases hormones that trigger other endocrine glands to secrete hormones, which in turn influence brain and behavior.
How are the nervous and endocrine systems alike, and how they do differ?
Both of these communication systems produce chemical molecules that act on the body’s receptors to influence our behavior and emotions. The endocrine system, which secrete hormones into the bloodstream, delivers its messages much more slowly than the speedy nervous system, and the effects of the endrocrine system’s messages tend to linger much more longer than those of the nervous system.
Why are psychologist concerned with human biology?
Psychologists working from a biological perspective study the links between biological processes and psychological processes. We are biopsychosocial systems, in which biological, psychological, and social-cultural factors interact to influence behavior.
How do biology and experience together enable neuroplasticity?
Neuroplasticity enables our brain to build new neural pathways as we adjust to new experiences; so, our brain is sculpted by both genes and life. While neuroplasticity is lifelong, it is greatest in childhood. With practice, our brain develops unique patterns that reflects our life experiences.
What are neurons, and how do they transmit informations?
Neurons are the elementary components of the nervous system, the body’s electrochemical information system. A neuron (a cell body and its branching fibers) receives signals through its often bushy, branching dendrites and sends signals through its axons. Some axons are encased in a myelin sheath, which enables faster transmission. Glial cells support, nourish, and protect neurons and also plays a role in learning, thinking, and memory. If the combined signal received by a neuron exceed a minimum threshold, the neuron fires, transmitting an electrical impulse (the action potential) down its axon by means of a chemistry-to-electrical process. Neurons need a short rest called the refractory period, after which they can fire again. The neuron’s reaction is an all-or-none response.
How do nerve cells communicate with other nerve cells?
When action potentials reach the end of an axon (the button-like axon terminals), they stimulate the release of neurotransmitters. These chemical messengers carry a message from the sending neuron across a synapse to receptor sites on a receiving neuron. The sending neuron, in a process called reuptake, then normally reabsorbs the excess neurotransmitter molecules in the synaptic gap. If incoming signals are strong enough, the receiving neuron generates its own action potential and relays the message to other cells.
How do neurotransmitters influence behavior, and how do drugs and other chemicals affect neurotransmission?
Neurotransmitters travel designated pathways in the brain and may influence specific behaviors and emotions. Acetylcholine (ACh) enables muscle action, learning, and memory. Endorphins are natural opiates released in response to pain and exercise. Drugs and other chemicals affect brain chemistry at synapse. Agonists increase a neurotransmitter’s action, and may do so in various ways. Antagonists decrease a neurotransmitter’s action by blocking production or release.
The … is a crossover point where nerves from the left side of the brain are most likely linked to the right side of the body, and vice versa.
brainstem
In what brain region would damage be most likely a) disrupt your ability to jump rope? b) disrupt your ability to hear? c) leave you in a coma? d) cut off the very breath and heartbeat of life?
a) cerebellum b) thalamus c) reticular formation d) medula
Electrical stimulation of a cat’s amygdala provokes angry reactions. Which automatic nervous system division is activated by such stimulation?
The sympathetic nervous system
What are the three key structures of the limbic system, and what functions do they serve?
a) The amygdala is involved in aggression and fear responses. b) The hypothalamus is involved in bodily maintenance, pleasurable rewards, and control of the hormonal systems. c) The hippocampus processes memories of facts and events.
Which part of the humain brain distinguishes us most from other animals?
The cerebral cortex
If you are able, try moving your right hand in a circular motion, as if cleaning a table. Then start your right foot doing the same motion, synchronized with your hand. Now reverse your right foot’s motion, but not the right hand’s. Finally, try moving your left foot opposite of the right hand. a) Why is reversing the mtion of the right foot so hard? b) Why is it easier to move the left foot in the opposite direction of the right hand?
a) The right limbs’ opposed activities interfere with each other because both are controlled by the same side (left) of the brain. b) Opposite sides of the brain control each motion which causes less interference.
Why are association areas important?
Association areas are involved in higher mental functions– interpreting, intergrating, and acting on information processed in other areas.
What are the main (3) parts of the brain stem, and what are their functions?
The medulla controls vital automatic functions (heartbeat, breathing, blood pressure, coughing, and swallowing). The reticular formation regulates attention and alertness and screens sensory messages. The pons plays a role in body movement , sleep, and dreaming.
What are the different scanning technique and how do they function?
EEG (electroencephalogram): A record of brain wave activity. CT Scan (computerized axial tomography): Provides image of brain structure. MRI (magnetic resonance imaging): Provides image of brain structure. PET Scan (positron-emission tomography): Image of brain structure and functioning. Function MRI (fMRI): Image of brain structure and functiooning without radioactivity.
