Unit 1 Flashcards
What is the nature-nurture issue?
THe controversy over the relative contributions that genes and experiences make to behavior and traits
What is Natural Selection?
principle that the inherited traits enabling an organism to survive and reproduce in a particular envrionment will most likely be passed on
What is eugenics?
selectively breeding humans to promote certain characteristics
What is behavior genetics?
study of relative power and limits of genetic and envrionmental influences on bheavior
What is the main conclusion of the nature-nuture debate?
Nurture works on what nature provides
What is a mutation?
A random error in gene replication that leads to a change
How do our ancestors influence us today?
We are genetically predispose to think and act in ways that promoted our biological ancestors survival and reproduction
What is environment?
Every nongenetic influence
What is heredity?
Genetic transfer of characteristic from parents to offspring
What does it mean when traits are polygenetic?
Influenced by many genes
Details about identical twins
- monozygotic
- genetically identical
- have the same genes, but sometimes not the same number of those genes
Details about faternal twins
- dizygotic
- genetically similar as ordinary siblings
What is an important behavioral hallmark of humans?
Adaptive capacity
What are Epigenetics?
Study of molecular mechanism, by which environments can influence genetic expression, which environments can trigger or block genetic expression
Are genes predetermined or can they self-regulate?
self-regulate
What are epigenetic marks?
Methyl molecules attached to a DNA strand
How do epigenetic marks work?
The mark can determine whether a gene is turned on or not. If it is turned off, the DNA won’t produce the proteins normally encoded by that gene
Can genes influenced by epigenetic marks be passed down?
Yes. Some epigenetic changes can be passed down to future generations which show that environmental influences can also effect genes
What do humans share?`
Genetic legacy
What effect does family environment have on personality?
Very little effect
What is the nervous system?
Electrochemical communication network, consists of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous system
What is the nervous system made of? How do they communicate?
neurons that communicate via chemical messengers called neurotransmitter
How does the nervous system function?
It takes in information, makes decisions, and sends back information and orders to the body’s tissues
What is the central nervous system?
The brian and spinal cord that makes decisions
What is the peripheral nervous sytem?
The sensory and motor neurons that connects the central nervous system to the rest of the body, gathers information and transmits CNS decisions to other body parts
What are Nerves
Bundled axons that forms neural cables that connects the CNS with muscles, glands, and sensory organs
What are sensory neurons?
Neurons that carry messages from the body’s tissues and sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord
What are motor neurons?
Neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands
What are interneurons?
Neurons within the brain and spinal cord, communicates and processes information between the sensory inputs and motor outoputs
What are the 2 components of the peripheral nervous system?
Somatic and Autonomic system
What is the somatic nervous system?
Controls the body’s skeletal muscleS and voluntary movement
What is the the autonomic nervous system?
Controls the glands and muscles of the internal organs, many self-regulating survival functions
What are the 2 subdivisions of the autonomic nervous system?
Sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system
What is the sympathetic nervous system?
Arouses and expends energy, accelerates heartbeat, raises blood pressure, etc
What is the parasympathetic nervous system?
Converses energy and claims a person down
What does the sympathetic and parasympathetic work together to maintain?
homeostasis
Why do neurons create neural networks?
Neuron network with nearby neurons which they can have short, fast connects with
What is the spinal cord?
Connects the peripheral nervous system and the brain which sends signals between each other
What are reflexes?
Automatic response to a sensory stimulus
What is the reflex arc?
Simple spinal reflex pathway, composed of a single sensory neuron and a single motor neuron
Why do some reflexes feel as if you aren’t in control?
Simple reflexes only pass through the sensory receptors, spinal cord, then the motor neurons, it doesn’t pass into the brain. So the sensation isn’t processed and you aren’t consciously making the decision to move
What are neurons?
a nerve cell, basic building block of the nervous system
What are the 5 parts of a neuron?
Cell body, dendrites, axon, myelin sheath, terminal branches
What is the cell body?
Part of the neuron that contains the nucleus
What is a dendrite?
Extensions that receive and integrate messages
What is the axon fiber?
Passes messages through its branches to other neurons, muscles, or glands
What is a myelin sheath?
Fatty tissue layer segmentally encasing the axons of some neurons, increases greater transmission speed
What are the results of myelin sheath degeneration?
Diminished control and slower reaction time
What are glial cells?
Cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons, aids in learning, thinking, and memory
How does glia contribute to intelligence?
Shows a correlation between higher glial cell concentration and higher intelligence
When do neurons transmit messages?
When stimulated by senses or neighboring neurons
What is action potential?
A neural impulse, a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon
How do neurons generate electricity?
Chemical events, ions are exchanged
Describe the process in which neurons gain electricity. What is resting potential, what is depolarization
Outside the axon’s membrane are positively charged ions, the fluid inside of the axon is negative. This positive/negative inside sate is the resting protentional. When the neuron fires, the axon opens up and positively charged ions flood inside, resulting in depolarization. Which causes the next section of axon channels to open like dominoes.
What is threshold
Level of stimulation requried to trigger a neural impulse
What is the refractory period?
Brief resting pause after the neuron has been fired, subsequent action potentials can’t occur until the axon returns to its resting state
What is the all or nothing response?
Neurons will fire at the same intensity, they will either ire or not. Stimulus intensity does not effect the neuron firing intensity
How does a strong stimulus effect the neurons?
They will fire more often and trigger more neurons to fire
What is a synapse?
Junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the neuron
What is the synaptic gap or synaptic cleft?
Gap between 2 neurons
What occurs when an action potential reaches the axon terminals?
Chemical messengers, neurotransmitters are released
What are neurotransmitters?
chemicall messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons, they will bind tot he receptor sites on the receiving neurons
What occurs when the neurotransmitters bind to the receptor sites on the receiving neuron?
Channels at the receiving sites are unlocked and charged atoms low in, which can be excitatory or inhibitory
What happens with excess neurotransmitters?
They drift away to be broken down by enzymes or experience reuptake
What is Reuptake?
Process where the sending neuron reabsorbs excess neurotransmitters
Why are artificial drugs bad for the brain?
It disrupts the brain’s chemical balancing act. If there is too much of the drug, it may stop producing its own natural opioid. If the drug is withdrawn, the brain may be deprived of opioids which causes discomfort
What are agonist molecules?
Increases a neurotransmitter’s actions. Can increase the production or relapse of neurotransmitters, or block synaptic reuptake. Some can mimic neurotransmitter effects
What are antagonists?
Molecule that inhibits or blocks a neurotransmitter’s action. They are similar enough to bind to the receptor site, but not similar enough to activate it
What is the endocrine system?
The body’s slow chemical communication system, set of glands and fat tissue that secrete hormones into the bloodstream
What are hormones?
Chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine gland and travel through the bloodstream
What are some differences between nervous system messages and endocrine messages? (2)
Nervous system messages are quicker
Endocrine systems tend to outlast the effects of neural messages
What is an example of an “endocrine hangover”?
In a moment of danger, the ANS orders the adrenal glands on top of the kidneys to release epinephrine and norepinephrine (also called adrenaline and noradrenaline). These hormones increase heart rate, blood pressure, and blood sugar, providing a surge of energy to power our fight-or-flight response. When the emergency passes, the hormones — and the feelings — linger a while.
What is the pituitary gland?
Located in the core of the brain and controlled by the hypothalamus, releases a growth hormone
What is oxytocin?
a hormone that enables orgasm, labo contractions and milk flow.
Psychoactive drugs
Chemical substance that alters the brain, causes changes in perception and mood
Substance use disorder
Characterized by continued substance use despite significant life disruption
What are 4 parts of a substance use disorder?
Diminished control, diminished social functioning, hazardous use, and drug action
What are the 2 factors that contribute to the effect of a drug?
Biological effects and the users expectation
What are the 3 major categories of psychoactive drugs?
Depressants, stimulants, and hallucinogens
What do psychoactive drugs do to neurotransmitters and receptors? (3)
Stimulates or inhibits the receptors
mimics neurotransmitters
Depressant function
calms neural activity and slows body function
How does alcohol act as a disinhibitor?
Alcohol slows brain activity that controls judgement and inhibitions
What are the 3 effects of alcohol consumption?
Slows sympathetic nervous system activity
disrupts memory formation
reduced self-awareness
What are barbiturates?
Drugs that depress the central nervous system activity, reduces anxiety but impairs memory and judgment, tranquilizers
What are opiods?
Depress neural activity, temporarily lessens pain and anxiety
What happens when the brain is repeatedly exposed to synthetic opioids?
The brain will stop producing natural endorphins, causing a dependence on these artificial opioids
What are stimulants?
Drugs that excite neural activity and speed up body functions
What are some uses for stimulants?
Feeling alert, losing weight, boosting mood, athletic performance, or academic performance
What occurs when someone takes a hit of nicotine?
The central nervous system releases a flood of neurotransmitters. The epinephrine and norepinephrine will diminish appetite and boost alertness and mental efficiency. Dopamine and opioids will calm anxiety
How does cocaine effect the body?
It produces a rush of euphoria from the rush of dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine, which results in a major depression and crash once the drug wears off. The drug binds to the sites that reabsorb the neurotransmitters, resulting in these neurotransmitters staying long afterwards
What is the effect of amphetamines?
They stimulate neural activity, energy and mood rises
What are mathamphetamines?
they trigger the release of dopamine which stimulates braincells that enhance energy and mood, but results in a crash afterwards. Over time, it reduces the baseline dopamine levels, resulting in a depressed mood
What is ecstasy?
A stimulant and a mild hallucinogen, it triggers dopamine release and released stored serotonin and blocks reuptake.
What are the harms of ecstacy?
Dehydrating effect that can lead to overheating, increased blood pressure and death. Can damage the serotonin-producing neurons. Suppresses the immune system, impairs memory, slows thought, and disrupts sleep
What are hallucinogens?
Distorts perception and evoke sensory images
What are the effects of THC?
Hallucinations, delusions, anxiety
amplifies sensitivity
also relaxes, disinhibits, and brings on a high
impairs motor coordination, perceptual skills, and reaction time
What are the 5 stimulants?
Caffeine, cocaine, methamphetamines, ecstasy, nicotine
What are the 2 depressants?
Alcohol, heroin
What are the 3 hallucinogens?
Ecstasy, LSD, Marijuana
What is phrenology? Is it trustworthy?
Study of the bumps on the skull and the possible mental abilities and traits, debunked
What is localization of function?
The idea that various brain regions have particular functions
What systems need to be studied to understand behavior?
Biological, psychological, and social cultural
What is the biopsychosocial approach? What are the 3 levels of analysis?
An integrated approach that incorporates biological, psychological, and social cultural levels of analysis
What is neuroplasticity?
The brain’s ability to change by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience
What is lesion?
Tissue destruction
How do scientists lesion?
they lesion tiny clusters of normal or defective brain cells to observe their effect on brain function
What are the 3 main divisions of vertebrate brains?
Hindbrain, midbrain, and the forebrain
What does the hindbrain do?
Contains brainstem strucutres that direct essential survival functions
What does the midbrain do?
Connects the hindbrain and the forebrain, controls movement and transmit information that enables seeing and hearing
What does the forebrain do?
Manages complex cognitive activities, sensory and associative functions, and voluntary motor movement
Organism’s brain parts evolve to best suit their environment, True or False?
true
What is the brainstem responsible for?
Automatic survival functions
What does the medulla do?
Hindbrain, controls heartbeat and breathing
Pon’s function
Coordinate movements and control sleep
What is the brain’s contralateral hemisphere organization?
The sides of the brain controls the opposite sides of the body.
Thalamus Function
The forebrain’s sensory control center, directs messages tot he sensory reciving areas in the cortex and trasmit replies to the cerebellum and medulla
What is the reticular formation?
Nerve network that travels through the brainstem into the thalamus, filters information and controls arousal
Cerebellum function
Processes sensory input, coordinates movement output and balance, enables nonverbal learning and memory
What would occur if the cerebellum was injured?
Difficulty walking and balancing
Limbic system function?
Located mostly in the forebrain, associated with emotions and drives
What are the parts of the brain associated with the limbic system (5)
Hippocampus, thalamus, and pituitary glands, amygdala, hypothalamus
What is the amygdala?
Enables aggression and fear
What is the hypothalamus?
Directs maintenance activities, helps govern the endocrine system and is linked to emotion and reward
What is the hippocampus?
processes conscious, explicit memories
What happens when the hippocampus is injured?
The ability for form new memories of facts or events are lost
What is the cerebrum?
The 2 cerebral hemispheres that enables our perceiving thinking, and speaking
What is the cerebral cortex?
Thin surface layer of interconnected neural cells over the cerebrum
What is the cerebrum mostly filled with?
Axons connecting the cortex to other regions
What are the 4 lobes the hemisphere’s cortex are divided into?
Frontal, parietal, occipital, temporal
Frontal lobe function
Enables linguistic processing, muscle movement, high order thinking, and executive function
Parietal lob function
Receives sensory input for touch and body posiition
Occipital lobe function
Areas that receive information from visual fields
Temporal lobe function
Auditory areas that receives information from the opposite ear, also enables language processing
What is the motor cortex?
Controls voluntary movement at the front lobes
How does body part sensitivity relate to brain size?
The bigger area in the brain, the greater sensitivity of that area
Somatosensory cortex function
Specializes in receiving information from the senses and from the movement of body parts
What are association areas?
Areas of the cerebral cortex that are involved in higher mental functions
What are 2 scenarios where the brain undergoes neuroplasticity?
When serious damage to the brain occurs and when new information/situations are happening
What will the right hemisphere do is a tumor appears in the language center of the left hemisphere?
It will begin to compensate for the lack of language
What is neurogenesis?
The formation of new neurons
What is the corpus callosum?
Large band of neural fibers connecting the 2 brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them
Which hemisphere controls speech?
The left hemisphere
If an apple was on the left side and a heart was on the right side, if a split brain participant was asked to say which one they saw, which would they say?
heart
If an apple was on the left side and a heart was on the right side, if a split brain participant was asked to point with their left hand to what they saw, which would they point to?
apple
Which hemisphere of the brain is more engaged for a perceptual task?
Right hemisphere
Which hemisphere of the brain is more engaged in an activity involving math caluclations?
Left hemisphere
What are 3 things the right hemisphere excels at?
Making inferences, modulating speech, and self-awareness
Function of an MEG?
Measures magnetic fields to see how certain tasks influences brain activity
Function of an EEG?
Records brain waves
Function of an MRI?
brain scans that show the brain’s anatomy
Functions of a CT?
Pictures of the brain that can reveal damage
Functions of a PET?
Depicts brain activity by showing the consumption of glucose, which can show which part of the brain is more active during a task
Functions of a fMRI?
Type of MRI that also shows blood flow
Acetylcholine, Function (3), effects, type
Muscle action, learning, memory, excitatory
Lack: Alzheimer’s, Ach-producing neurons deteriorate
Excess: spasm
Dopamine, Function (4), effects, type
Movement, learning, attention, contributes to addicting behavior and repetitive actions
inhibitory
Excess: schizophrenia
Lack: tremors, decreased mobility, parkinsons
Serotonin Functions (4), effects, type
Mood, hunger, sleep, arousal
inhibitory
lack: depression, anxiety
excess: hallucinations
Norepinephrine Function (3), effects, type
Alterness, arousal, comes out when challenged
excitatory
lack: depressed mood and anxiety
GABA Function, effects, type
Calming
inhibitory
lack: seizures, tremors, insomnia
excess: too relaxed, impacts functions
Glutamate Function, effects, type
Memory, thinking, learning
excitatory
excess: overstimulation, migraines, seizures
lack: insomnia, lack attention
Endorphins Function, effects, type
Perception of pain or pleasure
inhibitory
excess: can suppress natural endorphin supply
lack: pain
Glyceollin
Controls hunger
Substance P Function, effects, type
Pain perception, immune response
excitatory
excess: chronic pain
Leptin
energy balance, maintains appetite
Melatonin
Regulates circadian rhythm and sleep
