Psychology Chp. 1 Flashcards
What is the diff b/w sensory, inter, and motor neurons?
sensory (afferent) neurons transmit sensory info from the receptor to the CNS
interneurons - located primarily in the CNS and are linked to reflective behaviors
Motor (efferent) neurons transmit moto info from the CNS to the muscles and glands
What is the diff in path b/w somatic and autonomic nervous system?
somatic NS consists of sensory and motor neurons distributed throughout the skin, joints, and muscles
autonomic NS regulates heartbreak, breathing, digestion, sweating, and glandular secretion
What is the diff in path b/w sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system?
SNS - accelerates heart rate, inhibits digestion, increases blood glucose concentration, relaxes the bronchi
PNS - reduces heart rate, constricts bronchi and pupils, increases digestion
What are the layers of the meninges?
dura mater, arachnoid mater, pia mater
What evolutionary structures make up the brainstem?
the hindbrain and midbrain
What evolutionary structures make up the limbic system?
the forebrain
What is the role of the limbic system?
emotions and memory - aggression, fear, pleasure, pain
What is the role of the cerebral cortex?
language processing, problem-solving, impulse control, and long-term planning
What is the role of the thalamus?
sensory relay station for all senses except for smell
What is the role of the hindbrain (rhombencephalon)?
controls balance, motor coordination, breathing, digestion, and general arousal processes such as sleeping and waking
What is the role of the midbrain (mesencephalon)?
receives sensory and motor information from the rest of the body, and involuntary reflex responses triggered by visual or auditory stimuli
What is the role of the forebrain (prosencephalon)?
complex perceptual, cognitive, and behavioral processes, emotions, and memory
What are the divisions of the hindbrain?
myelencephalon (becomes the medulla oblongata) and the metencephalon (becomes the pons and cerebellum)
What is the role of the medulla oblongata?
regulating breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure
What is the role of the pons?
contains sensory and motor pathways between the cortex and medulla
What are the 2 nuclei in the midbrain?
superior and inferior colliculus
What is the role of the cerebellum?
helps maintain posture and balance and coordinate body movement
What is the role of the superior and inferior colliculus?
superior colliculus receives visual sensory input, whereas the inferior colliculus receives information from the auditory system
What are the divisions of the forebrain?
telencephalon - forms the cerebral cortex, basal ganglia, and limbic system
diencephalon - forms the thalamus, hypothalamus, posterior pituitary gland and pineal gland
What is the purpose of EEG?
Placing electrodes on the scalp to measure patterns of electrical activity
What is the purpose of rCBF?
regional cerebral blood flow detects broad patterns of neural activity based on increased blood flow in different brain parts. patients inhale a harmless radioactive gas, and a specialized machine detects the reading
What is the purpose of CT?
Multiple X-rays are taken at different angles and processed by a computer to cross-sectional slice images of the tissue
What is the purpose of PET?
Radioactive sugar is injected and absorbed into the body, and its dispersion and uptake throughout the target tissue is imaged
What is the purpose of MRI?
uses a magnetic field to interact with hydrogen and map hydrogen-dense regions of the body
What is the purpose of fMRI?
uses the same technique as MRI but specifically measures changes associated with blood flow
What are the roles of the hypothalamus?
aggressive and sexual behavior, hunger, and thirst
What are the roles of the lateral hypothalamus?
triggers hunger and thirst. when damaged, one lacks an appetite
What are the roles of the ventromedial hypothalamus?
provided signals to stop eating. lesions to this center lead to obesity
What are the roles of the anterior hypothalamus?
controls sexual behavior, and regulates sleep and body temperature. when this area is destroyed, one becomes asexual
What are the roles of the posterior pituitary?
composed of axonal projections from the hypothalamus, and is the site of release for the hypothalamic hormone, antidiuretic hormone/vasopressin, and oxytocin
What are the roles of the pineal gland?
secrete melatonin which regulates the creation rhythm when it receives the direct signal from the retina for coordination with sunlight
What are the roles of the basal ganglia?
coordinates muscle movement and steady out posture when receiving information from the cortex and relates this information via the extrapyramidal motor system to the brain and spinal cord
What disease results from damage to the basal ganglia?
Parkinson’s disease, and may play a role in obsessive-compulsive disorder
What are the components of the limbic system?
septal nuclei, amygdala, and hippocampus
What are the roles of the septal nuclei?
one of the primary pleasure centers. associated with addictive behavior
What are the roles of the amygdala?
fear and rage. lesions in this area result in docility and hypersexual states
What are the roles of the hippocampus?
plays a vital role in learning and memory processing, specifically helping to consolidate info to form long-term memories and can redistribute and remove memories to the cerebral cortex
What are the roles of the cerebral cortex/neocortex?
has bumps (gyri) and folds (sulci) which provide increased surface area in the brain
What results from brain injury to the hippocampus?
anterograde and retrograde amnesia
What are the roles of the postcentral gyrus of the parietal lobe?
this projection area is the destination for all incoming sensory signals for touch, pressure, temperature, and pain
Where is the Broca and Wernkicks area located?
Broca - frontal lobe
Wernick - temporal
What are the roles of the Broca and Wernicke areas?
Broca - important for speech production
Wernick - associated with language reception and comprehension
What are the roles of the dominant/left hemisphere?
primarily analytic in function for amazing details. for instance, language, logic, and math skills
What are the roles of the non-dominant/right hemisphere?
associated with intuition, interpretation of language according to emotional tone, creativity, music cognition, and spatial processing
What is the role of acetylcholine?
in the peripheral NS, it is used to transmit nerve impulses to the muscle;
in the CNS, it is linked to attention and arousal
What disease is associated with the malfunction of acetylcholine receptors?
Alzheimer
What is the role of epi and norepinephrine?
adrenaline and noradrenaline the main neurotransmitter of the SNS are involved in controlling alertness and wakefulness
epinephrine is secreted from the adrenal medulla to promote fight or flight
What disease is associated with high and low levels of norepinephrine?
too little - depression
too much - anxiety and mania
What disease is associated with the brain imbalances of dopamine?
schizophrenia and parkinson’s
What is the role of dopamine?
plays an important role in movement and posture
What is the role of serotonin?
plays a role in regulating mood, eating, sleeping, and dreaming
What disease is associated with high and low levels of serotonin?
high level - maniac
low levels - depression
What is the role of GABA?
causes hyperpolarization of the postsynaptic membrane
What is the role of glycine?
an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the CNS that increases chloride influx into the neuron, hyperpolarizing the postsynaptic membrane
What is the role of glutamate?
an excitatory neurotransmitter in the CNS
What is the role of endorphins/enkephalins?
natural painkillers produced in the brain
What is the role of the anterior pituitary gland?
releases hormones that regulate the endocrine system, and is under the control of the hypothalamus
What is the role of the adrenal cortex?
produces corticosteroids like cortisol, and sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone
What are the 4 divisions of the cerebral cortex?
frontal, occipital, temporal, and parietal lobes
What is the role of the frontal lobe?
control executive functions, impulse control, long-term planning, motor function, and speech production
What is the role of the parietal lobe?
controls sensations of touch, temperature, pressure, and pain, spatial processing, orientation, and manipulation
What is the role of the occipital lobe?
visual processing
What is the role of the temporal lobe?
controls sound processing, speech perception, memory, and emotion
What is the diff between family, twin, and adoption studies?
Family - look at the relative frequency of a trait within a family compared to the general population
Twin - compare concordance rates between identical and fraternal twins
Adoption - compare similarities between adopted children and their adoptive parents, relative to similarities within their biological parents
What is the diff between the creation of the neural tube and the crest?
The neural tube becomes the CNS
Crest - cells spread throughout the body, differentiating into many tissues
What are the primitive reflexes?
rooting - infant turns his or her head towards anything brushing its cheeks
more - infant extends arms, then slowly retracts them and cries in response to a sensation of falling
Babinski - the big toe is extended and the other toes fan in response to the brushing of the sole of the foot
grasping - the infant gras anything placed in his or her hands
