Neuroscience Flashcards
1
Q
Everything psychological—every idea, every mood, every urge is –
A
biological
2
Q
Psychologists working from a – study the links between biology and behavior.
A
biological perspective
3
Q
Humans are – systems in which biological, psychological, and social-cultural factors interact to influence behavior.
A
biopsychosocial
4
Q
Mind located in spherical head
A
Plato
5
Q
Mind found in heart
A
Aristotle
6
Q
The mind (spirit) and brain were linked in the pineal body
A
Descartes
7
Q
Phrenology revealed mental abilities and character traits
A
Gall
8
Q
Despite initial acceptance of Franz Gall’s speculations, bumps on the skull tell us nothing about the brain’s –.
A
underlying functions
9
Q
Though they are not the functions Gall proposed, different parts of the brain do control different aspects of –,
A
behavior
10
Q
Nerve cells conduct electricity and communicate through – across tiny separating gaps
A
chemical messages
11
Q
The adaptive brain is wired by –
A
experience
12
Q
Neurons are the elementary components of the nervous system—the body’s – electrochemical system.
A
speedy
13
Q
Neurons receive signals through branching – and send signals through its axons.
A
dendrites
14
Q
Some axons are encased in a – which enables faster transmission.
A
myelin sheath,
15
Q
– provide myelin and support, nourish, and protect neurons.
A
Glial cells
16
Q
These also play a role in thinking and learning.
A
Glial cells
17
Q
If a combined signal received by a neuron exceeds a –, the neuron fires, transmitting an electrical impulse down its axon through a chemical- to-electricity process.
A
minimum threshold
18
Q
The neuron’s reaction is an – process.
A
all-or- none
19
Q
axon passes – away from the cell body to other neurons, muscles, or glands
A
messages
20
Q
neural impulse, the electrical signal traveling down the axon like a wave
A
action potential
21
Q
– of axon form junctions with other cells
A
terminal branches
22
Q
- Neuron stimulation causes a brief change in electrical charge. If strong enough, this produces – and an action potential.
A
depolarization
23
Q
- This depolarization produces another – a little farther along the axon.
A
action potential
24
Q
As the action potential continues speedily down the axon, the first section has now completely –.
A
recharged
25
The neuron receives signals from other neurons;
some are telling it to fire and some are telling it not to fire.
26
Neurotransmitters travel -- pathways in the brain and may influence specific behaviors and emotions.
designated
27
-- affects muscle action, learning, and memory.
Acetylcholine (ACh)
28
-- are natural opiates released in response to pain and exercise.
Endorphins
29
Drugs and other chemicals affect brain chemistry at -- (or via upstream mechanisms)
synapses
30
Molecule that increases a receptor’s action
agonist
31
Molecule that inhibits or blocks a receptor’s action
antagonist
32
something that binds to a receptor
ligand
33
Influences movement, learning, attention, and emotion (Oversupply linked to schizophrenia. Undersupply linked to tremors and loss of motor control in Parkinson’s disease.)
dopamine
34
Affects mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal (Undersupply linked to depression. Some drugs that raise serotonin levels are used to treat depression.)
serotonin
35
Helps control alertness and arousal (Undersupply can depress mood)
Norepinephrine
36
A major inhibitory neurotransmitter (Undersupply linked to seizures, tremors, and insomnia.)
GABA
37
A major excitatory neurotransmitter; involved in memory (Oversupply can overstimulate the brain, producing migraines or seizures, which is why some people avoid MSG, monosodium glutamate, in food).
glutamate
38
Body’s speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the central and peripheral nervous systems
nervous system
39
Brain and spinal cord are body’s decision maker
CNS
40
Sensory and motor neurons connecting the central nervous system (CNS) to the rest of the body for gathering and transmitting information
PNS
41
Adult brain has about -- neurons
86 billion
42
Brain accounts for about 2 percent of body weight and uses -- of energy
20 percent
43
brain weighs about
3 lbs
44
Near -- information storage ability
infinite
45
Neural networks and pathways govern -- through highly efficient electrochemical information system
reflexes
46
The endocrine system is a set of glands that secretes -- into the bloodstream.
hormones
47
The -- is the master gland that influences hormone release by other glands, including the adrenal glands.
pituitary
48
In an intricate feedback system, the brain’s -- influences the pituitary gland, which influences other glands, which release hormones and influence the brain.
hypothalamus
49
What do phrenology and psychology’s biological perspective have in common?
- They share a focus on the links between the brain and behavior. Phrenology faded because it had not scientific basis — skull bumps don’t reveal mental traits and abilities
50
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 (the tap)
51
What bodily changes does your ANS direct before and after you give an important speech?
Responding to this challenge, your ANS sympathetic division will arouse you. It accelerates your heartbeat, raises your blood pressure and blood sugar, slows your digestion and cools you with perspiration. After you give your speech, your ANS parasympathetic division will reverse these effects
52
How are the nervous and endocrine systems alike, how are they different?
- 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 secretes hormones into the bloodstream, delivers its messages much more slowly than the speedy nervous system, and the effects of the endocrine system’s messages tend to linger much longer than those of the nervous system
53
EEG has -- spatial resolution
poor
54
tracks successive images of brain tissue to show brain function
fMRI
55
tracks radioactive glucose to reveal brain activity
PET
56
uses magnetic fields and radio waves to show brain anatomy
MRI
57
older brain structures are -- complex brain in primitive vertebrates handle basic survival functions
less
58
older brain structures are -- complex brain in advanced mammals (including humans) contain new brain systems built on the old
more
59
--, including the medulla and pons, is an extension of your spinal cord.
brainstem
60
-- is attached to the top of the brainstem
thalamus
61
-- passes through the thalamus and brainstem
reticular formation
62
Is oldest and
innermost brain
region
brainstem
63
is located at base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing
medulla
64
Sits above medulla
| and helps coordinate movement
pons
65
Nerves from one side of the brain are mostly linked to the body’s -- side.
opposite
66
Involves nerve network running through the brainstem and thalamus; plays an important role in controlling arousal
reticular formation
67
Is area at the top of the brainstem; directs sensory messages to cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla
thalamus
68
Aids in judgment of time, sound, and texture discrimination and emotional control
cerebellum
69
cerebellum Coordinates voluntary movement and --
life-sustaining functions
70
Helps process and store information outside of awareness (posture, balance)
cerebellum
71
In what brain region would damage be most likely to
| leave you in a coma -
reticular formation
72
In what brain region would damage be most likely to disrupt your ability to hear and taste
thalamus
73
In what brain region would damage be most likely to disrupt your ability to skip rope
cerebellum
74
In what brain region would damage be most likely to cut off the very breath and heartbeat of life
medulla
75
Electrical stimulation of a cat's amygdala provokes angry reactions. Which autonomic nervous system division is activated by such stimulations?
sympathetic division
76
consists of 2 almond shaped neural clusters in the limbic system; linked to emotion
amygdala
77
neural structure lying below the thalamus
hypothalamus
78
directs several maintenance activities
hypothalamus
79
hypothalamus helps govern -- via pituitary gland and is linked to motivated/reward behavior
endocrine system
80
Each hemisphere has four lobes:
frontal, parietal, occipital, temporal
81
Which area of the human brain is most similar to that of less complex animals?
brainstem
82
Which part of the human brain distinguished us most from less complex animals?
cerebral cortex
83
The visual cortex of the -- at the rear of
| your brain receives input from your eyes.
occipital lobes
84
The auditory cortex, in your —(above your ears) receives information from your ears.
temporal lobes
85
association areas of the cortex are found in --
all four lobes
86
damage to association areas results in -- losses
different
87
association areas are important because they are involved in -- such as interpreting, integrating, and acting on info processed in other areas
higher mental functions
88
ability to modify itself after damage
plasticity
89
If one hemisphere is damaged early in life, other will assume by reorganizing or -- new pathways
building
90
plasticity -- later in life
diminishes
91
brain mends itself by forming new -- through which neurogenesis, as well as immune and repair functions from glial cells
neurons
92
-- aims to rewire brains and improve dexterity of brain-damaged people
Constraint-induced therapy
93
Blindness or deafness make -- brain areas available for other uses
unused
94
plasticity-inducing therapies
mindfulness/meditation
neurofeedback/biofeedback
TMS, tDCS, and related stimulation methods
95
this large band of neural fibers connects the two cortices
corpus callosum
96
Isolated by cutting the fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) connecting them
split brain hemisphere
97
Data received by either hemisphere are quickly transmitted to the other side, across the corpus callosum.
intact brain
98
This information sharing does not take place.
severed corpus callosum brain
99
Each hemisphere performs distinct functions. Humans have unified brains with -- parts.
specialized
100
-- hemisphere is good at making quick, exact interpretations of language
Left
101
-- hemisphere excels in making inferences, modulating speech, and facilitating self-awareness
Right
102
verbally reports seeing the portion of the word transmitted to the -- hemisphere
left
103
but indicates that she saw the portion of the word transmitted to her -- hemisphere
right
104
If we flash a red light to the right hemisphere of a person with a split brain, and flash a green light to the left hemisphere, will each observe its own color?
YES
105
Will the person be aware that the colors differ? What will the person verbally report seeing?
no, green
106
Nearly 90 percent of people are right-handed and process speech primarily in -- hemisphere.
left
107
Prevalence of right-handers suggests a genetic or -- influence.
prenatal
108
Pros and cons of left-handedness seem about --
equal
