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Psychology > Systems + Brains & co. > Flashcards

Systems + Brains & co. Flashcards

1
Q

Central Nervous System (CNS)

A

Spinal cord and fluids

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2
Q

Peripheral Nervous System

A

Sensory nerves that connect to the CNS to relay messages to the brain

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3
Q

Somatic Nervous System

A

Enables voluntary muscle movement through motor neurons once commands are sent from the brain (motor cortex/cerebellum)

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4
Q

Automatic Nervous System

A

Largely uncontrollable and functions on autopilot beating the heart, digesting food, and moving organs

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5
Q

Sympathetic Nervous System

A

Arouses and expends energy (fight or flight)

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6
Q

Parasympathetic Nervous System

A

Slows your heartbeat, lowers blood sugar, and calms your system after sympathetic makes it all high alert and stuff

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7
Q

Sensory Neurons

A

relay signals to the brain from sensory receptors (sent to the brain through the CNS)

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8
Q

Neurons

A

made up of 4-5 main parts: the soma, axons, dendrites, myelin, and synapses.

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9
Q

Soma

A

the cell body, which contains all the DNA,
and other essential parts for keeping the neuron alive

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10
Q

Axon

A

Where the message travels through to get to the synapses

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11
Q

Myelin Sheaths

A

Fat around the axon that protects the neuron

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12
Q

Synapses

A

Also known as Axon terminal. It is where neurochemicals are released and received by the dendrites

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13
Q

Dendrites

A

Receives neurochemicals from synapses

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14
Q

Neurotransmitters

A

When electrical charges travel through the axon, they reach the end and trigger the release of chemicals called neurotransmitters. Chemical particles/messengers. Ex: serotonin, dopamine, endorphins, norepinephrine. Once the neurotransmitters have bound to the receptors, they are sent back to the original axon in a process called reuptake or dissolved

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15
Q

Sodium-Potassium Pumps

A

Re-separates the Na and K ions in neuron communication. This process is known as action potential, when an electrical Impulse passes through the axons of the communicating neuron

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16
Q

Agonists

A

chemicals in drugs that can bind and activate the
receptors in the synapses, thus providing the associated feeling. Ex: cocaine, heroine, nicotine

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17
Q

Addiction

A

Reuptake can be slowed, and these
drugs can overuse and deplete your natural neurotransmitters, leaving you feeling worse afterwards and in need of more drugs

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18
Q

Antagonists

A

Chemicals that bind and DO NOT activate the receptors—sometimes permanently

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19
Q

Lesions

A

the destroying of brain cells

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20
Q

Cognitive Revolution

A

When most of the technology we used to view brains when patients are alive and alert were invented

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21
Q

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

A

can target the electrical waves in one’s brain, down to a specific stimulus

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22
Q

Computed Tomography (CT) Scans

A

x-rays that can reveal brain damage

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23
Q

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scan

A

shows brains consumption of chemical fuel—glucose (shows most active regions during activity)

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24
Q

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

A

puts head in strong magnetic field that aligns spinning electrons of brain molecules, then disorients them with a radio wave. When they return to normal, it gives a detail picture of the soft tissues.

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25
Q

Functional MRI

A

takes MRI scans less than a second apart to track blood flow and reveal activity in areas on the brain

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26
Q

Adrenaline

A

Hormone. Involved in fight or flight, beneficial in short bursts

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27
Q

Oxycontin

A

Hormone. Us vs. them hormone, not necessarily the cuddle hormone.

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28
Q

Oxycontin

A

Hormone. Us vs. them hormone, not necessarily the cuddle hormone.

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29
Q

Cortisol

A

Stress hormone, like adrenaline helps the body with threats

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30
Q

Testosterone

A

Hormone involved in sexual arousal and competition (and supposedly not aggression but kinda aggression)

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31
Q

Estrogen(s)

A

Category of hormones involved in reproduction, sexual desire

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32
Q

Leptin

A

Involved in turning off hunger

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33
Q

Ghrelin

A

Involved in turning on hunger

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34
Q

Melatonin

A

Helps to turn on the sleep process

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35
Q

Acetylcholine (ACh)

A

Enables muscle action and learning. Lacking = Alzheimer’s

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36
Q
A

nfluences pleasure, movement, emotion (need more). Lacking = Parkinson’s

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37
Q

Serotonin

A

Affects mood, hunger, sleep
Lacking = Depression

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38
Q

Norepinephrine

A

Controls alertness and arousal

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39
Q

Glutamate

A

Major excitatory neurotransmitter

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40
Q

GABA

A

Major inhibitory neurotransmitter

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41
Q

Endorphins

A

Your body’s natural pain killer

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42
Q

Neural Transmission

A

1) Dendrite receives neurotransmitters
2) Soma decodes transmitters and triggers the cycle
3) Cycle:
a. Resting Potential: A state where there are more positive ions outside the neuron than inside
b. Permeability: the gates open and allow the negative and positive ions to mix
c. When the firing threshold is reached, an Action Potential is sent
d. Neural firing is an “all or none” process
4) Refractory Period: the cell must recharge/ prepare the polarity to fire again
5) Re-uptake: any extra neurotransmitters left in the synapse are reeled back into the axon terminal

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43
Q

Endocrine System

A

Hormone-based. Slowly sends messages through the bloodstream. Affect different tissues, including the development of the brain and body, impacting our maturity, moods, feelings, and behavior. Takes longer for feelings/moods to leave.

44
Q

Adrenal Glands

A

Part of the endocrine system. Above the kidneys, release adrenaline in fight or flight situations

45
Q

Pancreas

A

Part of the endocrine system. Below the lungs, releases insulin (use or storage of glucose and energy levels)

46
Q

Thyroid

A

Part of the endocrine system. Located in the neck, this organ controls hormones that boost or reduce metabolism (consumption of energy)

47
Q

Pituitary Gland

A

Part of the endocrine system. Master gland – release growth and other hormones that can most severely impact your behavior

48
Q

Testes/Ovaries

A

Part of the endocrine system. Release testosterone and estrogen – male and female sex hormones (impacts sexual behavior, muscle and body fat, aggression, and more)

49
Q

Dual Processing

A

the conscious and unconscious processing of information simultaneously

50
Q

Cortical Region

A

The outmost layer of our brain containing four lobes. The frontal lobe, parietal lobe, temporal lobe, and occipital lobe

51
Q

Frontal Lobe

A

Last area of the brain to fully develop and connect. Responsible for the majority of one’s creativity,
problem-solving, abstract thinking, and personality. Responsible for impulse control

52
Q

Impulse Control

A

The ability to resist urges and thoughts that offer short-term benefits rather than long-term

53
Q

Phineas Gage

A

Case study. A dynamite accident sent a metal rod through his frontal cortex–he was perfectly healthy, but now more abrasive, ill-tempered personality

54
Q

Association Areas

A

This area (cerebrum) is responsible for interpreting,
integrating, and acting on sensory info and linking it with stored memories. Also responsible for recognizing objects and faces

55
Q

Working Memory

A

As we get older, we have more and more memories and experiences that our cerebrum can interact with, and provide us with more, efficient thinking

56
Q

Prosopagnosia

A

a disorder in which the parts of the brain that recognize features has been damaged, we can no longer remember or recognize faces

57
Q

Hemispheric Specialization

A

the idea that some functions are more dominant in one side of the brain

58
Q

Left Hemisphere

A

deals, roughly speaking, with mastery and organization of what we already know (things like speech)

59
Q

Right Hemisphere

A

deals more with exploring new ideas or concepts we don’t understand (things like creativity, and complex & inferential thought)

60
Q

Brain Lateralization

A

the notion that visual fields and motor functions run by the opposite hemisphere of the brain. The two hemispheres communicate through the corpus callosum

61
Q

Michael Gazzaniga

A

split hemisphere research, 1960s; minds operate
independently and the left side rationalizes actions it doesn’t understand

62
Q

Roger Sperry

A

won a Nobel prize for his research on the split
brain, it’s interaction, and motor and sensory neurogenesis

63
Q

Hindbrain

A

coordinates information coming into and out of the spinal cord, and controls the basic functions of life

64
Q

Midbrain

A

important for orientation, movement, memory, and learing

65
Q

Forebrain

A

highest level of brain; critical for complex cognitive, emotional, sensory, and motor functions

66
Q

Brainstem

A

Part of the hindbrain. Connects the spine to the brain

67
Q

Pons

A

Part of the brainstem. Paralyzes our body during REM Sleep

68
Q

Medulla

A

Part of the brainstem. Regulates heartbeat and breathing

69
Q

Reticular Formation (R.F.)

A

Part of the brainstem. Regulates our sleep/arousal (circadian rhythm)

70
Q

Cerebellum

A

Part of the hindbrain. Coordinates voluntary muscle movement and balance

71
Q

Thalamus

A

Part of the midbrain. Relays and filters information from the senses

72
Q

Hypothalamus

A

Part of the midbrain and limbic system. Regulates body temperature, hunger, thirst, and sexual behavior

73
Q

Pituitary Gland

A

Part of the midbrain. The “master gland” of the body’s hormone-producing system, which releases hormones

74
Q

The Limbic System.

A

A group of forebrain structures involved in motivation, emotion, learning, and memory. It includes the hypothalamus, amygdala, and hippocampus

75
Q

Amygdala

A

Part of forebrain and the limbic system. Plays a central role in many emotional processes…fear/anger/impulse control

76
Q

Hippocampus

A

Part of the forebrain and the limbic system .Critical for creating new memories, particularly facts/personal memories

77
Q

The Cerebral Cortex

A

the highest level of the brain. RIght and left hemispheres. Includes the occipital lobe, parietal lobe, temporal lobe, and frontal lobe

78
Q

Contralateral Control

A

Left Hemisphere controls right side of body, vice-versa

79
Q

Corpus Callosum

A

Connects the two hemispheres of the brain

80
Q

Occipital Lobe

A

processes visual information

81
Q

Parietal Lobe

A

processes information about touch

82
Q

Temporal Lobe

A

responsible for hearing and language

83
Q

Frontal Lobe (card #2!)

A

has specialized areas for movement, abstract thinking, planning, memory, and judgment

84
Q

Plasticity

A

The brain’s ability to change across one’s life or mend itself after damage by developing new or alternative neural pathways from existing neurons

85
Q

Neurogenesis

A

The brain can slowly create small amounts of new neurons

86
Q

Broca’s Area

A

The area in the left hemisphere that controls language expression. Directs muscle movements involved in speech. Discovered by Paul Broca

87
Q

Aphasia

A

The inability to understand or formulate language

88
Q

Lesions

A

Damaged areas in the brain

89
Q

Wernicke’s Area

A

Discovered by Carl Wernicke. Controls language reception & plays a key role in language development. It is located in the temporal lobe on the left hemisphere.

90
Q

Natural Selection

A

Traits that allow populations to reproduce, expand, and survive are passed on to subsequent generations. Research by Charles Darwin

91
Q

Personality

A

one’s character, interests, temperament—are largely genetic (heritable)

92
Q

Adoption Studies

A

have confirmed that despite not even their knowing biological parents, the personality of children tends to reflect biological parents rather than adoption parents

93
Q

Identical Twin Studies

A

those raised together and separately)
tend to demonstrate large similarities in personality as opposed to fraternal twins who exhibit behavior differences at the same rate of non-twin siblings

94
Q

Alleles

A

Genes play a large role in determining both behavioral and physical attributes by activating and deactivated certain clusters in a genetic clusters within our DNA called…

95
Q

Alleles

A

Genes play a large role in determining both behavioral and physical attributes by activating and deactivated certain clusters in a genetic clusters within our DNA called…

96
Q

Interaction

A

the environment can impact the actual genes
and DNA of organisms—particularly during gestation

97
Q

Epigenetics

A

Factors such as stress, diet, and drugs or chemicals can act as activators or deactivators, and change a gene’s expression

98
Q

Sleep

A

the periodic loss of natural consciousness, distinct from coma, anesthesia, or hibernation

99
Q

Motor Cortex

A

Active during sleep, but motor command signals are blocked by the brain stem

100
Q

Stages of Sleep

A
  1. Waking Beta
  2. Waking Alpha (relaxed, but awake state)
  3. Non-REM 1 (can experience hallucinations, images, falling, jerking)
  4. Non-REM 2
    5 .Non-REM 3 (delta brain waves – ‘deep sleep’)
  5. REM sleep for roughly 10 minutes with vivid dreaming (90-minutes to complete entire cycle)
101
Q

REM Sleep

A

usually involves vivid dreams, an increase in heart rate and breathing, rapid eye movement (REM), and genital arousal

102
Q

Insomnia

A

consistent lack of sleep and/or inability to maintain sleep

103
Q

Narcolepsy

A

uncontrolled bouts of falling asleep (short or long)

104
Q

Sleep Apnea

A

temporary ceasing of breathing and micro-wake ups
that interrupt sleeping cycles and deplete people of their REM sleep

105
Q

Night Terrors

A

an nREM-3 and REM sleep disorder that causes subjects to experience extreme fright or dread

106
Q

Dreams

A

vivid, hallucinations that are often of regular, familiar details in our life we regret or relish

107
Q

Dream Theories

A
  1. Dreams are meant to satisfy our wishes. The main proponent of this theory was Freud, who believed
    the manifested content (remembered storyline) represented the latent (underlying/hidden wishes)
  2. Scientists also believe dreams aid the filing away of memories, thus enhancing memory & task performance relative to those deprived of dream cycles
  3. Dreams also develop and preserve neural pathways (practice new skills)
  4. Dreams help to make sense of neural static as the more emotional and mood-related parts of the brain are highly active when dreaming
  5. Lastly, dreams may play a role in reflecting on cognitive development by practicing and comprehending top-down understandings of the world. For example, many toddlers dream about letters and numbers as they learn

Psychology (6 decks)

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