The Brain And Behaviour Flashcards

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1
Q

Approximately how much does the brain weigh

A

1400g

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2
Q

What are the basic building blocks of the nervous system

A

Neurons

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3
Q

What are the three main parts of neurons

A

Soma
Dendrites
Axon

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4
Q

Where is the soma in a neuron

A

The cell body

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5
Q

What are dendrites

A

Specialised receiving units that collect messages from neighbouring neurons and send them on to the cell body

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6
Q

What do axons do

A

Conduct electrical impulses away from the cell body to other neurons, muscles or glands

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7
Q

What do neurons do

A

Generate electricity that creates nerve impulses

Release chemicals to communicate with neurons, muscles and glands

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8
Q

What are the three stages neurons go through

A

Resting potential
Action potential
Resting potential again

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9
Q

What occurs during resting potential

A

Neuron is separated from surrounding fluid by a cell membrane; substances pass through ion channels

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10
Q

What causes polarisation

A

Inner ions are more negatively charged that outer ions, resulting in a net negative charge for the resting neuron

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11
Q

What is action potential

A

An electrical shift that occurs when a neuron is stimulated

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12
Q

What causes depolarisation

A

Positive sodium ions entering the neuron

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13
Q

When does polarisation occur

A

During resting potential

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14
Q

When does depolarisation occur

A

During action potential

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15
Q

What is the absolute refractory period

A

The recovery period that occurs after the action potential passes along each point on the axon

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16
Q

What is the all or none law

A

Action potentials occur either at uniform and maximum potential, or not at all

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17
Q

Define graded potentials

A

Changes in the negative resting potential that do not reach the action potential threshold

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18
Q

What is the myelin sheath

A

A layer of fatty insulation that surrounds the axon

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19
Q

What colour is myelin

A

White

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20
Q

What does the myelin do

A

Allows electrical conduction to take place at a higher speed than unmyelinated axons

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21
Q

When does the myelin completely form in many neurons

A

Some time after birth

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22
Q

What can damage to the myelin sheath cause

A

Multiple sclerosis

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23
Q

How do neurons communicate with other cells

A

Through synapses

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24
Q

What are synapses

A

The conjunction of an axon terminal of one neuron and the membrane of another cell

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25
Q

What is the synaptic space

A

A tiny gap between the axon terminal and the next neuron

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26
Q

What are pre synaptic neurons

A

Neurons that send messages

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27
Q

What are post synaptic neurons

A

Neurons that receive messages

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28
Q

What are neurotransmitters

A

Chemical substances that carry messages across the synaptic space to other neurons, muscles or glands

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29
Q

What are the 5 steps neurotransmitters go through

A
Synthesis 
Storage 
Release 
Binding 
Deactivation
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30
Q

What occurs during the synthesis stage of neurotransmitters

A

The transmitters are formed

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31
Q

What occurs during the storage stage of neurotransmitters

A

Transmitter molecules are stored in synaptic vesicles in axon terminals

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32
Q

What happens during the release stage of neurotransmitters

A

Action potential causes transmitter molecules to move from synaptic vesicles across the gap

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33
Q

What happens in the binding stage of neurotransmitters

A

Transmitter molecules bind themselves to receptor sites embedded in the receiving neurons cell membrane

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34
Q

What are the two ways deactivation of neurotransmitters occur

A

Broken down by other chemicals

By reputake

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35
Q

What occurs in reputake

A

Transmitters are taken back into the presynaptic axon terminal

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36
Q

What is the first stage neurotransmitters go through

A

Synthesis

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37
Q

What is the second stage neurotransmitters go through

A

Storage

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38
Q

What is the third stage neurotransmitters go through

A

Release

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39
Q

What is the forth stage neurotransmitters go through

A

Binding

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40
Q

What is the fifth stage neurotransmitters go through

A

Deactivation

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41
Q

What are the two types of chemical reactions that can occur when a neurotransmitter binds to a receptor

A

Excitatory

Inhibitory

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42
Q

What does an excitatory reaction cause

A

It causes the action potential to fire

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43
Q

What does an inhibitory reaction cause

A

Prevents the neuron from firing

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44
Q

What does ACh stand for

A

Acetylcholine

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45
Q

What us acetylcholine

A

A neurotransmitters involved in muscle activity and memory

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46
Q

What is underproduction of acetylcholine a cause of

A

Alzheimer’s

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47
Q

What drugs block acetylcholine

A

Botulism

Botox

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48
Q

What can cause overproduction of acetylcholine

A

Black widow spider bites

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49
Q

What are neuro modulators

A

Chemicals which modulate sensitivity of 1000s of neurons to their specific transmitters

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50
Q

What is the best known category of neuro modulators

A

Endorphins

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51
Q

What do endorphins do

A

They travel through the brain inhibiting pain transmission while enhancing pleasurable feelings

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52
Q

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

A

Sensory neurons
Motor neurons
Inter-neurons

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53
Q

What do sensory neurons do

A

Carry input messages from the sense organs to the spinal cord and brain

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54
Q

What do motor neurons do

A

Transmit output impulses from the brain and spinal cord to the body’s muscles and organs

55
Q

What do inter-neurons do

A

Perform connective or associative functions within the central nervous system

56
Q

What are all three types of neurons in the nervous system required for

A

A simple withdraw reflex

57
Q

What does the peripheral nervous system contain overall

A

All the neural structures outside the brain and nervous system

58
Q

What are two systems in the peripheral nervous system

A

Somatic nervous system

Autonomic nervous system

59
Q

What is the somatic nervous system

A

A system of sensory and motor neurons that allows us to sense and respond to our environments

60
Q

What is the autonomic nervous system

A

A system that senses the body’s internal functions and controls many glands and muscles

61
Q

What are the two subdivisions of the autonomic nervous system

A

Sympathetic

Parasympathetic

62
Q

What is the sympathetic nervous system needed for

A

Activation or arousal function

63
Q

What is one thing controls by the autonomic nervous system

A

Fight or flight reflex

64
Q

What does the parasympathetic nervous system do

A

Slows down the body, maintains a state of internal equilibrium

65
Q

What is homeostasis

A

A delicately balanced or steady internal state

66
Q

What does the central nervous system consist of

A

The brain and spinal cord

67
Q

What is the spinal cord

A

A densely packed bundle of nerve fibres that run along the spine and which transmit messages from sensory and motor neurons

68
Q

What do neuropsychological tests do

A

Measure verbal and nonverbal behaviour of brain damage sufferers

69
Q

What is EEG used for

A

Recording electrical activity of neurons

70
Q

How is EEG used

A

Electrodes are attached to the scalp and record the activity of groups of thousands of neurons

71
Q

What is an issue with EEG

A

Not very specific

72
Q

How is EEG seen

A

In the form of line tracings or readouts

73
Q

What are examples of brain imaging

A

MRI
CT
PET
FMRI

74
Q

What brain scans measure the structure of the brain

A

MRI

CT

75
Q

What brain scans measure brain activity

A

PET FMRI

76
Q

How do CT scans work

A

They use x-Ray technology to study brain structure

77
Q

How do MRI scans work

A

It creates images based on how atoms in living tissue respond to a magnetic pulse from the device

78
Q

What do PET scans do

A

Measure brain activity, including metabolism, blood flow and neurotransmitter activity

79
Q

What do FMRI scans do

A

Produce pictures of blood flow in the brain taken less than a second apart

80
Q

What are three issues with brain imaging

A

It’s easy to locate brain areas but interconnectivity is also important
Not precise enough yet
Knowing where doesn’t tell us what, how or why

81
Q

What are the three major subdivisions of the brain

A

Hindbrain
Midbrain
Forebrain

82
Q

Whoa is the hindbrain

A

The lowest and most primitive level of the brain

83
Q

What does the hindbrain contain

A

Brain stem

Cerebellum

84
Q

What does the brain stem control

A

Basic but vital life support functions

85
Q

What are in the brain stem

A

Medulla

Pons

86
Q

What does the medulla do

A

Plays a key role in heart rate and respiration, enabling them to to occur automatically

87
Q

What do the pons do

A

Help to control vital functions, especially respiration
Help to regulate sleep
Carries nerve impulses between higher and lower levels of the nervous system

88
Q

What is the cerebellum responsible for

A

Control and coordination of muscular movement and learning and memory
Precise timing and coordinator of movements

89
Q

What can damage to the cerebellum cause

A

Severe motor disturbances

90
Q

What does the midbrain contain

A

Clusters of sensory and motor neurons

The reticular formation

91
Q

What does the reticular formation do

A

Alerts higher centres of the brain that messages are coming and then either blocks or allows these messages
Plays a role in consciousness, sleep and attention

92
Q

What does the forebrain contain

A

Cerebrum
Thalamus
Hypothalamus

93
Q

What is the most advanced part of the brain from an evolutionary standpoint

A

The forebrain

94
Q

What is the outer part of the forebrain covered by

A

A layer of tissue called the cerebral cortex

95
Q

What does the thalamus do

A

Organises inputs from sensory organs and routes them to the appropriate areas of the brain

96
Q

What does the hypothalamus do

A

Controls hormonal secretions that regulate sexual behaviour, metabolism and reactions to stress
Involves in experiences of pleasure/pain

97
Q

What does the lambic system contain

A

Hippocampus

Amygdala

98
Q

What does the limbic system do

A

Helps coordinate behaviours needed to satisfy motivational and emotional urges that arise in the hypothalamus

99
Q

What does the hippocampus do

A

Involved in forming, consolidating and retrieving memories

100
Q

What does the Amygdala do

A

Involved in emotional behaviours

101
Q

What is the cerebral cortex

A

A sheet of grey unmyelinated cells that outermost layer of the human brain

102
Q

What does the motor cortex do

A

Controls the 600 or more muscles involved in voluntary body movements

103
Q

What does the sensory cortex do

A

Receives input from our sensory receptors

104
Q

What does the somatic sensory cortex do

A

Receives sensory input that gives rise to our sensations of heat, touch and cold and to our sense of balance and body movement

105
Q

What two brain areas are involved in speech

A

Wernicke’s area

Broca’s area

106
Q

What is the Wernicke’s used for

A

Speech comprehension

107
Q

Where is the Wernicke’s area located

A

The temporal lobe

108
Q

What is the Broca’s area of the brain used for

A

The production of speech through its connection with the motor cortex region

109
Q

Where is the Broca’s area located

A

The frontal lobe

110
Q

What does the association cortex do

A

Is involved in many important mental functions, including perception, language and thought

111
Q

What can damage to the association cortex cause

A

Disruptions or loss of speech, understanding, thinking and problem solving

112
Q

What is agnosia

A

The inability to identify familiar objects

113
Q

What percentage pf the human brain is the frontal lobe

A

29

114
Q

What is the least understood part of the brain

A

The frontal lobe

115
Q

What can damage to the frontal lobe cause

A

An inability to plan and carry out a sequence of actions

116
Q

What is the frontal lobe involved in

A

Emotional experiences

117
Q

What is the corpus callosum

A

A large band if myelinated nerve fibres

118
Q

What is hemispheric lateralisation

A

The relatively greater localisation of a function in one hemisphere or the other

119
Q

What is the left hemisphere needed for

A

Mathematical and logical abilities

Most aspects of verbal abilities and speech

120
Q

What is aphasia

A

The partial or total loss of the ability to communicate

121
Q

What causes aphasia

A

Damage to Broca’s or Wernicke’s areas in the left hemisphere

122
Q

What is the right hemisphere used for

A

Perceiving and understanding spatial relations, recognising faces, perceiving emotion, mental imagery and certain aspects of musical and artistic abilities

123
Q

What is neural plasticity

A

The ability of neurons, brain areas and networks to change in structure and function

124
Q

What impacts neural plasticity

A

Stimulating environment
Cultural factors
Your job/career

125
Q

What two ways can neurons modify themselves

A

Structurally

Biochemically

126
Q

How do neurons structurally modify themselves

A

Sprouting enlarged networks of dendrites; extending axons from surviving neurons

127
Q

How do neurons biochemically modify themselves

A

Increasing neurotransmitter volume

128
Q

What is neurogenesis

A

The production of new neurons in the nervous system

129
Q

What are neural stem cells

A

Immature ‘uncommitted’ cells that can mature into any type of neuron or glial cell needed by the brain

130
Q

What is the endocrine system

A

Numerous hormone secreting glands distributed throughout the body

131
Q

What are hormones

A

Chemical messengers at are secreted from the glands into the bloodstream

132
Q

What are the adrenal glands

A

Twin structures that serve as hormone factories, producing and secreting about 50 different hormones

133
Q

What are antigens

A

Foreign substances that trigger a biochemical response from the immune system

134
Q

What are antibodies

A

Biochemical weapons needed to destroy the antigens