Unit 2: Biological Bases of Behaviour Flashcards
myelin sheath
+ fatty tissue
+ insulates
+ builds until age 25
+ efficiency
+ self control
+ judgement
what happens if myelin sheath degenerates?
multiple sclerosis ( MS)
glial cells
+ glue cells
+ support the neuron ( not part)
+ provide nutrients and myelin
MORE COMPLEX BRAIN = MORE GLIAL CELLS
Neuron impulses
aka action potential
+ electrical charge
+ encitatory signals vs inhibitory signals
+ all or nothing (cannot fire part neuron)
positive inside - negative outside = resting potential
How do neurons communicate?
synapse, neuron transmitters and reuptake
synapse
space btwn the axon and the dendrite of two neurons
neurotransmitters
chemical messengers
reuptake
absorption of neurotransmitters
agonist
molecule that increase a neurotransmitter’s action
+ ex. morphine amplify euphoria
antagonist
molecule that inhibits or blocks a neurotransmitter action
what is the nervous system divided into
central nervous system
+ brain and spinal cord
peripheral nervous system
+ connects CNS to limbs and organs, allowing communication
peripheral nervous system
somatic nervous system:
skeletal muscles
autonomic nervous system:
controls glands and muscle
+ sympathetic- “fight or flight” arouses body in scary situations
+ parasympathetic- calms after “ fight or flight” called “rest and digest”
sensory neurons
stimulus/sensation (afferent): carry messages to the CNS
Motor neurons
motor response (efferent) : carry message from CNS
inter neurons
communicate with CNS
reflex arc
how we experience pain
endocrine system
hormones
+ chemical messengers
Nervous VS Endocrine
Nervous Endocrine
+ fast + slow
+ short effects + longer effects
+ neurons + hormones in blood stream
BOTH: molecules acting on receptors
hypothalamus
+ controls pituitary
+ controls hormones
+ hypo = low
+ body maintenance
+ hunger, thirst, body tempt, sexual behaviour, homeostasis
Pituitary gland
+ growth hormone
+ oxytocin: bonding
+ controlling other glands
+ “master gland”
Pineal gland
+ produces melatonin: regulates sleep pattern
Thyroid
+ Hormone: thyroxine - metabolism
+ overactive: insomnia, attention span, agitation
+ underactive: tired, sleep
Thymus
+ T-cells (type of white blood cells)
+ immune response
Adrenal glands
+adrenaline - AKA
+ epinephrine
+ norepinephrine
+ fight or flight
+ cortisol: stress hormone
Pancrease
+ produces insulin (blood sugar
+ digestive enzyme
ovaries and testies
+ estrogen
+ testosterone
Nervous and endocrine system process
hypothalamus -> pituitary -> glands -> hormones -> body
Catscans ( computerized axial tomography)
a fancy x-ray, useful for finding tumors
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
use magnetic fields to knock electrons off axes and then measure them
+ finding tumors as well
Petscan (position emission tomography)
to see what parts of the brain use the chemical
fMRI
measures brain activity, by detecting changes associated with blood flow
TMS
treatment that involves using a magnetic coil to influence your brain’s natural electrical activity
EGG (electroencephalogram)
amplified recording of the waves of the electrical activity that sweep across the brain’s surface (recording brain activity)
+ useful in sleep research
Old brain
brain stem, medulla, pons, reticular formation, thalamus, cerebellum, amygdala, hypothalamus, and hippocampus
brain stem
Medulla: heart and lungs
Pons: coordinate movement and sleep
Thalamus
Infohub:
+ info from high brain to medulla - viceversa
+ sensory control: except smell
Reticular information
+ spinal cord to thalamus
+ filter stimuli
+ multi-tasking
+ control arousal (non segsual)
Cerebellum
+ “ little brain”
+ non-verbal learning and skills
+ judge time
+ modulate emotions
+ voluntary movement
The limbic system
+ limbus = order
+ border between old brain and new brain
Amygdala
+ controls emotions
Hippocampus
+ explicit memories, processes consciousness
+ emotions via amygdala
+ damage = no new memories
What is the celebral cortex?
+ ultimate control point
+ information process
Frontal lobe
judgement, speaking, planning
Parietal lobe
spatial processing, sensory input for touch and body position
Occipital lobe
Receive visual information
Temporal lobe
Auditory, opposite ear, object recognition
Association Areas
(prefrontal and parietal- temporal-occipital) are where different modalities combine, attention is shifted, planning occurs, and memories are stored
Broca’s Area
language processing, motor part of speech
+ non-fluent aphasia
+ can understand but difficulty actually verbally forming words
Remember: broken speech
Wernicker’s area
language development/meaning
+ fluent aphasia
+ can form words but trouble understanding meaning
Remember: what does that mean?
Plasticity
brain’s ability to change
+ after damage
+ with new experiences
+ childhood
Neurogenesis
formation of new neurons
Brain: Left side
+ right motor functions
+ quick literal interpretations of language
+ language ( spoken or signed )
+ speech
+ math
Brain: right side
+ left motor functions
+ inferences
+ modulate speech
+ self awareness
+ perceptual tasks
Corpus callosum
+ connects left and right hemispheres of the brain
+ hundreds of millions of neurons
Dual track mind
the two minds that operate at the same time inside our one brain.
Dual processing
info processed on two tracks at the same time
Parallel processing
Same time
+ ex, texting while walking
Sequential processing
One after the other
+ ex. new tasks- texting while dribbling a basketball
Genes
units of heredity in chromosomes
Twin studies
shared family environment has little to no discernible impact on the child’s personality
Heritability
Heritability = 0 genetics has nothing to do with it
Heritability= 1 entirely based on genetics
+ property of the population not individual
Epigenetics
“In addition to” genetics; how environment influences gene expression (trigger)
+ social experiment
+ experiences
+ physical enviroment
social scripts
cultural guide about how to act in certain situations
consciousness
awareness of ourselves and our enviroment
circadian rhythm
physical, mental, and behavioral changes that follow a 24-hour cycle
NREM 1 - 10 mins
+ alpha waves drop
+ heart rate slows
+ hypnagogic hallucinations
NREM 2 - 20 mins
sleep spindles- bursts a rapid brain activity
+ relatively easy to wake up from
NREM 3 - 30 mins
+ delta waves, slow
+ hard to awake
+ children sometimes wet the bed at this stage
REM
+ 1st ten minutes: rapid brain waves
+ heart rate increases
+ hallucinatory dreams
+ motor cortex blocked
+ sleep paralysis
Paradoxical sleep
brain arousal, body is calm
Why do we sleep?
1) protection (evolutionary approach)
2) recuperation
+ rid of toxic waste
+ immune
+ brain tissue
3) build memories
+ consolidates memories
+ strengthen neural connections
4) creative thinking
5) growth
parasomnias
disruptive sleep disorders
sleep disorder
+ narcolepsy - contiously falling asleep
+ sleep apnea - breathing incorrectly while sleeping
+ night terrors - non dream nightmares during NREM 4 (can’t be woken)
what we dream
+ Themes
+ failure to do something
+ being attacked, pursued , or rejected
+ Trauma
+ Musicians
+ blindness
+ media
manifest content
what you dream/remember
Latent
underlying meaning
Depressants
+ reduce neural activity
ex.
+ alcohol
+ barbiturates
+ opiates
Stimulants
+ excites neural activity
ex.
+ caffeine
+nicotine
+meth
+ crack
Hallucinogens
+ psychedelics, distort perception of reality
+ near death experience
Opiates effects (Rx and street)
long term use body stops producing its own endorphins
Ecstasy/ MDMA / Molly effects
psychological effect: dump serotonin
and block reuptake = rise in serotonin
Long term effects: decrease natural produce of serotonin
Activation synthesis
REM sleep triggers random memories from the day, which are then woven into stories by our sleeping brain to make sense of them
Cognitive development - dreams
Dream content reflects the dreamer’s cognitive development – their knowledge and understanding (kids dreams are slideshows, while in adult dreams the dreamer plays an influential role.)
Schizophrenia: Neurontransmitter
glutamate
Alzheimers: Neurontransmitter
Acetylcholine
Parkinsons disease: Neurontransmitter
Lack of Dopamine
