Neuroscience Flashcards
Everything psychological—every idea, every mood, every urge is –
biological
Psychologists working from a – study the links between biology and behavior.
biological perspective
Humans are – systems in which biological, psychological, and social-cultural factors interact to influence behavior.
biopsychosocial
Mind located in spherical head
Plato
Mind found in heart
Aristotle
The mind (spirit) and brain were linked in the pineal body
Descartes
Phrenology revealed mental abilities and character traits
Gall
Despite initial acceptance of Franz Gall’s speculations, bumps on the skull tell us nothing about the brain’s –.
underlying functions
Though they are not the functions Gall proposed, different parts of the brain do control different aspects of –,
behavior
Nerve cells conduct electricity and communicate through – across tiny separating gaps
chemical messages
The adaptive brain is wired by –
experience
Neurons are the elementary components of the nervous system—the body’s – electrochemical system.
speedy
Neurons receive signals through branching – and send signals through its axons.
dendrites
Some axons are encased in a – which enables faster transmission.
myelin sheath,
– provide myelin and support, nourish, and protect neurons.
Glial cells
These also play a role in thinking and learning.
Glial cells
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.
minimum threshold
The neuron’s reaction is an – process.
all-or- none
axon passes – away from the cell body to other neurons, muscles, or glands
messages
neural impulse, the electrical signal traveling down the axon like a wave
action potential
– of axon form junctions with other cells
terminal branches
- Neuron stimulation causes a brief change in electrical charge. If strong enough, this produces – and an action potential.
depolarization
- This depolarization produces another – a little farther along the axon.
action potential
As the action potential continues speedily down the axon, the first section has now completely –.
recharged
The neuron receives signals from other neurons;
some are telling it to fire and some are telling it not to fire.
Neurotransmitters travel – pathways in the brain and may influence specific behaviors and emotions.
designated
– affects muscle action, learning, and memory.
Acetylcholine (ACh)
– are natural opiates released in response to pain and exercise.
Endorphins
Drugs and other chemicals affect brain chemistry at – (or via upstream mechanisms)
synapses
Molecule that increases a receptor’s action
agonist
Molecule that inhibits or blocks a receptor’s action
antagonist
something that binds to a receptor
ligand
Influences movement, learning, attention, and emotion (Oversupply linked to schizophrenia. Undersupply linked to tremors and loss of motor control in Parkinson’s disease.)
dopamine
Affects mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal (Undersupply linked to depression. Some drugs that raise serotonin levels are used to treat depression.)
serotonin
Helps control alertness and arousal (Undersupply can depress mood)
Norepinephrine
A major inhibitory neurotransmitter (Undersupply linked to seizures, tremors, and insomnia.)
GABA
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
Body’s speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the central and peripheral nervous systems
nervous system
Brain and spinal cord are body’s decision maker
CNS
Sensory and motor neurons connecting the central nervous system (CNS) to the rest of the body for gathering and transmitting information
PNS
Adult brain has about – neurons
86 billion
Brain accounts for about 2 percent of body weight and uses – of energy
20 percent
brain weighs about
3 lbs
Near – information storage ability
infinite
Neural networks and pathways govern – through highly efficient electrochemical information system
reflexes
The endocrine system is a set of glands that secretes – into the bloodstream.
hormones
The – is the master gland that influences hormone release by other glands, including the adrenal glands.
pituitary
In an intricate feedback system, the brain’s – influences the pituitary gland, which influences other glands, which release hormones and influence the brain.
hypothalamus
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
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)
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
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
EEG has – spatial resolution
poor
tracks successive images of brain tissue to show brain function
fMRI
tracks radioactive glucose to reveal brain activity
PET
uses magnetic fields and radio waves to show brain anatomy
MRI
older brain structures are – complex brain in primitive vertebrates handle basic survival functions
less
older brain structures are – complex brain in advanced mammals (including humans) contain new brain systems built on the old
more
–, including the medulla and pons, is an extension of your spinal cord.
brainstem
– is attached to the top of the brainstem
thalamus
– passes through the thalamus and brainstem
reticular formation
Is oldest and
innermost brain
region
brainstem
is located at base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing
medulla
Sits above medulla
and helps coordinate movement
pons
Nerves from one side of the brain are mostly linked to the body’s – side.
opposite
Involves nerve network running through the brainstem and thalamus; plays an important role in controlling arousal
reticular formation
Is area at the top of the brainstem; directs sensory messages to cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla
thalamus
Aids in judgment of time, sound, and texture discrimination and emotional control
cerebellum
cerebellum Coordinates voluntary movement and –
life-sustaining functions
Helps process and store information outside of awareness (posture, balance)
cerebellum
In what brain region would damage be most likely to
leave you in a coma -
reticular formation
In what brain region would damage be most likely to disrupt your ability to hear and taste
thalamus
In what brain region would damage be most likely to disrupt your ability to skip rope
cerebellum
In what brain region would damage be most likely to cut off the very breath and heartbeat of life
medulla
Electrical stimulation of a cat’s amygdala provokes angry reactions. Which autonomic nervous system division is activated by such stimulations?
sympathetic division
consists of 2 almond shaped neural clusters in the limbic system; linked to emotion
amygdala
neural structure lying below the thalamus
hypothalamus
directs several maintenance activities
hypothalamus
hypothalamus helps govern – via pituitary gland and is linked to motivated/reward behavior
endocrine system
Each hemisphere has four lobes:
frontal, parietal, occipital, temporal
Which area of the human brain is most similar to that of less complex animals?
brainstem
Which part of the human brain distinguished us most from less complex animals?
cerebral cortex
The visual cortex of the – at the rear of
your brain receives input from your eyes.
occipital lobes
The auditory cortex, in your —(above your ears) receives information from your ears.
temporal lobes
association areas of the cortex are found in –
all four lobes
damage to association areas results in – losses
different
association areas are important because they are involved in – such as interpreting, integrating, and acting on info processed in other areas
higher mental functions
ability to modify itself after damage
plasticity
If one hemisphere is damaged early in life, other will assume by reorganizing or – new pathways
building
plasticity – later in life
diminishes
brain mends itself by forming new – through which neurogenesis, as well as immune and repair functions from glial cells
neurons
– aims to rewire brains and improve dexterity of brain-damaged people
Constraint-induced therapy
Blindness or deafness make – brain areas available for other uses
unused
plasticity-inducing therapies
mindfulness/meditation
neurofeedback/biofeedback
TMS, tDCS, and related stimulation methods
this large band of neural fibers connects the two cortices
corpus callosum
Isolated by cutting the fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) connecting them
split brain hemisphere
Data received by either hemisphere are quickly transmitted to the other side, across the corpus callosum.
intact brain
This information sharing does not take place.
severed corpus callosum brain
Each hemisphere performs distinct functions. Humans have unified brains with – parts.
specialized
– hemisphere is good at making quick, exact interpretations of language
Left
– hemisphere excels in making inferences, modulating speech, and facilitating self-awareness
Right
verbally reports seeing the portion of the word transmitted to the – hemisphere
left
but indicates that she saw the portion of the word transmitted to her – hemisphere
right
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
Will the person be aware that the colors differ? What will the person verbally report seeing?
no, green
Nearly 90 percent of people are right-handed and process speech primarily in – hemisphere.
left
Prevalence of right-handers suggests a genetic or – influence.
prenatal
Pros and cons of left-handedness seem about –
equal
