Unit 2: Biological Basis of Behavior Flashcards
biological psychology
scientific study of link between biological and psychological processes
dendrites
tendril-like parts of a neuron that LISTEN - receive + integrate info from other cells to their native cell body
cell body/soma
life support of the entire nerve cell (neuron)
it’s where excitatory (yay) and inhibitory (nay) signals interact to generate an action potential
axon
passes neural impulse from cell body to other cells through its terminal branches when threshold reached (E > I by certain amt)
* it’s an all or none response - pulling the trigger harder doesn’t make the bullet go faster
* after an impulse is fired, no more action potentials can happen until the axon returns to rest (this is the refractory period)
myelin sheath
insulates some axons and MAINLY helps speed up neural impulses
its degeneration indicates Multiple Sclerosis
axon terminal
once a neural impulse reaches the end of the terminal, neurotransmitters are triggered - they’re sent across the synaptic gap (neurons don’t actually touch, there’s the synapse between them)
sensory neurons
IN
carry incoming info from tissues/senses to the CNS
part of somatic NS
motor neurons
OUT
carry outgoing info from CNS to muscles/glands
part of somatic NS
interneuron
communicate + process internal info in CNS
billions of them in the body!
Describe the general path of a neural impulse.
dendrites –> cell body -> axon -> axon terminal -> synapse
synaptic gap
the meeting point between neurons that connects terminal of one to dendrite of another
neurons don’t quite touch - instead, neurontransmitters cross the synapse
neurotransmitters
chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gap and bind to receptors in the receiving neuron like a key in a lock
afterwards, reuptake happens
reuptake
the process by which excess NTs are reabsorbed by the sending neuron or otherwise broken down
List the most common kinds of neurotransmitters.
Ach, dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine, GABA, glutamate, endorphins
Ach: functions and malfunctions
motor mov
Too little Acetylcholine =-= Alzheimer’s
Dopamine: functions and malfunctions
Fine motor mov + alertness
Too little =-= Parkinson’s
Too much =-= schizophrenia
Serotonin: functions and malfunctions
Mood control
Too little =-= depression
Norepinephrine: functions and malfunctions
Alertness, arousal
Depression
GABA: functions and malfunctions
Inhibitory neurotransmitter
Involved in seizures / sleep problems
Glutamate: functions and malfunctions
Excitatory neurotransmitter; involved in memory
Excess assoc w migraines, seizures
Endorphins: functions and malfunctions
Agonists vs Antagonists
Agonists:
* excitatory
* increase / mimic NT action
* e.g. morphine
Antagonists:
* inhibitory
* blocks NT action
* e.g. curate poisoning
Nervous System vs Endocrine System
Nervous sys = speedy, electrochemical, happens through nerves, dissipates quickly
Endocrine sys = slow, hormonal, happens through bloodstream, lasts longer
Describe the structure of the Nervous System
Central (brain and spinal cord) vs Periphery
(Somatic vs Autonomic
[Sympathetic vs Parasympathetic])
Peripheral Nervous System
sensory/motor neurons that connect CNS to the rest of the body through nerves
nerves
bundled axons that form neural cables
connect CNS to organs
Somatic vs Autonomic Nervous System
Somatic:
controls body’s skeletal muscles (enabling voluntary control)
Autonomic:
controls glands + internal organ muscles (self-regulates but can be consciously overriden)
Sympathetic vs Parasympathetic Nervous System
Sympathetic:
arouses body + mobilizes its energy (fight or flight)
Parasympathetic:
calms body+conserves energy (rest and digest)
neural networks
the clustering of neurons in working groups (interconnected neural cells)
reflex
an automatic response to a sensory stimulus (e.g. knee jerk response)
hormones
chemical messengers that act in the body by traveling through the bloodstream
List the glands involved in the endocrine system.
pituitary: growth; the “master gland”
thyroid: regs metabolism
parathyroid: regs calcium lvls in blood
pancreas: regs sugar lvls in blood
adrenal: secretes epinephrine + norepinephrine –> fight or flight rsp
testis: male sex hormones
ovary: female sex hormones
pituitary gland
the “master gland” - located in brain
controlled by hypothalamus (brain region)
produces growth hormone + secretes many different hormones, some of which affect other glands
simple reflex
helps respond/react quickly to painful stimuli (where the normal sequence would take too long)
1) skin receptors receive info (sensory neuron)
2) info goes thrgh PNS to spinal cord (wired thrgh back)
3) goes up to brain (CNS) and travels DIRECTLY through interneuron to motor neuron
4) info comes out thrgh front pt of spine
5) muscles receive info to move away from danger
Describe how the endocrine system interacts with the body and brain.
brain –> pituitary gland –> other glands –> hormones (bloodstream) -> body/brain action –> repeat
lesion
module 11
a natural / experimentally caused destruction of brain tissue
methods of studying the brain
EEG, MEG, CT/CAT scan, MRi, PET scan, fMRI
EEG
records electric signals aross brain surface by placing electrodes on the scalp
stimulus presented, recording shows electric wave provoked by stimulus
useufl in studying sleep + seizures
MEG
measures magnetic fields from brain + nautral electric activity
ppl do activities, MEG records spped + strength of electromagnetic fields
CT/CAT scan
takes x-ray photos of the brain from different angles and combines them to reveal composite brain structure (and potential dmg)
PET scan
detects different brain areas’ consumption of glucose (slightly radioactive sample given to participants) while participant does task
MRI
participants lie down in machine while scan uses magnetic fields + radio waves to generate images of brain anatomy
fMRI
tracks successive brain images to show brain function, structure, and blood flow/oxygen
Older Structures of the Brain
the ones that evolved first (most primitive)
brainstem, medulla, pons, thalamus, reticular formation
brainstem
oldest + most central part of the brain
responsible for automatic survival funcs + coordinates the body
medulla
base of brain stem (is the spinal swelling just after entering the skull)
controls heartbeat and breathing
pons
just above medulla -
controls sleep and coordinates unconscious movement
thalamus
located on top of brainstem
sensory control center (coords info between sensory cortex areas and cerebellum + brain stem
reticular formation
located inside brainstem - goes from spinal cord through thalamus
nerve network that filters incoming stimuli (helps multitask), relays info to other brain areas, and affets arousal
if severed, comatose
if stimulated, hyperactive
cerebellum
located at rear of brainstem
coordinates muscle movement and balance
supports mlearning and muscle memory
Limbic System
a neural system associated with emotions and drives
sits between older + newer brain structures
includes amygdala, hypothalamus, hippocampus
amygdala
small neural clusters (lima beans) involved in aggression + fear responses
hypothalamus
right below the thalamus
maintains body / endocrine system: stimulates hormone release in pituitary gland, enables alertness, stimulates hunger, thirst, and body temperature (homeostasis)
hippocampus
processes explicit/conscious/episodic/declarative (they all mean the same thing) memory of facts and events
cerebral cortex
module 12
thin surface layer of neural cell fabric covering cerebral hemisphers
body’s ultimate control + info processing center
subdivided into four lobes; frontal, parietal, occipital, temporal
frontal lobe
part of cerebral cortex and located behind forehead
involved in speaking/muscle mov, planning, and rational judgments (contains motor cortex and prefrontal cortex)
parietal lobe
part of cerebral cortex and located and top+back of head
receives sensory input for touch/body position (contains sensory cortex)
occipital lobe
part of cerebral cortex and located at the very back of the head
receives info from visual fields (contains visual cortex)
temporal lobe
part of cerebral cortex and located just above the ears
plays role in recognizing + using language by receiving auditory info from ears
motor cortex
located at rear of front lobesand goes ear to ear
controls voluntary movement (wired to opposite sides of the body)
OUTPUT
somatosensory cortex
located at front of parietal lobes
registers and processes body touch and movement(receiving wired from opposite sides of the body)
INPUT
visual cortex
in occipital lobes - receives in put from eyes
association areas
areas of cerebral cortex inolved in hgiher functions as opposed to basic motor/sensory
located in all four areas - no response to electrical stimuli
ex: prefrontal cortex - judgment, planning, processing in frontal cortex
Phineas Gage
1840s railroad worker whose front lobes were imapled by iron rod
afterwards, he was functional ut impulsive, irritable immoral
If the right temporal lobe was destroyed, what would happen?
We couldn’t recognize faces
plasticity
brain’s ability to change/adjust, especially in childhood
by reorganizing itself + building new pathways
How does plastic reorganization of the brain work?
It can occur to an extent in response to dmg
severed CNS cannot regrow, some brain func isolated to spec areas that can’t be compensated for
ex: blind/deaf can use unused brain areas for new func - they compensate somewhat (also can do this for idsease)
neurogenesis
formation of new neurons - can help repair brain
ex:
natural promoters: [WIP]
Broca’s area
Located in frontal lobe near motor cortex (left hemisphere)
Helps move muscles involved in producing speech
Wernicke’s area
Located in left hemisphere
Helps comprehend speech + grammar
corpus callosum
a thin band of nerve fibers that connects the left (verbal+lang) and right (spatial+faces) hemispheres
Split brain patients have it severed to help localize full-brain seizures
Is vision processed ipsilaterally or contralaterally?
Contralateral
Right hemisphere controls left hand (and processes left visual field)
Left hemisphere controls right hand (processes right visual field)
An apple is flashed to the left eye and a cantaloupe is flashed to the right eye. Which object will the split brain patient be able to pick out but not name? With which hand?
Apple, left hand
An apple is flashed to the left eye and a cantaloupe is flashed to the right eye. Which object will the split brain patient be able to verbally report seeing?
Cantaloupe
A face made up of pieces of fruit is flashed first to the left eye, then to the right eye. What will the split brain report seeing (sequentially)?
- Face (Left eye = right hemisphere, sees faces)
- Pieces of fruit (right eye = left hemisphere, can’t see faces)
dual processing
simultaneous conscious and unconscious processing
explicit: hippocampus
implicit: cerebellum
Sequential vs parallel processing
Processing one pt of a problem at a time - for new and difficult things
Vs
Processing many things simultaneously - for well-learned ez things/ routine biz, generally faster than sequential
blindsight
Response to visual stimulus without consciously experiencing it
heritability
the extent to which variation among members of a group can be attributed to genes
high h = differences in pop w sameish enviro, diff genes
low h = difference in pop w diffish enviro, same genes
