Unit 2: Biological Bases Of Behavior Flashcards
What is heritability?
The degree of variance among individuals that can be attributed to genetic variation. Many physical and psychological characteristics are inherited. However genes do not determine everything about us
What is environmentalist?
The degree to which a trait’s expression is caused by the environment in which an organism lives
Nature and nurture is no longer separate, they work together, our psychological makeup is largely the result of the interaction of the two forces
Pituitary gland: hormone
Growth
Prolactin
Oxytocin storage
Various hormones that stimulate other glands
What is the pituitary gland
Master gland forebrain structure elbow the hypothalamus
Pituitary gland: function
Regulates growth, breast milk production, childbirth, bonding, and communicates to other glands to release hormones
Pituitary gland: dysregulation
Extremes in height
What is the pineal gland?
Forebrain structure
Pineal gland: hormones
Melatonin
Pineal gland: function
Regulates seasonal and sleep cycles, melatonin concentrations fluctuate daily with higher levels at night causing drowsiness
Pineal gland: dysregulation
Seasonal affective disorder (sad)
Thyroid and parathyroid gland: hormones
Thyroxin
Calcitonin
Parathyrin
What is Thyroid and parathyroid glands?
Throat
Thyroid and parathyroid glands: functions
Thyroid controls metabolism or that rate at which glucose is converted to energy. Together the parathyroid gland regulate calcium levels in the blood
Thyroid and parathyroid glands: dysregulation
Hypothyroidism (under active gland)
Hyperthyroidism ( overactive gland)
What is adrenal glands?
Above kidney
Adrenal glands: Hormones
Cortisol
Epinephrine( adrenaline)
Norepinephrine (noradrenaline)
Adrenal gland: function
Controlled the sympathetic nervous systems flight or fight reaction which increases heart rate blood pressure and glucose levels to respond to a threat
Adrenal gland: dysregulation
Excessive sympathetic nervous system activity can compromise the immune system
What is pancreas?
Close t the stomach
Pancreas: hormones
Insulin
Glucagon
Pancreas: function
Regulates sugar metabolism
Pancreas: dysregulation
Diabetes
Low blood sugar
What are gonads?
Testes
Ovaries
Gonads: hormones
Androgens, including testosterone estrogen and progesterone
Gonads: function
Allow for sexual reproduction
Gonads: dysregulation
Reproductive difficulties
Higher level of testosterone are correlated with increased aggression
What is the central nervous system?
The bodies master control unit
What is peripheral nervous system
The body’s link to the outside world
What is the spinal cord?
A column of nerves between the brain and peripheral nervous system
What is the three major parts the bran divides into?
Lower part or hindbrain, the midbrain, and the forebrain
What does the autonomic nervous system regulate?
Regulates involuntary bodily processes, including heart rate, respiration, digestion and pupil contraction; operates automatically without conscious discretion
What does the somatic nervous system do?
Carries sensory information from sensory organs to the central nervous system and relays motor commands to muscles; controls voluntary movements
What does the sympathetic nervous system do?
Mobilizes bodily resources in responding to threat by speeding up heart rate and respiration and drawing store energy from bodily reserves
What does the parasympathetic nervous system do?
Replenishes bodily resources by promoting digestion and slowing down other bodily processes
Dopamine: function
Pleasure reward voluntary movement learning and attention
Certain dopamine pathways are involved in drug addiction
Dopamine: lack
Parkinson’s disease
Dopamine excess
Schizophrenia
Acetylcholine (AcH): function
Memory and motivation
Acetylcholine: lack
Alzheimer’s disease
Paralysis
Acetylcholine: excess
Muscle convulsion
Serotonin: function
Mood, appetite, and sleep
Serotonin: lack
Depression
Feeding and eating disorders
Sleep wake disorders
Aggression.
Norepinephrine: function
Mod and sleep
Norepinephrine: lack
Depression
Norepinephrine: excess
Anxiety
Glutamate: function
Memory and learning major excitatory neurotransmitter
Glutamate:excess
Migraines
Seizures
GABA: function
Relaxation and sleep
Major inhibitory neurotransmitter
GABA: lack
Anxiety disorder
Seizures
Insomnia
Endorphins: function
Inhibits pain signals
Endorphins: lack
Lower pain thresholds
Use of heroin and other opiates leads to decreased production of endorphins
Endorphins: excess
Higher level threshold
Runners high
What does reuptake mean
Neurotransmitters are Reabsorbed by the presynaptic neuron
What are agonists drugs and how do they work?
Drugs that work by either blocking reuptake or mimicking the natural neurotransmitters by fitting into receptor sights on the postsynaptic neuron
What is Xanax and how does it work?
Xanax is an anti anxiety medication- the drug molecules fit into receptor sights for the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA and excite the cell
How does SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake or serotonin)function?
Function as agonists by delaying the reuptake of serotonin, allowing the neurotransmitters more opportunity to stimulate the postsynaptic neuron
What are antagonists
Drugs that work by occupying receptor sights on the postsynaptic neuron and block the impact of neurotransmitters
What kind of people need to use antipsychotic medication and why?
Individuals with schizophrenia have too much dopamine, and antipsychotic medications act as dopamine antagonists to block the receptor sights and prevent cell excitement
What is the hind brain and what does it control?
It’s a “primitive” part of the brain, and it coordinates basic bodily functions
Where is the brainstem located and what is it in charge of?
It’s at the base of the brain at the top of the spinal cord
Automatic survival functions
Send and receive information (hindbrain)
Where is the cerebellum lockstep and what is it in charge of?
Behind the brain steam underneath the brain
Balance and coordination
Fine motor movements
Procedural memory (hindbrain)
Where is pons located and what is it in charge of?
Above the medulla on the brainstem and below the thalamus
Sleep and arousal
Dreams
Facial expressions (hindbrain)
Where is medulla located and what is it’s function?
Below the pond on the brain stem
Survival functions (heartbeat, breathing,and digestion)
Reflexes (sneezing vomiting coughing and swallowing) (hindbrain)
What is the midbrain in charge of?
Very small in humans coordinates simple movement with sensory information
What is the reticular formation and what is it in change or?
Network of nerves running vertically through the brainstem and extending to the thalamus
Arousal to stimuli
Sleep
Attentiveness
Filters incoming stimuli and relays important information to the thalamus ( midbrain)
Where is the basal ganglia and what is. In charge of?
Midbrain and forebrain
Smooth voluntary body movements
What is the forebrain and what is it charge of?
Sophisticated part of the humane brain allows for complex thought and behavior unique to humans
Where is the thalamus located and what is it In charge of?
Two connected egg shaped structures lactated at the top of the brainstem
Filters and relays sensory information
Except for smell to the appropriate parts of the cerebral cortex
Where is Limbic system location and what is it in charge of?
Group of structures between the brainstem and the cerebral cortex
Learning
Memory
Emotion
Basic drives
Where is the hippocampus located and what is it in charge of?
Limbic system structure surrounding the thalamus
Explicit memory formation
Learning
Where is amygdala located and what is it in charge of?
At the end o each arm of the hippocampus
Emotions ( especially fear and aggression)
Where is the hypothalamus located and what is it in charge of?
Below the thalamus
Maintenance functions( eating drinking body temperature and sex)
Controls the automatic nervous system
Controls the endocrine system by influencing the pituitary gland
Where is nucleus accumbens and what do they control?
Region of the forebrain near the Limbic system
Pleasure or reward circuit
Associated with drug dependency
Where is suprachiasmatic nucleus ( SCN) and what is it responsible for?
Small region within the hypothalamus
Regulation of circadian rhythm
Regulation of sleep cycle
Where is corpus coliseum and what is it reasonable for?
Bundle of Nero a connecting the two cerebral hemispheres
Relay’s information between the two hemispheres
What is the frontal lobe responsible for?
Higher level thinking reasoning planning judgment impulse control
Where is prefrontal cortex located and what is its function?
Located in front of the motor strip in the frontal lobes
Controls conscious thoughts and actions
Working memory
Short term and long term planning
Where is Broca’s area located and what is its function?
Front of the left frontal lobe
Controls the facial muscles movements required for speech production
Where is primary motor cortex located and what is its function?
Rear of the frontal lobes, parallel to the sensory cortex like a headband
Controls voluntary movement
Left motor cortex controls movement on the right side of the body
Right motor cortex controls movement on the right side of the body
What is the parietal lobes and what is its function?
Receives sensory information about the somatic senses of touch pain and temperature spatial abilities
Where is the primary somatosensory cortex located and what is its function?
Front of the parietal lobes, parallel to the motor cortex like a headband
Sensory input is received for touch and the body position
Left sensory cortex controls sensation for the right side of the body
Right sensory cortex controls sensation for the left side of the body
What is occipital lobes function?
Visual processing
Where is primary visual cortex located
And what is its function?
Bottom of the occipital lobes
Information from the left visual field goes to the right side of each eye and is interpreted by the right visual cortex
Right side=Opposite
What is the function of the temporal lobes?
Auditory processing(hearing) smell and recognition of faces
Where is primary auditory cortex located and what is its function?
Upper ate of the temporal lobes
Processes most auditory information from the opposite ear
Where is the wernickes’s area located and what is its function?
Top of the left temporal lobe
Responsible for language comprehension
Creates meaningful statements
