PSY 1101 - Chapter 03: Biology & Neuroscience (Pt. 5)

Question 1

What is Brain Placticity?

Answer 1

the brain is changeable and modifiable (it is plastic)
- The brain changes with experience

Question 2

What is Brain Laterality?

Answer 2

There’s no “left” or “right” brain, the two hemispheres are constantly working together to carry out functions

• Also known as Functional Asymmetry

Question 3

What is Functional Asymmetry?

Answer 3

our two hemispheres do carry out similar functions, however each hemisphere seems to have its very own specialties

Ex: left hemisphere → associated with language and learning

Question 4

How was Functional Asymmetry discovered?

Answer 4

Discovered through clinical observation, neuro-imaging techniques, and split brain patients

Question 5

What are Split Brain Patients?

Answer 5

one of the way we learned about functional asymmetry is through split brain patients.

• Patients that suffered from severe seizures
• To relieve their seizures, doctors cut off their corpus callosum

Question 6

In a split-brain patient, how are the RVF and LVF different?

Answer 6

If we flash information to the left visual field → it will go to the right side of the hemisphere

If we flash information to the right visual field → it will go to the left side of the hemisphere

Question 7

How does a Normal Brain differ from that of a Split Brain Patient?

Answer 7

Normal Brain: Corpus colosseum communicate and anything shown in the right hemisphere will be communicated with the left hemisphere

Split Brain: If you flash an image to the right hemisphere, only the left side of the body will know about it (the left hemi will be left in the dark)

Question 8

What does the Left Hemisphere control?

Answer 8

Controls language and speech, right side of body

Question 9

What does the Right Hemisphere control?

Answer 9

Controls attention, memory, reasoning, and problem solving; left side of body

Question 10

What is the Peripheral Nervous System?

Answer 10

1. It consists of all the nerves in your body that is outside of the central nervous system
2. It connects our bodies to the external world and to the CNS

Question 11

What is the Main Function of the PNS?

Answer 11

Main job is to collect information from the outside world
- to send this information to the central nervous system
- to send information from the central nervous system to the outside world

Question 12

What are the two divisions of the PNS?

Answer 12

1. Somatic NS
2. Autonomic NS

Question 13

What is the Somatic NS?

Answer 13

Has two subdivision:
1. Sensory
2. Motor

Question 14

What is the Sensory Subdivision of the Somatic NS?

Answer 14

Collects information from the external world and will send this to the cns via sensory neurons

• ears, nose, eyes, skin

Question 15

What are the Axons of the Sensory Neurons called?

Answer 15

The axons of the sensory neurons are called afferent axons because they carry information from the body / the external world to the CNS

Question 16

What is the Motor Subdivision of the Somatic NS?

Answer 16

Take motor info from cns and will transmit it to skeletal muscles using motor neurons

Question 17

What are the Axons of the Motor Neurons called?

Answer 17

The axons of the motor neurons are called efferent axons because they carry information from the CNS to the body

Question 18

What is the Autonomic NS?

Answer 18

It controls glands and visceral muscles
- muscles we do not have voluntary control over (e.g., heart, eyes)

Question 19

What are the Divisions of the Autonomic NS?

Answer 19

1. Sympathetic NS
2. Parasympathetic NS

Are distinct but are constantly working together to maintain homeostasis

Question 20

What is the Sympathetic NS?

Answer 20

Energizes, mobilizes, and prepares our bodies for fight or flight

Question 21

What is the Parasympathetic NS?

Answer 21

Relaxes the body
- conserves energy and helps the body repair itself
- known as the rest and digest system

Question 22

What is the Endocrine System?

Answer 22

The other major communication network in our bodies
- it consists of all of our glands in the body (ex: thyroid, pancreas, etc.)
- contains hormones

Example: Pineal gland (Found in brain; releases melatonin, the sleep hormone; regulates sleep-wake cycle)

Question 23

What are Hormones?

Answer 23

Chemicals that carry messages from the endocrine to body tissue, organs, and to the brain

They’re so powerful they can INFLUENCE how we feel how we think and how we behave

Question 24

What are the Three Types of Hormones?

Answer 24

1. Hormones associated with Homeostasis
2. Reproductive hormones
3. Stress hormones

Question 25

What are Hormones associated with Homeostasis?

Answer 25

ex: renin-helps regulate our blood pressure (insulin helps regulate our blood sugar)

Question 26

What are Reproductive Hormones?

Answer 26

testosterone, estrogen

Question 27

What are Stress Hormones?

Answer 27

cortisol , epinephrine

Stress hormones in the short term are very useful for our bodies. But if we’re stressed day in and day out (long term) can be very toxic

Ex: cortisol in long term can kill neurons in our brain

Question 28

What is the Pituitary Gland?

Answer 28

considered to be the master gland in the endocrine system

• it controls almost all the other glands
• The pituitary also has its own boss and that is the Whypothalamus

Question 29

What is the Hypothalamus?

Answer 29

Controls the endocrine system

Question 30

How does the NS and Endocrine System work together?

Answer 30

distinct systems carry distinct functions but affect one another…

The nervous system controls the endocrine system but the hormones of the endocrine system can influence and affect the ns system