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Biological Psychology > Chapter 1- The Cellular Foundations of Behaviour > Flashcards

Chapter 1- The Cellular Foundations of Behaviour Flashcards

1
Q

physiological explanation

A

relates behaviour to the activity of the brain and other organs. It deals with the machinery of the body, for example, the chemical reactions that enable hormones to influence brain activity and the routes by which brain activity controls muscle contractions.

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2
Q

ontogenic explanation

A

describes how something develops. For example, if we want to explain why males and females differ on average in some regard, we might examine behaviour at ages and relate it to changes in the nervous system.

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3
Q

evolutionary explanation

A

reconstructs the evolutionary history of a structure or behaviour. The characteristic features of an animal are almost always modifications of something found in ancestral species. For example, bat wings are modified arms; quills are modified hairs. Evolutionary explanations call attention to behavioural similarities among related species

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4
Q

functional explanation

A

describes why a structure or behaviour evolved as it did. Within a small, isolated population, a gene can spread by accident through a process called genetic drift. Example: dominant male with many offspring spreads all his genes, including some that may have been irrelevant or even disadvantageous.

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5
Q

biological psychology

A

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

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6
Q

monism

A

the belief that the universe consists of only one kind of substance
-mental activity and certain types of brain activity are insperable

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7
Q

dualism

A

the belief that mind and body are different kinds of substance that exist independently

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8
Q

Camillo Golgi

A

The nervous system is composed of a network of interconnected fibres- one big mess of wires

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9
Q

Santiago Ramon y Cajal

A

The nervous system is made of discrete cells
Neuron Doctrine (Neuron Hypothesis)
Neurons are the units of brain function

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10
Q

Neurons

A

cells that receive information and transmit it to other cells
Carry out the brain’s major functions
86 billion
69B Cerebellum
16B Cortex
<1B Other
1B Spinal cord
Continuously changes their shape
New dendritic branches and lose old ones
New connections
Neuroplasticity
Some new neurons appear throughout life, but most of your neurons are with you for life and are never replaced.

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11
Q

Glia

A

Aid and modulate neuron activities
40-50 billion

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12
Q

Endothelial cells

A
  • BBB
  • 13-17 billion
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13
Q

dendrites

A

Receive info from other neurons
1 - 20+
Dendritic spines

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14
Q

cell body/ soma

A

The core region; contains the nucleus
Integrates the information

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15
Q

axon

A

Transmits info to other cells
Only one axon
Axon hillock, buttons, synapses,
Myelin sheath
Nodes of Ranvier

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16
Q

what does a single neuron do?

A

Most behaviours are produced by networks (groups of 100s or 1000s of neurons)
When an ensemble of neurons are all transiently active to some thought, feeling, process, etc., they are all referred to as a cell assembly.
If a cell assembly is responsible for a specific process or content of thought, then what sort of information is “coded” by a single neuron within the cell assembly?
Grandmother cells

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17
Q

sensory neurons

A

Info concerning the environment (from the peripheral nervous system) is transmitted to the central nervous system
Bipolar, unipolar neurons

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18
Q

interneurons

A

Bridge sensory and motor neurons
E.g. Purkinje cell is one type of interneuron
Modulate functioning between sensory and motor neurons
Multipolar interneuron

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19
Q

motor neurons

A

Transmit signals from the central nervous system to muscles
Multipolar neuron

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20
Q

efferent

A

going away

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21
Q

afferent

A

accepting, toward the brain

22
Q

“language” of neurons

A

Excitation and inhibition
Each neuron receives thousands of excitatory and inhibitory signals per second.
Neurons sum these signals and respond accordingly: they become active or not (like a democracy)
From the simple “yes-no” language of neurons emerges enormous possibilities for behaviour.

23
Q

glial cells

A

From the Greek “glue,” supportive role for neurons
10-50 glia for every neuron? Maybe not
The best estimate is 1:1 or 0.7:1

24
Q

types of glia

A

Ependymal cells
Microglia
Astrocytes
Oligodendrocytes
Schwann cells
Radial cells

25
Q

ependymal cells

A

Found on the walls of the ventricles
Produce Cerebral spinal fluid
These cells form the choroid plexus
If CSF is blocked, hydrocephalus (“water brain”) results

26
Q

microglia

A

Found within the central nervous system
Clean up dead neurons or glia because such debris may interfere with neural functioning
Quite mobile, they originate in the blood, and they travel to the site of an injury to provide growth factors to aid repair and for phagocytosis (“cell-eating”)
Phagocytosis: scavenge debris

27
Q

astrocyte (astroglia)

A

Star-shaped appearance, found in the central nervous system
Neural synchronization
Structural support
Without astrocytes, neurons would be floating around unanchored within extracellular-fluid
Synchronizes the activity of neurons it supports
Blood-brain barrier
Form connections with the blood supply (end-feet of astrocyte) and neurons to transfer glucose and nutrients to neurons.
Neurons “request” more oxygen/glucose from the blood supply via the astrocytes

28
Q

oligodendria

A

myelinate axons in the central nervous system
ms & amyotrophic lat. sclerosis

29
Q

schwann cells

A

myelinate axons in the peripheral nervous system
multiple sclerosis
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

30
Q

myelin

A

glial coating that surrounds axons: 80% lipids (fats), 20% protein

31
Q

oligodendrocytes(CNS)

A

myelinate many (-15) neurons
provide some structural stability

32
Q

schawnn cells(PNS)

A

One cell myelinates only one neuron
it takes many schwann cells to myelinate a neuron
can guide regrowth of damaged neurons

33
Q

radial glia

A

Guide migrating neurons during development
After neural migration, some become neurons, others become astrocytes, ependymal cells, or oligodendrocytes.

34
Q

blood-brain barrier

A

Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB)
Body
Endothelial cells in capillaries are not tightly joined
Brain
Endothelial cells are tightly joined
Astrocytes (type of glia) play a role
BBB surrounds the brain and blocks most chemicals from entering
It blocks incoming viruses, bacteria, etc. from entering the nervous system
Regions without BBB: pineal gland, pituitary, area postrema

35
Q

active transport

A

The protein-mediated process that expends energy to pump chemicals from the blood into the brain
Glucose, certain hormones, amino acids, and a few vitamins are brought into the brain via active transport.
Although BBB is essential to protect the brain, it can pose a difficulty in allowing chemicals (drugs, chemotherapy, etc.) for to pass the barrier for treatment.

36
Q

glucose and the BBB

A

Glucose can pass through the BBB
Neurons need a steady supply of oxygen
20% of all oxygen consumed by the body is used by the brain
The body needs thiamine (b1) to use glucose
Prolonged thiamine deficiency leads to death of neurons (as in Korsakoff’s syndrome)

37
Q

the internal structure of a cell

A

Extracellular (outside cell)
Intracellular (inside cell)

38
Q

outside the cell

A

Cl-
Na+

39
Q

in the cell

A

K+
Proteins (A-)
Within the cell, the environment is more negative than it is outside the cell bc distribution of ions and proteins

40
Q

cell membrane

A

Separates the intracellular and extracellular fluid
Regulates the movement of ions, molecules, and other substances into and out of the cell
Most substances do not pass through the membrane
Proteins within the membrane permit substances to pass into and out of the cell

41
Q

hydrophilic head

A

water-loving and polar

42
Q

hydrophobic tail

A

water hating and nonpolar
lipids (fat molecules)

43
Q

the action potential

A

A large, brief reversal in polarity of an axon
Lasts approx. 1 millisecond (ms)
All-or-none (i.e., it is NOT graded)
Rate law: stimulus intensity- increased firing rate

44
Q

threshold of excitation

A

Voltage on a neural membrane at which an action potential is triggered
Opening of Na+ and K+ voltage-sensitive channels
-50mV relative to the extracellular surround

45
Q

axon hillock

A

It is very rich in voltage-sensitive channels, and this is where EPSPs and IPSPs will summate (temporally or spatially). If the sum of activity is greater than -50mV, then this summed activity will generate an AP

46
Q

absolute refractory period

A

The depolarizing (rising) and repolarizing phase
A new action potential cannot be elicited

47
Q

relative refractory period

A

The state of an axon in the later phase of an action potential
During this hyperpolarization, another action potential is possible with stronger stimulation

48
Q

action potential in 5 steps

A

Step 1: resting state (-70mV)
Step 2: slight depolarization to threshold (-50mV) followed by a massive depolarization (“rising phase”)
Na+ channels open, Influx of Na+ due to electrostatic pressure… K+ channels open … lastly, Na+ channels close
Step 3: repolarization
Efflux of K+, slow closing of K+
Step 4: hyperpolarization
Continued efflux of K+ (overshoot)
Step 5: back to resting state- random movement of ions and Na+/K+ Pumps

49
Q

nerve impulse: AP propogation

A

Refers to the propagation of an action potential on the membrane of an axon
Why does an AP move?
The voltage difference is 100mV during the AP, but only 20mV is required to bring resting potential to the threshold.
Neighbouring parts of the axons will receive sufficient voltage change to bring it to the threshold.

50
Q

nodes of ranvier

A

Part of an axon that is not covered by myelin
Richly endowed with voltage-sensitive channels

Biological Psychology (8 decks)

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