Unit 3 - Biological Psychology Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
1
Q

biological psychology

A

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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

prenology

A

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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

neurons

A

also known as nerve cells

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

parts of a neuron

A

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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

action potential

A

brief electrical charge that travels down an axon

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

resting potential

A

difference in voltage in a resting neuron and the action potential

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

selectively permeable

A

only specific molecules can pass through the phospholipid bilayer

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

threshold

A

minimum level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

refractory period

A

period after the neuron has fired (resting)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

how action potential works

A

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.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

amino acids

A

contain anime group

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

peptide bonds

A

chains of amino acids

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

acetylcholine

A

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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

monoamines

A

one amine group (NH2)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

purines

A

includes adenosine

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

gases

A

nitric oxide

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

endorphines

A

“morphine within” helps with pain control and pleasure.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

stimulant drugs

A

increase excitement and decrease fatigue

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

types of stimulant drugs

A

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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

opiate drugs

A

contain heroin and morphine and decrease symptoms of pain

21
Q

types of opiate drugs

A

Marijuana: THC plant
Hallucinogenic drugs: LSD

22
Q

endocrine system

A

second communication system/chemical communication system

23
Q

adrenal glands

A

release epinephrine and norepinephrine (aka adrenaline and noradrenaline)

24
Q

pituitary glands

A

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

25
Q

central nervous system

A

brain and spinal cord

26
Q

peripheral nervous system

A

nerves outside brain and spinal cord

27
Q

somatic nervous system

A

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

28
Q

autonomic nervous system

A

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

29
Q

motor neuron

A

your average nerve cell

30
Q

sensory neuron

A

highly sensitive to a particular type of stimulation

31
Q

brainstem

A

central core of the brain, responsible for automatic survival function

32
Q

pons

A

anterior and ventral to the medulla.

33
Q

motor cortex

A

back of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements.

34
Q

somatosensory cortex

A

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

35
Q

association areas

A

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

36
Q

electroencephalograph (EEG)

A

electrodes attached to scalp

37
Q

Computerized axial tomography (CT/CAT)

A

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

38
Q

positron-emission tomography (PET)

A

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

39
Q

magnetic renosance imaging (MRI)

A

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

40
Q

functional MRI (fMRI)

A

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

41
Q

4 psychological explanations

A
  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)
42
Q

plasticity

A

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

43
Q

neurogenesis

A

the formation of new neurons.

44
Q

corpus callosum

A

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

45
Q

cognitive neuroscience

A

perception, thinking, memory, and language

46
Q

dual processing

A

information is processed on two different tracks at the same time

47
Q

Behavior Geneticists

A

study of genetic and environmental influences on behavior

48
Q

molecular genetics

A

study of molecular structure and function of genes.

49
Q

hereditability

A

variation among genes and the probability of receiving them