Unit 3 - Biological Psychology

Question 1

biological psychology

Answer 1

study of the physiological, evolutionary, and developmental mechanisms of behaviour and experience

Question 2

prenology

Answer 2

type of science which involves the measurement of bumps on the skull to predict mental traits.

Question 3

neurons

Answer 3

also known as nerve cells

Question 4

parts of a neuron

Answer 4

Cell body: information center (soma)
Dendrites: receive information from other neurons
Axon: sends information to other neurons
Myelin Sheath: protects axon (fatty acid) and speeds up the message
Terminal Branches of Axon: form junctions with other neurons

Question 5

action potential

Answer 5

brief electrical charge that travels down an axon

Question 6

resting potential

Answer 6

difference in voltage in a resting neuron and the action potential

Question 7

selectively permeable

Answer 7

only specific molecules can pass through the phospholipid bilayer

Question 8

threshold

Answer 8

minimum level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse

Question 9

refractory period

Answer 9

period after the neuron has fired (resting)

Question 10

how action potential works

Answer 10

Action potential travels down the axon and reaches the terminal branches. From there, neurotransmitters cross the synaptic cleft/gap and reach the receptors. Afterwards, any extra neurotransmitters are reabsorbed through reuptake.

Question 11

amino acids

Answer 11

contain anime group

Question 12

peptide bonds

Answer 12

chains of amino acids

Question 13

acetylcholine

Answer 13

similar to amino acid, except there is a N(CH3)3 group
Very important for learning and memory

Question 14

monoamines

Answer 14

one amine group (NH2)

Question 15

purines

Answer 15

includes adenosine

Question 16

gases

Answer 16

nitric oxide

Question 17

endorphines

Answer 17

“morphine within” helps with pain control and pleasure.

Question 18

stimulant drugs

Answer 18

increase excitement and decrease fatigue

Question 19

types of stimulant drugs

Answer 19

Amphetamine: stimulates dopamine synapses
Cocaine: blocks the reuptake of serotonin, therefore prolonging its effects
Methamphediate (Ritalin): impulse control
Nicotine: enhances nicotinic receptor

Question 20

opiate drugs

Answer 20

contain heroin and morphine and decrease symptoms of pain

Question 21

types of opiate drugs

Answer 21

Marijuana: THC plant
Hallucinogenic drugs: LSD

Question 22

endocrine system

Answer 22

second communication system/chemical communication system

Question 23

adrenal glands

Answer 23

release epinephrine and norepinephrine (aka adrenaline and noradrenaline)

Question 24

pituitary glands

Answer 24

most influential glands that helps to regulate growth and control the other endocrine glands

Question 25

central nervous system

Answer 25

brain and spinal cord

Question 26

peripheral nervous system

Answer 26

nerves outside brain and spinal cord

Question 27

somatic nervous system

Answer 27

consists of the nerves that convey messages from the sense organs to the CNS and from the CNS to the muscles.

Question 28

autonomic nervous system

Answer 28

controls the heart, the intestines, and other organs Sympathetic - vigorous activity Parasympathetic - vegetative activity

Question 29

motor neuron

Answer 29

your average nerve cell

Question 30

sensory neuron

Answer 30

highly sensitive to a particular type of stimulation

Question 31

brainstem

Answer 31

central core of the brain, responsible for automatic survival function

Question 32

pons

Answer 32

anterior and ventral to the medulla.

Question 33

motor cortex

Answer 33

back of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements.

Question 34

somatosensory cortex

Answer 34

front of the parietal lobe that registers and processes body touch and sensations

Question 35

association areas

Answer 35

not involved in motor or sensory functions; they help with learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking.

Question 36

electroencephalograph (EEG)

Answer 36

electrodes attached to scalp

Question 37

Computerized axial tomography (CT/CAT)

Answer 37

X-ray photographs taken from different angles and combined into a picture of a slice of the brain’s structure.

Question 38

positron-emission tomography (PET)

Answer 38

image of activity in a living brain by recording the emission of radioactivity from chemicals (radioactive ions) that are injected into the brain

Question 39

magnetic renosance imaging (MRI)

Answer 39

magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images of soft tissue (anatomy)

Question 40

functional MRI (fMRI)

Answer 40

shows blood flow and brain activity by comparing several different MRI scans (function/activity)

Question 41

4 psychological explanations

Answer 41

1. Physiological explanation - behavior to the activity of the brain and other organs. 2. Ontogenetic explanation - development of a structure or a behavior 3. Evolutionary explanation - evolutionary history of a structure or behavior. 4. Functional Explanation- why a structure or behavior evolved as it did. (ex genetic drift)

Question 42

plasticity

Answer 42

the brain’s ability to change by reorganizing after any lesions

Question 43

neurogenesis

Answer 43

the formation of new neurons.

Question 44

corpus callosum

Answer 44

fibers that connect left and right hemispheres of the brain (there is no left and right brain)

Question 45

cognitive neuroscience

Answer 45

perception, thinking, memory, and language

Question 46

dual processing

Answer 46

information is processed on two different tracks at the same time

Question 47

Behavior Geneticists

Answer 47

study of genetic and environmental influences on behavior

Question 48

molecular genetics

Answer 48

study of molecular structure and function of genes.

Question 49

hereditability

Answer 49

variation among genes and the probability of receiving them