Unit 1: Biological Bases of Behavior Flashcards
(112 cards)
1
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Heredity Factors
A
“Nature” refers to genetic predisposed characteristics that influence physical, behavioral, and mental traits and processes.
2
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Environmental Factors
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“Nurture” refers to the external factors that one experiences, such as family interactions and processes
3
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Environment
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Every nongenetic influence, from prenatal nutrition to our experiences of the people and things around us.
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Genes
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The biochemical units of heredity
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Genome
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The complete instructions for making an organism
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Identical Twins
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Individuals who developed from a single fertilized egg that split in two, creating two genetically identical organisms
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Fraternal Twtins
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Individuals who developed from separate fertilized eggs. They are genetically no closer than ordinary siblings, but they shared a prenatal environment
8
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Interaction
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The interplay that occurs when the effect of one factor depends on another factor
9
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Epigenetics
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The study of molecular mechanisms by which environments can influence genetic expressions (Without a DNA change)
10
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Nervous System
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The body’s speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous system
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Central Nervous System (CNS)
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The brain and the spinal cord
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Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
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The sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body
13
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Nerves
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Bundled axons that form neural cables connecting the central nervous system with the muscles, glands, and sensory organs
14
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Sensory Neurons
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AKA afferent Neurons that carry incoming information from the body’s tissues and sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord.
15
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Motor Neurons
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AKA Efferent Neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands.
15
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Interneurons
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Neurons within the brain and spinal cord, they communicate internally and process information between the sensory inputs and motor outputs
16
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Somatic Nervous System
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The division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body’s skeletal muscles. AKA skeletal nervous system
17
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Autonomic Nervous System
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The art of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs. Its sympathetic division arouses, it’s parasympathetic division calms
18
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Sympathetic Nervous System
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The division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing energy
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Parasympathetic Nervous System
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The division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy
20
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Reflex
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a simple, autonomic response to a sensory stimulus, such as a knee-jerk reaction
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Neuron
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the basic building block of the nervous system
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Cell body
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the part of a neuron that contains the nucleus; the cell’s life support
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Dendrites
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a neuron’s often bushy, branching extensions that receive and integrate messages, conducting impulses toward the cell body
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Axon
The segmented neuron extension that passes messages through its branches to other neurons or to muscles or glands.
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Myelin Sheath
A fatty tissue layer segmentally encasing the axons of some neurons; it enables vastly greater transmission speed as neural impulses hop from one node to the next
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Glial Cells
cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons; they may also play a role in learning and memory
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Threshold
The level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse
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Refractory Period
A brief resting pause that occurs after a neuron has fired, subsequent action potentials cannot occur until the axon returns to it's resting state
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All-or-None Response
Reaction of either firing or not firing
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Synapse
The junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron. The tiny gap is called the synaptic gap or synaptic cleft.
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Reuptake
a neurotransmitter's reabsorption by the sending neuron
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Neurotransmitters
Chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gap between neurons. When released by the sending neuron, neurotransmitters travel across the synapse and bind the receptor sites on the receiving neuron, thereby influencing whether that neuron will generate a neural impulse.
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Endorphins
Natural, opioid like neurotransmitters linked to pain control and pleasure
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Agonist
A molecule that increases a neurotransmitter's action
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Antagonist
A molecule that inhibits or blocks a neurotransmitter's action
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Endocrine System
The body's "slow" chemical communication system, a set of glands and fat tissue that secrete hormones into the bloodstream
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Hormones
Chemical messages that are manufactured by the endocrine glands, travel through the bloodstream, and affect other tissues
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Psychoactive Drugs
Chemical substance that alters the brain causing changes in perceptions and moods
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Substance Use Disorder
A disorder characterized by continued substance use despite resulting life disruption
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Depressants
Drugs that reduce neural activity and slow body functions
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Tolerance
The diminishing effeceet with regular use of the same dose of a drug, requriing the user to take larger and larger doses before experiencing the dug's effect
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Addiction
An everyday tern for compulsive substance use (and sometimes used for dysfunctional behavior patterns, such as gambling)
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Withdrawal
The discomfort and distress that follows discontinuing an addictive drug or behavior
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Barbiturates
Drugs that depress the CNS activity, reducing anxiety but impairing memory and judgement
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Opioids
Opium and its derivatives; they depress neural activity; temporarily lessening pain and anxiety
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Stimulants
drugs that excite neural activity and speed up body functions
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Hallucinogens
Psychedelics drugs that distort perceptions and evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory input
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Near Death Experience
An altered state of consciousness reported after a close brush with death, often similar to drug-induced hallucinations
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Biological Psychology
The scientific study of the links between biological and psychological processes.
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Biopsychosocial Approach
An integrated approach that incorporates biological, psychological, and social-cultural levels of analysis
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Levels of Analysis
The differing complementary views, from biological to psychological to social-cultural, for analyzing any given phenomenon
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Neuroplasticity
The brain's ability to change by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience.
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Lesion
Tissue destruction, brain lesions may occur naturally, during surgery, or experimentally
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EEG
Electroencephalogram is an amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity sweeping across the brain's surface. These waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp.
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MEG
Magnetoencephalography is a brain-imaging technique that measures magnetic fields from the brain's natural electrical activity
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CT Scan
Computed Tomography is a series of X-ray photographs taken from different angles and combined by computer into a composite representation of a slice of the brain's structure
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PET
Positron Emission tomography is a technique for detecting brain activity that displays where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task
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MRI
Magnetic Resonance Imaging is a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images of soft tissue. MRI scans show brain anatomy
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fMRI
Functional MRI is a technique for revealing blood flow and therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. They show the brain function AS WELL AS brain structure
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Hindbrain
consists of the medulla, pons, and cerebellum; directs essential survival functions, such as breathing, sleeping, and wakefulness, as well as coordination and balance.
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Midbrain
Found atop the brainstem; connects the hindbrain with the forebrain, controls some motor movement, and transmits auditory and visual information
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Forebrain
Consists of the cerebral cortex, thalamus, and hypothalamus; manages complex cognitive activities, sensory and associative functions, and voluntary motor activities
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Brainstem
The Central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull. The brainstem is responsible for autonomic survival functions
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Medulla
The hindbrain structure that is the brainstem's base, controls heartbeat and breathing
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Thalamus
The forebrain's sensory control center, located on top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla
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Reticular Formation
A nerve network that travels through the brainstem into the thalamus; it filters information and plays an important role in controlling arousal.
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Cerebellum
The hindbrain's "little brain" at the rear of the brainstem; it's functions include processing sensory input, coordinating movement output and balance, and enabling nonverbal learning and memory
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Limbic System
Neural system located mostly in the forebrain - below the cerebral hemispheres- Includes Amygdala, hypothalamus, hippocampus, thalamus, and pituitary gland, and is associated with emotions and drives
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Amygdala
Two lima-bean sized neural clusters in the limbic system linked to emotion. fight or flight
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hypothalamus
It directs several maintenance activities, helps govern the endocrine system, and is linked to emotion and reward
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Hippocampus
A neural center in the limbic center that helps process explicit memories of facts and events- for storage
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Cerebral
The intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the forebrain's cerebral hemispheres; the body's ultimate control and information-processing center
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Frontal Lobes
The portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead. they enable linguistic processing, muscle movements, higher-order thinking, and executive functioning
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Parietal Lobes
The portion of the cerebral cortex lying on the top of the head and toward the rear; it receives sensory input for touch and body position
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Occipital Lobes
The portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; it includes area that receive information from the visual fields
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Temporal Lobes
The portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; it includes the auditory areas, each of which receives information primarily from the opposite ear. They also enable language processing.
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Motor Cortex
A cerebral cortex area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements
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Somatosensory Cortex
A cerebral cortex area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations
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Association Areas
Areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions, but rather are involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking
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Neurogenesis
The formation of new neurons
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Corpus Callosum
The large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them
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Split Brain
A condition resulting from surgery that separates the brain's two hemispheres by cutting the fibers connecting them
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Consciousness
Our subjective awareness of ourselves and our environment
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Cognitive Neuroscience
The interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating)
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Dual Processing
The principle that information often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks
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Blindsight
A condition in which a person can respond to a visual stimulus without consciously experiencing it.
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Parallel Processing
Processing multiple aspects of a stimulus or problem simultaneously
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Sequential Processing
Processing one aspect of a stimulus or problem at a time, generally used to process new information or to solve difficult problems
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Circadian Rhythm
Our biological clock; regular bodily rhythms that occur on a 24 hour cycle
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REM Sleep
Rapid eye movement sleep; a recurring sleep stage during which vivid dreams commonly occur. Also known as paradoxical sleep, because the muscles are relaxed but all other body systems are active
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Alpha Waves
The relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake state
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NREM Sleep
non-rapid eye movement sleep; encompasses all sleep stages except for REM sleep
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Hallucinations
False sensory experiences, such as seeing something in the absence of an external visual stimulus
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Hypnagogic Sensations
bizarre experiences, such as jerking or a feeling of falling or floating weightlessly, while transmitting to sleep.
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Delta Waves
The large, slow brain waves associated with deep sleep
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Suprachiasmatic Nucleus
A pair of cell clusters in the hypothalamus that controls circadian rhythm. IN response to light, the SCN adjusts melatonin production, thus modifying our feelings of sleepiness
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Insomnia
Recurring problems in falling or staying asleep
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Narcolepsy
A sleep disorder characterized by uncontrollable sleep attacks. The affected person may lapse directly into REM sleep, often at inopportune times.
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Sleep Apnea
A sleep disorder characterized by temporary cessations of breathing during sleep and repeated momentary awakenings
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REM Sleep Behavior Disorder
a sleep disorder in which normal REM paralysis does not occur, instead, twitching, talking, or even kicking or punching may occur, often acting our one's dream
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REM Rebound
The tendency for REM sleep to increase following REM sleep deprivation
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Sensation
The process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment
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Sensory Receptors
Sensory nerve endings that respond to stimuli
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Perception
The process by which our brain organizes and interprets sensory information, enabling us to recognize objects and events as meaningful.
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Bottom-up Processing
Information processing that begins with the sensory receptors and works up to the brain's integration of sensory information.
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Top-down Processing
Information processing guided by higher-level mental processes, as when we construct perceptions drawing on our experience and expectations
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Transduction
Conversion of one form of energy into another.
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Psychophysics
The study of relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli, such as their intensity, and our psychological experience of them.
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Signal Detection Theory
A theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimulus (signal) amid background stimulation (noise) ; assumes there is no single absolute threshold and that detection depends partly on a person's experience, expectations, motivation, and alertness
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Absolute Threshold
The minimum energy needed to detect a particular stimulus 50% of the time
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