Unit 1b: Biological Bases of Behavior Flashcards
Brainstem
lower part of the brain that connects to the spine
Medulla
- part of brainstem
- controls automatic funtions
Reticular Activating System
- part of brainstem
- regulates wakefulness and arousal
Cerebellum
-voluntary movements
- balance
-posture
-procedural learning
Limbic System
- emotions, motivation, memory, and behavior
- Includes the following: Thalmus, Hippocampus, Amygdala, Hypothalmus
Thalmus
- the router of the brain
- directs sensory information to the appropriate areas of the cerebral cortex for processing.
Hypothalamus
- below Thalmus
- regulates hunger, thirst, temperature, and circadian rhythms.
- also controls the pituitary gland which then regulates other gland’s control of various bodily functions.
Hippocampus
- function and retrival of long-term memories
- spatial memory
- declarative memory
Amygdala
- involved in processing emotions
-fear
-aggression
Cerebral Cortex
- outer wavy layer of the brain (gray matter).
- perception
-thought
-language
-decision making
Frontal Lobe
-judgement
-decisions
- personality
Temporal Lobe
- hearing
-smell
-taste
-memory
Parietal Lobe
-body sense
Occipital Lobe
- vision
Somatosensory Cortex
- located in the parietal lobe
- processes sensory input from the body
Motor Cortex
- located in the frontal lobe
- controls voluntary movements
Association Areas
- integrates info from various sensory and motor areas.
- perception, langauge, thought
Prefrontal Cortex
- decision making
- planning
- social behavior
- personality expressed
Executive Functioning
- commander of prefrontal cortex
- planning
-working memory - attention
- problem solving
- impulse control
Reward Center
Processes:
-rewards
-pleasures
-reinforcement
Hemispheric Specialization
- each hemisphere of the brain is specialized for certain functions
Left Hemisphere
- language
- analytical thinking
Right Hemisphere
- spatial abilities
- creativity
- recognizing patterns
Linguistic Processing
Cognitive Functions involved in understanding, processing, and interpreting language
Broca’s Area
language production
- speech
- writing
Wernicke’s Area
language comprehension
- hearing
- reading
Aphasia
language disorder caused by brain damage
Broca’s Aphasia
speech production problems
Wernicke’s Aphasia
language comprehension problems
Contralateral Hemispheric Organization
each hemisphere controls the opposite side of the body .
Corpus Collosum
connect the right and left hemispheres
Split-Brain Research
effects of severed corpus callosum
Neuroplasticity
brain’s ability to change/adapt to either experience or injury.
3 ways to study the brain
- clinical observation
-manipulation
-imaging
Clinical Observations
“auto pay”
Lesion (manipulation)
surgically damaging part of the brain
Stimulation (manipulation)
electrical, chemical, or magnetic stimulation
EEG
- electroencephalogram
- brain waves
MRI
-magnetic resonance imaging
- detailed picture of the brain
fMRI
- functional magnetic resonance imaging
- measures blood flow
Sensation
- information getting to the brain
Transduction
- the point where sensory information is turned into neural impulses for the brain to interpret
Absolute Threshold
-minimum level of stimulus intensity needed for a person to detect a stimulus 50% of the time.
- do i detect it or not?
Just Noticeable Difference (JND)
- minimum difference required to detect a change
Weber’s Law
- a percentage that doesn’t change
- the greater the initial stimulus, the larger the difference must be for it to be noticeable.
Sensory Adaptation
Diminished sensitivity due to constant stimulation
Sensory Interaction
senses influence each other
Synesthesia
when we perceive sensory information with the wrong part of the brain
Retina
- located at the back of the eye that contains photoreceptors
- translates light into neural impulses which are sent to the brain via optic nerves
Rods
-sensitive to dim light
-black/white
-less detail
-periphery of retina
Cones
-needs brighter light
-color
-more detail
-center of retina
Visual (Optic) Nerve
- carries visual information from the retina to the brain
Blind Spot
area in the retina where the optic nerve exits the eye, creating a gap in the visual field where no photoreceptors are present.
Accommodation
process by which the lens(focus light on retina) changes its shape to focus light on the retina.
Nearsightedness
distant objects appear blurry because the eye focuses light in front of the retina.
Farsightedness
near objects appear blurry because the eye focuses light behind the retina.
usually caused by a shorter than normal eyeball or a flatter cornea.
Wavelength
-distance from the peak of one wave to the peak of the other
- in vision=color
- in hearing = pitch
Amplitude
- the height of a wave, corresponds to the intensity
-In vision = brightness
-In hearing = loudness
Trichromatic Theory
-The eye has three types of cones (blue, green, red)
-Perception of all colors on the spectrum comes from a combination of the activity of these three cones.
Dichromatism
-only two types of cones
-difficulty distinguishing between certain colors.
Monochromatism
-only one type of cone
-shades of gray, cannot perceive any color
Opponent-Process Theory
Suggests that color is perceived in opposing systems:
red-green
blue-yellow
black-white
Ganglion Cells
-final output neurons of the retina
-transmit visual information from the photoreceptors to the brain
-axons of ganglion cells form the optic nerve
Prosopagnosia
- the inability to recognize faces, often due to damage to the fusiform gyrus in the temporal lobe.
Blindsight
individuals with damage to the primary visual cortex can respond to visual stimuli without consciously perceiving them
Wavelength (in hearing)
Shorter wavelengths of sound results in higher frequencies (and higher pitch).
Pitch is how “high” or “low” we perceive a sound to be.
Pitch
the shorter the wavelength, the higher the pitch of the sound
Loudness
the higher the amplitude, the louder the sound
Cochlea (transduction point)
The basilar membrane in the cochlea converts fluid motion into neural impulses
Place Theory
Suggests that different frequencies activate different places along the basilar membrane
Problem: doesn’t explain how we perceive the low frequencies that vibrate the entire cochlea.
Frequency Theory
Suggests that pitch perception is a result of the timing of nerve impulses to the brain.
This helps explain low frequencies that vibrate the entire cochlea
Volley Theory
Suggests that multiple neurons fire in a sequence that combines to form the correct frequency.
This solves the problem with frequency theory
Sound Localization
A person can tell which direction a sound is coming from.
Relies on differences in:
timing
intensity
Conduction Deafness
sound waves are not effectively conducted to the cochlea
Sensorineural Deafness
damage to the cochlea or auditory nerve.
Olfactory System
sense of smell
Smell
chemical sense
associated with strong memories
Pheromones
Chemical signals released by an individual that can affect the behavior or physiology of other members of the same species.
Attraction
Danger
Gustation
sense of taste
Taste Receptors
can detect
- sweet
- sour
- salty
- bitter
- umami(meaty taste)
-oleogustus(fatty foods)
Taste Discrimination
Sensitivity to taste is due to number/density of taste buds.
Super taster
above average
medium taster
average
non-taster
below average
Sensory Interaction
principle that one sense may influence another
sense of touch
combination of:
- pressure
- warmth
- cold
- pain
Gate Control Theory
The spinal cord has a pain “gate” that can block or allow signals to pass to the brain.
Non-painful input may close the gate and lessen our perception of pain.
Vestibular sense
provides information about balance and spatial orientation.
Structures in the inner ear called semicircular canals detect rotational movements of the head and are involved in maintaining balance.
Kinesthesis
involves sensory receptors in the muscles, tendons, and joints that provide information about the position and movement of different body parts.
Phantom Limb
The sensation that an amputated or missing limb is still present.
