Unit 3 Flashcards
Behaviour genetics
Study of DNA and how specific genes are related to behaviour.
22,3000 genes.
Explore genotype behaviour, still complicated.
Twin studies
Monozygotic, 1 egg. 100%
Dizygotic, 2 eggs, 2 different sperm cells. 50%
Adoption studies
Children more like adoptive parents, environmental.
Children more like biological parents, genetic.
Epigenetic
Experiences cause changes in gene expression without altering genetic code.
Neural communication- vertebrates
Central nervous system (Brain spinal cord). Peripheral nervous system (nerve connections).
Neural communications- neurones
Cell found in nervous system. Responsible for sending/receiving messages.
The 3 Neuron types
Sensory Neurons- sensory information to brain
Motor Neurons, brain to muscles.
Interneurons, communication between Neurons, important reflexes.
Neurogenesis
Formation of new Neurons
Neuroplasticity
Process of brain charges and rewires itself based on experience.
Neuron electrical system
Resting state, stable not transmitting messages, high concentration of positive charged ions, results negative ‘net charge’ inside of axon.
Ions evenly distributed.
Stimulated neuron
Ion channel opens.
Positive ions move into cell, change charg.
Positive charge reaches firing threshold, create action potential.
Action potential
Wave of electrical charge start at beginning of axon, rapidly travels down. After this there is the refractory period (resting state) cannot fire.
Synapse
Area involving neuron 1 axon terminal, neuron 2 dendrites. Separated by space called ‘synaptic cleft’.
Presynaptic
Neuron releases neurotransmitters.
Postsynaptic
Neuron receives neurotransmitters from presynaptic.
Reuptake
Process where neurotransmitter molecules reabsorb into axon terminal of presynaptic neuron.
Central nervous system
Brain and spinal cord.
peripheral nervous system
Autonomic nervous system, somatic nervous system.
Transcranial magnetic simulation (TMS)
Application of magnetic pulses.
Pulse disrupts brain activity, used to stimulate targeting brain regions and increase activity at this region.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Strong magnetic field cause protons in hydrogen atoms to spin in same direction.
Radio wave pulse sent through brain, knocking atoms out of alignment.
Radio wave turned off, atoms return, release energy.
Structural neuroimaging
Diffusion tensor imaging: measure white matter pathways.
MRI.
Functional neuroimaging
Brain scan, provides information about activity in brains using particular behaviour/response stimuli.
Potential trade off: temporal resolution small accurate period, spatial resolution how clear image is.
EEG, PET, and fMRI.
Electroencephalogram (EGG)
Measure brain activity, multiple electrodes.
Measure every second.
Limited spatial resolution, less effective at locating region.
Positron emission tomography (PET)
Radio active targeted injected in blood. Travel to regions of brain engaged with task.
Increased blood flow, regions more active, higher radioactivity measure.
Radiotracers, allow measurement of catering neurotransmitter receptors.
Good spatial rescolution, bad temporal resolution.
Functional magnetic reasoning (fMRI)
Measure amount of oxygen-rich blood flow in active regions.
Called ‘BOLD’ (blood oxygen level dependent) response.
Not great temporal resolution.
What is included in the central nervous system
Brain and spinal cord
What is the peripheral nervous system
Autonomic nervous system (sympathetic division, parasympathetic division) and somatic nervous system
Hindbrain is for
Survival, structure for basic life sustaining process
Brain stem is for..
Medulla, regulation of breathing, heart rate
Cerebellum is for..
Little brain, coordination, timing, emotional response, attention
Mid brain is responsible for..
Sensation and action
Superior colliculus is for
Orienting visual attention
Inferior colliculus is for
Orienting auditory attention
Fore brain is for
Everything above midbrain, interconnected structure structures critical to processing emotions, memory, thinking, reasoning
Basal ganglia is for
Planned movement
skill learning
integrating sensory and motor info
Reward/pleasure system
implicated movement disorders
tons of dopamine receptors
Amygdala is for
Facilatating memory formation for emotional events
mediates fear response
Recognize and interpret emotional stimuli
Hippocampus is for
Learning for nation of new memories
MEMORY CAMPUS
Hypothalamus is for
Homeostasis (thirst, temp, hunger, sex)
Thalamus is for
Relaying incoming sensory info to different brain regions
What is the cerebral cortex
Wrinkled outer layer, high functions (thoughts, language, personality, cell bodies, dendrites
Occipital lobe is for
Visual info
Parietal lobe is for
Touch, spatial/body awareness, attention, somatosensory cortex
Temporal lobe is for
Hearing, learning, memory, visual, object recognition
Frontal lobe is for
Higher cognitive structures
