Biological Basis of Behaviour Flashcards

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1
Q

Structure of a neuron

A

Information carries of the nervous system

Dendrites - carry info from sensory organs to neuron

Axon - carry info from neuron to muscles or other neurons

Axons covered by a white myelin sheath that increase the speed at which info is carried.

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2
Q

Working of nerve impulses

A

Nerve impulses are electrical events of short duration that move along the axon.

Resting neuron is negatively charged. Stimulus makes it little less negative.

When neuron reaches threshold, channels in the cell membrane open to allow positive sodium ions to enter, making the neuron temporarily positive.

This rapid change to positivity is nerve impulse. And then the next region is excited and that’s how it moves.

Neuron returns to origin state with outward flow of potassium ions.

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3
Q

Neurotransmitters

A

A chemical substance which is released at the end of a nerve fibre by the arrival of a nerve impulse and, by diffusing across the synapse or junction, effects the transfer of the impulse to another nerve fibre, a muscle fibre, or some other structure.

Eg: Dopamine [movement & emotional response], serotonin [mood, eating & pain regulation]

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4
Q

Peripheral nervous system

A

Parts of nervous system outside skull and spine.

Carries nerve impulses from sensory recpetors to CNS & carries info from CNS to muscles and glands.

Somatic [activate striped muscles] & autonomic nervous system [activate smooth muscles]

Autonomic nervous system has sympathetic [stress arousal] & parasympathetic nervous system [rest]

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5
Q

Afferent vs efferent nerve fibres

A

Afferent nerve fibres carry information through the spinal cord from body to brain

Efferent nerve fibres carry information through the spinal cord from brain to muscles

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6
Q

3 divisions of the brain stem

A

Medulla, pons, midbrain

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7
Q

Function of the cerebellum

A

Receives sensory input from brain, spinal cord and forebrain; processes this info and sends it back out to parts of the brain to coordinate movements precisely and smoothly

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8
Q

Reticular formation

A

Core of the brain stem contains many nerve fibres and neurons called reticular formation.

Ascending fibres of this RF are responsible for arousal of the cerebral cortex and are called the ascending reticular activating system. Responsible for varying degrees of arousal - deep sleep to alert wakefulness.

Coma is when portions of the ARAS are damaged.

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9
Q

Thalamus

A

Lies in the region of the forebrain, between two cerebral hemispheres.

Contains many nuclei - Some receive information from the senses and send them to the specific areas of the cerebral cortex; relay function. Others receives inputs from within the thalamus and send to the cortex.

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10
Q

Hypothalamus

A

Lies under the thalamus.

Performs the function of maintaining homeostasis in the body. Hormones and other chemicals are monitored by specialized neurons.

Change in homeostasis activates hypothalamic neuron, that send signal to other parts of the nervous system and pituitary gland.

Triggers motivated behaviour and automatic physiological adjustment.

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11
Q

Hormones

A

Chemical messengers secreted in specific glands that are released into the blood stream and carried to various parts of the body

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12
Q

Function of the cerebrum

A

Initiation of movement, coordination of movement, temperature, touch, vision, hearing, judgment, reasoning, problem solving, emotions, and learning

Contains frontal lobe, temporal lobe, occipital lobe and parietal lobe

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13
Q

Frontal lobe association cortex

A

Aka prefrontal cortex

Personality & general behavior: Prefrontal damage often leads to irritability, aggressiveness, lack of restraint, impulsivity, apathy, immaturity, loss of initiative.

Intellectual function: Damage to PF shows lack of direction in actions, preservation, inflexibility. Subtle memory impairments. Difficulty with voluntary control of eye gaze.

PF involved in sequence and ordering of actions and thoughts.

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14
Q

Parietal lobe association cortex

A

The part of the parietal lobe that lies behind the primary sensory cortex (behind the central sulcus) takes in input from visual cortex, auditory cortex, somatosensory cortex and thalamus. Output goes to thalamus and frontal & temporal cortex to control movement.

Damage to right PAC: Contralateral neglect

Damage to left PAC: Problems in writing, arithmetic, reading. Difficulty in distinguishing left from right, and short term verbal memory.

Damage to either side of PAC: Touch agnosia, perceptual problem of not recognizing common objects.

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15
Q

Temporal lobe association cortex

A

Hippocampus & amygdala (from limbic system) in temporal cortex help in memory formation

Sensory function: Auditory agnosia, visual agnosia, impaired attention

Language function: Left temporal lobe contains wernicke’s area; damage causing impairment in understanding speech and written language

Memory: Patient HM

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16
Q

Broca’s versus Wernicke’s area

A

Wernicke’s area: Belongs to the upper temporal lobe. Controls comprehension of language. Organizes spontaneous speech.

Damage- Wernicke’s aphasia, speech is fluent and well pronounced but words don’t make any sense. Inability to repeat spoken word; difficulty naming common objects; difficulty reading and writing

Loss of ability to comprehend written & spoken language - receptive aphasia

Broca’s area: Belongs to the lower frontal lobe. Contains programs for complex patterns of muscle movement needed in speech.

Damage- Broca’s aphasia, speech is not fluent and ungrammatical. Broken speech.

Loss of ability to speak - expressive aphasia

Damage to arcuate fasciulus (bundle of nerves connecting W & B)- dyslexia

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17
Q

Functions of the left and right hemisphere of the brain

A

Left hemisphere: Controls speech, comprehension, arithmetic, and writing

Right hemisphere: Controls creativity, spatial ability, artistic, and musical skills

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18
Q

Divided brain experiment

A

Left hem: language
Right hem: analysis of patterns of sensory info

Experiment done on people whose corpus callosum is severed.

Word ‘ring’ shows on right side and key is held by left hand. So word reaches left hem and key goes to right hem.

Patient will report speech info going to left hem; but not the one going to right hem (cause left controls speech and does not receive info from right).

Right hem can identify the key if it is given a nonverbal way of identifying it.

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19
Q

Term for evolutionary development in humans

A

Phelogeny

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20
Q

Superior vs inferior colliculus

A

Present in midbrain

SC - receives visual sensory input
IC - receives auditory sensory input

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21
Q

Thalamus

A

Sensory relay station

Receives sensory impulses (except smell) and transmits them to diff parts of brain

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22
Q

Osmoregulation happens in the _____.

A

Hypothalamus

maintenance of water balance

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23
Q

Aphagia

A

Damage to the lateral hypothalamus (hunger center) leading to refusal to eat or drink until forced with tubes

Tested on rats

24
Q

Hyperphagia

A

Damage to ventromedial hypothalamus (satiety center) leading to excessive eating

25
Q

Function of anterior hypothalamus

A

Sexual behavior

Lesion lead to inhibition of sexual activity; charge leads to aggressive sexual activity

26
Q

Limbic system contains ____.

A

Cingulate gyrus of cerebral cortex, septum, amygdala, hippocampus & olfactory bulb

27
Q

Functions of parts of the limbic system

A

Septum - Pleasure center; inhibits aggression (septal rage)

Amygdala - Defensiveness & aggression; lesion causing docility and hypersexual states

Hippocampus - Memory; lesions produce anterograde amnesia

28
Q

Function of glial cells

A

To insulate axons by protective myelin sheath

29
Q

Resting potential

A

Slight electrical charge (negative charge) stored inside the cell membrane of the neuron

-70 mv

30
Q

Cycle of the firing of a neuron

A

Polarization - Neuron is at resting potential

Depolarization - Stimuli leading to increase in positive charge

Action potential spike - Reaching threshold; rapid electrical impulse, positive potassium ions flow in

Repolarization - Neuron switches back to negative charge with potassium ions flowing in

Hyperpolarized - Neuron becomes resistant to flow of positive ions; back to resting state

31
Q

Post synaptic potential

A

When neurotransmitter binds with receptor site dendrite, it creates a small electrical charge that can inhibit (IPSP) or excite (EPSP) neuron

32
Q

Catecholamines

A

Hormones made by your adrenal glands, which are located on top of your kidneys.

Epinephrine, norepinephrine, dopamine

33
Q

Acetylcholine

A

Chief neurotransmitter of the PNS

Part of AutoNS - contracts smooth muscles, dilates blood vessels, increases bodily secretions, and slows heart rate

Connected to Alzheimer’s

34
Q

Norepinephrine

A

Aka noradrenaline
Primary neurotransmitter used in sympathetic nervous system

Controls alertness & wakefulness
Connected with mood disorders

35
Q

Dopamine

A

Found in basal ganglia (substantia nigra)

Function of:
Movements [too less connected to Parkinson’s]
Sleep regulation
Lactation
Reward
Attention, motivation, arousal
Also connected with schizophrenia [too much] & ADHD

36
Q

Serotonin

A

Plays a role with mood regulation, sleep, eating, arousal

37
Q

GABA

A

Gamma-amino-butyric-acid
Role in stabilizing neural activity in brain

Lack of GABA connected with Huntington’s disease

38
Q

Epinephrine

A

Aka adrenaline

Flight or flight response

39
Q

Connection between nerve cells is called ____.

A

Synapse

40
Q

Synaptic cleft

A

Narrow gap that separates neurons

41
Q

___ in the neuron contain neurotransmitters

A

Vesicles

42
Q

Boutons

A

Small bulbs found at the end of an axon

43
Q

Deep cleft that separates two hemispheres of the brain

A

Longitudinal fissure

44
Q

Gray matter is present in the ____.

A

Cerebral cortex

45
Q

Gyrus and sulcus

A

Ridge in the brain - gyrus

Crevice in the brain - sulcus

46
Q

_____ is called the master gland.

A

Pituitary gland

47
Q

Function of pineal gland

A

Produces melatonin for regulating circadian rhythm, and connected with SAD

48
Q

Function of thyroid gland

A

Produces thyroxin connected with stabilizing and maintaining metabolic activities

Lack of thyroxin in children could lead to mental retardation

49
Q

Function of adrenal glands

A

Adrenal cortex secretes steroid hormone cortisol

Adrenal medulla secretes epinephrine & norepinephrine

50
Q

Normal human body has ____ chromosomes.

A

46 [23 pairs]

51
Q

When male contributes ___ chromosome, the baby is a female.

A

X

52
Q

Klinefelter’s syndrome

A

Arise from an XXY zygote.
Becomes evident at puberty when male secondary sex characteristics fail to develop, but breast tissue does. Klinefelter’s males tend to be passive.

53
Q

____ syndrome produces progressive loss of nervous function and death in a baby.

A

Tay-Sachs

54
Q

Albinism

A

Arises from a failure to synthesize or store pigment and also involves abnormal nerve pathways to the brain, resulting in quivering eyes and the inability to perceive depth or three-dimensionality with both eyes.

55
Q

Phenylketonuria (PKU)

A

Results in severe, irreversible brain damage unless the baby is fed a special diet low in phenylalanine within 30 days of birth

The infant lacks an enzyme to process this amino acid which can build up and poison cells of the nervous system.

56
Q

Huntington’s disease

A

Example of a dominant gene defect that involves degeneration of the nervous system.

Progressive symptoms involve forgetfulness, tremors, jerky motions, loss of the ability to talk, personality changes such as temper tantrums or inappropriate accusations, blindness, and death.