Unit 2 Part 2: Biology and Behavior

Question 1

byte

Answer 1

one unit of information

Question 2

dual processing

Answer 2

the continuous and unconscious processing of information simultaneously.

Question 3

frontal lobe (prefrontal cortex)

Answer 3

part of the cortical region, last area of brain to fully develop.
Responsible for: creativity, problem solving, abstract thinking, personality (usually not matured until 20’s), and impulse control.

Question 4

cortical region

Answer 4

outermost layer of our brain containing four lobes

Question 5

Phineas Gage

Answer 5

1800’s railroad construction foreman, metal rod went through his frontal lobe, changing his personality. Case Study.

Question 6

Association Areas

Answer 6

get no response when probed.

responsible for: interpreting, integrating, acting on sensory info, and linking with memories

Question 7

probing

Answer 7

applying mild electric currents to open brains to trigger a response.

Question 8

prosopagnosia

Answer 8

a disorder in which the part of the brain that recognizes features has been damaged, and we can no longer recognize faces.

Question 9

Hemisphere Specialization

Answer 9

some brain functions are more dominant in one side of the brain (left or right)

Question 10

Left Brain

Answer 10

speaking
mastery and organization of things we already know

known

Question 11

Right Brain

Answer 11

exploring new ideas
creativity
complex thoughts
inferential

unknown

Question 12

Brain Lateralization

Answer 12

visual fields and motor functions run by opposite hemispheres of the brain.

Question 13

Corpus Callosum

Answer 13

allows the separate hemispheres to communicate to one another…without cc the brains would operate totally independent of each other.

Question 14

Michael Gazzniga

Answer 14

split brain research
1960’s
Discovered that the brains operate independently

Question 15

Roger Sperry

Answer 15

split brain research

won 1981 Nobel Prize for research in split brain and functional specialization of cerebral hemispheres

Question 16

plasticity

Answer 16

the brain’s ability to change or mend itself when damaged. By developing new or alternative neutral pathways from existing neurons. This ability is limited to neurons with a similar purpose.

Neurons do not reconnect, but brain adapts.
Brain can reorganize its tissue to train new neurons to maintain a path.

Question 17

Neurogenesis

Answer 17

creating new neurons

Question 18

Why do people who lose a sense become more efficient in using the senses that remain?

Answer 18

each sense requires so much memory to use, and the absence of any sense leave more space in the brain to concentrate on the remaining senses.

Question 19

Cognition

Answer 19

the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses.

Question 20

Broca’s Area

Answer 20

the area in the left hemisphere that controls language. (Frontal Lobe)

controls the muscle movements involved in speech.

damage to Broca’s area can case aphasia.

Question 21

Aphasia

Answer 21

the inability to understand or formulate language

Question 22

Lesion

Answer 22

damaged area of the brain

Question 23

Wernicke’s area

Answer 23

located on temporal lobe in left hemisphere, controls language, reception and plays a key role in language development.

Question 24

Evolutionary impacts on behavior

Answer 24

Charles Darwin - natural selection (survival of the fittest)

inherrent fears; spiders, snakes, heights

Question 25

Genetic impacts on behavior

Answer 25

valuses, beliefs, techniques, and skills are affected by upbringing however personality (character, interests, and temperament) are known to be largely genetic.

personality reflects biological parents in adopted children

identical twins show more resemblance in personality while fraternal twins show the average among normal siblings.

hormones have a large impact on behavior, particularly sex hormones, which are affected by genetics.

Question 26

Environmental Impacts on Behavior

Answer 26

Genes activate or deactivate alleles that make us who we are. (Alleles are clusters of genes)

stress, diet, drugs, chemicals can activate or deactivate and change a genes expression (Epigenesis)

epigenesis can cause cancer, by altering alleles that limit cell production.

Question 27

epigenesis

Answer 27

stress, diet, drugs, chemicals can activate or deactivate and change a genes expression.