Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

MCAT Lessons Review > Quicksheets > Flashcards

Quicksheets Flashcards

1
Q

What are the four lobes of the cerebral cortex?

A

Frontal, Parietal, Occipital, Temporal

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What are the three types of neurons in the nervous system?

A

Motor (efferent), Interneurons, Sensory (afferent)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What is the focus of the parasympathetic branch of the autonomic system?

A

‘Rest-and-digest’ responses

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What is the focus of the sympathetic branch of the autonomic system?

A

‘Fight-or-flight’ responses

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

List two functions of the parasympathetic system.

A
  • Constrict pupils
  • Stimulates salivation
  • Constricts bronchi
  • Slows heartbeat
  • Stimulates peristalsis
  • Stimulates bile release
  • Contracts bladder
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

List two functions of the sympathetic system.

A
  • Inhibits salivation
  • Increases heart rate
  • Dilates pupils
  • Relaxes bronchi
  • Sweating
  • Inhibits peristalsis and secretion
  • stimulates glucose production and release
  • secretion of adrenaline and noradrenaline
  • inhibits bladder contraction
  • stimulates orgasms
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What are the components of the hindbrain?

A
  • Cerebellum
  • Medulla oblongata
  • Reticular formation
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What are the components of the midbrain?

A
  • Inferior colliculi
  • Superior colliculi
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What are the components of the forebrain?

A
  • Thalamus
  • Hypothalamus
  • Basal ganglia
  • Limbic system
  • Cerebral cortex
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is the function of the frontal lobe?

A

Executive function, impulse control, long-term planning, motor function, speech production

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is the function of the parietal lobe?

A

Sensation of touch, pressure, temperature, pain, spatial processing

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What is the function of the occipital lobe?

A

Visual processing

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What is the function of the temporal lobe?

A

Sound processing, speech perception, memory, emotion

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Name two methods of mapping the brain.

A
  • EEG
  • MRI
  • CT
  • PET
  • fMRI
  • rCBF
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What neurotransmitter is involved in voluntary muscle control?

A

Acetylcholine

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What is the role of epinephrine and norepinephrine?

A

Fight-or-flight responses, wakefulness, alertness

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What is the role of dopamine?

A

Smooth movements, postural stability

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What does serotonin influence?

A

Mood, sleep, eating, dreaming

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What is the role of GABA and glycine?

A

Brain ‘stabilization’

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What is the role of glutamate?

A

Brain ‘excitation’

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What do endorphins function as?

A

Natural painkillers

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What does the nature vs. nurture debate focus on?

A

Contributions of genetics (nature) and environment (nurture) to traits

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What is the function of the thalamus?

A

Relay station for sensory information

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What is the role of the hypothalamus?

A

Maintains homeostasis and integrates with the endocrine system

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

What does the basal ganglia help maintain?

A

Postural stability

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

What structures are included in the limbic system?

A
  • Septal nuclei
  • Amygdala
  • Hippocampus
  • Fornix
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

Define sensation.

A

Conversion of physical stimuli into neurological signals

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

Define perception.

A

Processing of sensory information to make sense of its significance

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

What is a threshold in sensory perception?

A

The minimum stimulus that causes a change in signal transduction

30
Q

What does Weber’s law state?

A

Just noticeable difference for a stimulus is proportional to the magnitude of the stimulus

31
Q

What does signal detection theory study?

A

Effects of nonsensory factors on perception of stimuli

32
Q

What is the visual pathway from the eye to the brain?

A

Retina → Optic nerve → Optic chiasm → Optic tracts → Lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) → Visual cortex

33
Q

What is the role of the cochlea?

A

Detects sound

34
Q

What do the utricle and saccule detect?

A

Linear acceleration

35
Q

What do semicircular canals detect?

A

Rotational acceleration

36
Q

What is the auditory pathway?

A

Cochlea → Vestibulocochlear nerve → Medial geniculate nucleus (MGN) → Auditory cortex

37
Q

What is the detection of volatile or aerosolized chemicals by olfactory chemoreceptors called?

A

Smell

This process involves olfactory nerves.

38
Q

What is the detection of dissolved compounds by taste buds in papillae called?

A

Taste

39
Q

What are the four touch modalities in somatosensation?

A
  • Pressure
  • Vibration
  • Pain
  • Temperature
40
Q

What is the kinesthetic sense also known as?

A

Proprioception

This is the ability to tell where one’s body is in space

41
Q

What type of processing involves the recognition of objects by parallel processing and feature detection?

A

Bottom-up (data-driven) processing

42
Q

What is the term for recognition of an object by memories and expectations, with little attention to detail?

A

Top-down (conceptually-driven) processing

43
Q

What are the ways that the brain can infer missing parts of an image when it is incomplete called?

A

Gestalt principles

44
Q

What is the process of becoming used to a stimulus called?

A

Habituation

45
Q

What occurs when a second stimulus intervenes, causing a resensitization to the original stimulus?

A

Dishabituation

46
Q

What is the acquisition of behavior by watching others called?

A

Observational learning

47
Q

What type of learning involves pairing together stimuli and responses, or behaviors and consequences?

A

Associative learning

48
Q

What is a form of associative learning in which a neutral stimulus becomes associated with an unconditioned stimulus?

A

Classical conditioning

49
Q

In operant conditioning, what does positive reinforcement do?

A

Increases behavior

50
Q

In operant conditioning, what does negative punishment do?

A

Decreases behavior

51
Q

What are the stages of consciousness during sleep?

A
  • Awake
  • Stage 1
  • Stage 2
  • Stages 3/4
  • REM
52
Q

What is the focus of the sensorimotor stage of Piaget’s stages of cognitive development?

A

Manipulating the environment to meet physical needs

53
Q

What characterizes the preoperational stage of cognitive development?

A

Symbolic thinking, egocentrism, and centration

54
Q

What is the focus of the concrete operational stage in Piaget’s theory?

A

Understanding the feelings of others and manipulating physical objects

55
Q

What is the focus of the formal operational stage of cognitive development?

A

Abstract thought and problem-solving

56
Q

What type of sleep is characterized by dreams and procedural memory consolidation?

A

REM sleep

57
Q

What are the two categories of sleep disorders?

A
  • Dyssomnias
  • Parasomnias
58
Q

What neurotransmitter mediates drug addiction in the mesolimbic pathway?

A

Dopamine

59
Q

What is the function of depressants like alcohol and benzodiazepines?

A

Sense of relaxation and reduced anxiety

60
Q

What is the function of stimulants such as cocaine and amphetamines?

A

Increased arousal

61
Q

What do opiates and opioids primarily decrease?

A

Reaction to pain

62
Q

Fill in the blank: _______ refers to the process of putting new information into memory.

A

Encoding

63
Q

What is stronger: recognition or recall?

A

Recognition

64
Q

What are the types of problem-solving techniques?

A
  • Trial-and-error
  • Algorithms
  • Deductive reasoning
  • Inductive reasoning
  • Heuristics
65
Q

What type of attention allows one to pay attention to a particular stimulus while determining if additional stimuli require attention?

A

Selective attention

66
Q

What area of the brain is responsible for language comprehension?

A

Wernicke’s area

67
Q

What is the result of damage to Broca’s area?

A

Broca’s aphasia

68
Q

What connects Wernicke’s and Broca’s areas?

A

Arcuate fasciculus

69
Q

What is the driving force behind our actions called?

A

Motivation

70
Q

What type of motivation is based on external circumstances?

A

Extrinsic motivation

71
Q

What does the Yerkes-Dodson law relate to?

A

Optimal level of arousal for performance

MCAT Lessons Review (2 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions