Unit 1 Flashcards
What is Nature?
Nature refers to our genetics or predisposed characteristics that influence physical, behavorial and mental traits.
What is Nurture?
External factors that one experiences, such as family interactions or even education.
What is genetic predisposition? star
Environments can trigger gene activity, and genetically influenced traits can evoke responses from others.
What is evolutionary perspective?
Proposes that our personalities and individual differences have evolved, in part, to provide us with some form of adaptive advantage in the context of survival and reproduction.
Ex; newborn babies crying-> filling their lungs with air…
Toddlers rejecting vegetables due to not knowing the difference between good and bad plants (survival instincts passed down)
What are some examples of evolutionary perspective?
- Avoiding toxic foods
- Mate selection
- Social competition
What is Eugenics?
Eugenics is the pseudoscientific view that the genetic makeup of the population can be improved by selective breeding and by preventing reproduction by people with various disabilities.
Ex, Natzis when creating the “Aerial race”
3 types of research regarding hereditary and environement?
- Twin studies
- Family studies
- Adoption studies
What is twin studies? star
Using twins to identify whether its genetics or environment that controls characteristics. ( Reared apart twins allows us to see )
What is family studies?
Siblings, parents or children to see genetic links, often related to health and disease.
-similar responses to health promotion intervention like diet, excercises or medication.
What is adoption studies
How similar are adopted children to their adoptive parents, are they as similar as non adopted kids & parents? If yes, this indicates nurture
What are the two things the nervous system is composed of?
- Central (brain and spinal cord)
- Peripheral (All other nerves)
What are the two peripheral nervous systems?
- Somatic
- Autonomic
What are the two autonomic nervous systems?
- Sympathetic
- Parasympathetic
Things about the sympathetic nervous system?
Sympathetic stimulation results in responses that help the body deal with stressful events.
-Fight or flight
-Speeds things up
Things about parasympathetic nervous system?
Parasympathetic stimulation results in maintenance of homeostasis, digestive processes, and calming.
-Rest and digest
-Pumps the breaks
Bodily results of sympathetic?
-dilation of pupils
-dilation of bronchi
-acceleration of heart rate
-acceleration of breathing rate
-release of glucose from liver
-inhibition of digestive functions
-secretion of adrenalin from adrenal glands
-inhibition of secretion of tear glands
Bodily results of parasympathetic?
-constriction of pupil size
-normal bladder contractions
-return to normal breathing rate
-stimulation of tear glands
-return to normal heart rate
-stimulation of digestive functions (salivation, peristalsis, enzyme secretion)
What are the two neural cells?
- neurons
- glial cells
What do neurons do?
recieve and transmit information.
What do glial cells do?
provide structure insulation, communication, and waste transport.
ex, Schwann cells-> produce the myelin sheath which insulates and speeds up the communication along the axon.
What do neurons and glial cells shape?
Behavior and actions.
What is a reflex arc?
In the spinal cord, the reflex arc demonstrates how neurons within the central and peripheral nervous systems work together to respond to
stimuli.
ex, hand taken away without even thinking about it if we were to touch a hot surface.
What are the three neurons that work together in the spinal cord to create a reflex arc?
- sensory neurons
- interneurons
- motor neurons
What are motor neurons?
Cells in the brain and spinal cord that allow us to move, speak, swallow and breathe by sending commands from the brain to the muscles that carry out these functions.
What are sensory neurons?
Nerve cells that are activated by sensory input from the environment.
What are interneurons?
Connect spinal motor and sensory neurons.
What is neural transmission?
Transfer of inormation neurons
What is resting potential?
Resting nueron
-A resting neuron is more negative inside the cell membrane than outside. The resting neural membrane potential is about -70mV (on average).
What is threshold?
Minimum intensity needed to fire a stimulus
What is action potential?
-Neural impulse
-Electrical charge that travels down the axon
-When the axon is myelinated, conduction speed is increased.
What is depolarization?
-Between threshold and action potential
-Polarity reverses, travels down the axon, relaying the signal.
-Depolarizations occur only at the nodes of Ranvier, and, therefore, the action potential jumps from one node to the next.
What is the all or nothing principle?
Idea that if a neuron passes the threshold, it will fire regardless of its magnitude although amount firing can differ.
What is the refractory period?
The time period in which the neuron cannot fire again until the ions have returned to the resting potential state.
What is reuptake?
When brain chemicals are taken back into the neuron that released them. It helps control how much of those chemicals are available to send messages between brain cells.
What are two disrputions to neural transmission?
- Multiple sclerosis
- Myathenia gravis
What is multiple sclerosis?
Caused by damage to the protective myelin sheath nerves. Affects:
-vision
-movement
-cognition
What are some early symtopms of Multiple sclerosis?
Early symptoms:
-blurred or double vision,
-red–green color distortion,
-blindness in one eye.
What are some later symptoms of multiple sclerosis
-fatigue
-weakness in the hands and feet
-numbness
-stiffness or muscular spasms
-muscle and back pain
-difficulties with coordination and balance
-loss of bladder or bowel control
-depression
Some individuals also experience cognitive impairments
What is myasthenia gravis?
Autoimmune disorder where the body produces antibodies against acetylcholine receptors, causing faulty transmission of nerve impulses at neuromuscular junctions. Affects:
-muscles
-speech
What is acetylchloline?
Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that plays a role in memory, learning, attention, arousal and involuntary muscle movement.
What are some symptoms of myasthenia gravis?
-Affected muscles are easily fatigued and may become paralyzed temporarily (e.g., muscles involved in eating may fail to function normally toward the end of a meal, speech may become slurred after a period of talking).
-The disease is progressive, eventually affecting muscles throughout the body.
What are neurotransmitters?
Neurotransmitters generally communicate either excitatory or inhibitory messages.
What are excitatory transmitters?
More likely to fire, resting potential has been raised.
What are inhibatory transmitters?
lowers resting potential of a neuron. Takes more energy to meet the threshold, takes more energy to fire.