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Bad Girl's MCAT Club > Behavioral Sciences 1: Biology and Behavior > Flashcards

Behavioral Sciences 1: Biology and Behavior Flashcards

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1
Q

neuropsychology

A

the study of the connection between the nervous system and behavior

often focuses on the functions of various brain regions

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2
Q

Franz Gall

A

early psychologist

theorized that behavior, intellect, personality may be linked to brain anatomy - phrenology

false thought that development –> brain growth –> physical bulge

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3
Q

Pierre Flourens

A

studied the functions of the major sections of the brain through extirpation/ablation on rabbits and pigeons (removing parts and watching what happens)

learned that specific parts of the brain had specific functions

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4
Q

William James

A

father of American psychology

studied how the mind functioned in adapting to environment

helped form functionalism - how mental processes help individuals adapt to environments

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5
Q

John Dewey

A

helped form functionalism - how mental processes help individuals adapt to environments

studied the organism as a whole and not with discrete parts as it reacts to environment

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6
Q

Paul Broca

A

demonstrated that specific functional impairments can be linked to specific brain lesions

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7
Q

Hermann von Helmholtz

A

first person to measure the speed of a nerve impulse

transitioned psych into a natural science

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8
Q

Sir Charles Sherrington

A

first inferred the existence of synapses

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9
Q

organization of nervous system

A
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10
Q

parasympathetic nervous system effects

A
  • acetylcholine
  • constricts pupil
  • stimulates saliva
  • slow heartbeat
  • stimulates peristalsis
  • stimulates bile release
  • contracts bladder
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11
Q

sympathetic nervous system effects

A
  • adrenaline/noradrenaline
  • dilates pupil
  • inhibits saliva
  • relaxes bronchi
  • accelerates heartbeat
  • inhibits peristalsis
  • stimulates glucose production and release
  • inhibits bladder contraction
  • stimulates orgasm
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12
Q

three subdivisions of the brain

A

hindbrain, midbrain, forebrain

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13
Q

hindbrain

A

consists of the cerebellum, medulla oblongata, reticular formation

more primitive structure, has vital functions for survival

also called rhombencephalon divides during development to form myelencephalon (medulla) and metencephalon (pons and cerebellum)

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14
Q

medulla oblongata

A

lower brain structure

breathing

heart rate

blood pressure

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15
Q

pons

A

lies above the medulla

sensory/motor pathways between cortex and medulla

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16
Q

cerebellum

A

above pons

maintain posture and balance

coordinates body movements

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17
Q

reticular formation

A

the portion that passes through medulla and pons and stops near midbrain

functions in arousal, alertness, attention

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18
Q

brainstem

A

consists of the midbrain and hindbrain

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19
Q

midbrain

A

mesencephalon

region of brain that receives sensory/motor information from the rest of the body

associated with involuntary sensorimotor reflex responses

have prominent nuclei

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20
Q

superior colliculus

A

nuclei in the midbrain that receives visual sensory input

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21
Q

inferior colliculus

A

nuclei in the midbrain that receives auditory input

has a role in reflexive reactions to loud noises

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22
Q

forebrain

A

proencephalon

divides to form telencephalon (cerebral cortex, basal ganglia, limbic) and diencephalon (thalamus, hypothalamus, posterior pituitary, pineal glands)

associated with complex perpetual, cognitive, behavioral processes

greatest influence over human behavior, not needed for survival

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23
Q

number of pain receptors in the brain

A

none!

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24
Q

thalamus

A

relay center for all sensory input for smell, transmits to cerebral cortex

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25
hypothalamus
serves **homeostatic functions** key in emotion during **high arousal, aggression, sex** helps control **autonomic and endocrine** functions through **hypophyseal portal system** to anterior pituitary
26
lateral hypothalamus (LH)
**hunger center**; detects when body needs more food or fluids -- **start eating** when destroyed, one ***l**acks **h**unger*
27
ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH)
satiety center -- **stop eating** when destroyed, one is ***v**ery **m**uch **h**ungry*
28
anterior hypothalamus
**sex** center when destroyed, one is ***a**sexual*
29
posterior pituitary
comprised of **axonal projections from hypothalamus** responds to hormones released by the hypothalamus releases vasopressin and ADH
30
pineal gland
keeps biological rhythms
31
basal ganglia
**coordinate muscle movement** receive info from cortex and **relay info to brain and spinal cord** damage causes jerky movements and tremors (Parkinson's)
32
extrapyramidal system
system in which the **basal ganglia** gathers info about the **body position** and carries the info to CNS
33
limbic system
interconnected structures looping around the central portion of the brain primarily associated with **emotion and memory** **septal nuclei** **amygdala** **hippocampus**
34
septal nuclei
contain a **primary pleasure center** association between these neurons and **addiction**
35
amygdala
region that controls **fear and aggression**
36
hippocampus
consolidates **memories** and communications with other parts of **limbic system** through **fornix extension**
37
anterograde amnesia
amnesia in which a person **cannot establish new longterm memory**
38
retrograde amnesia
amnesia in which a person **cannot remember events that happened before injury**
39
cerebral cortex
**heavily folded** (many gyri/sulci) to increase surface area two hemispheres **frontal lobe** **parietal lobe** **occipital lobe** **temporal lobe**
40
frontal lobe
made up of **prefrontal cortex**, **primary motor cortex**, and **Broca's area** (on left hemisphere only) **executive function, impulse control, long-term planning, motor function, speech production** acts as an **association area** (receives input from diverse areas of brain)
41
central sulcus
landmark which **separates the parietal and frontal lobes**
42
parietal lobe
contains **somatosensory cortex** receives sensory signals for **touch, pressure, temp, pain** also involved in **spatial orientation and manipulation**
43
occipital lobe
contains **visual cortex for visual processing**
44
temporal lobe
contains **auditory cortex for sound processing** contains **Wernicke's area** for **language reception and comprehension**
45
what does it mean for the brain to be **contralateral**?
the hemispheres of the **brain control movement** in **opposite sides of the body**
46
what does it mean for the brain to be **ipsilateral**?
the hemispheres of the brain **process hearing on the same side of the input**
47
dominant hemisphere
usually the **left** primary in **analytic functions, details** **language, logic, math** letters/words, **complex voluntary movement**
48
nondominant hemisphere
usually the **right** **intuition, creativity, music recognition, spatial processing** **faces**, **emotions**, sense of **direction**
49
acetylcholine
neurotransmitter... **PNS** - used by **somatic** to move **muscles**; parasympathetic, sympathetic **sweat glands** **CNS** - **alertness** and arousal linked to **Alzhimers** - loss of cholinergic neurons connecting hippocampus = **memory loss**
50
dopamine
neurotransmitter that **maintains smooth movements and posture** heightened levels found in **basal ganglia**
51
endorphins/enkephalins
neurotransmitters that act as **natural painkillers**
52
epinephrine
neurotransmitter that controls **alertness/wakefulness** primarily in **sympathetic** can act as **hormone** when secreted by **adrenal medulla**
53
norepinephrine
**local neurotransmitter** that controls **alertness/wakefulness** primarily in **sympathetic** low levels = depression high levels = anxiety and mania
54
gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glycine
neurotransmitter that **produces IPSPs** - **hyperpolarization** **stabilizes** neural activity in brain
55
glutamate
neurotransmitter that produces **EPSPs**
56
serotonin
neurotransmitter that **modulates mood, eating, sleeping, dreaming** imbalances can lead to depression and mania
57
neuropeptides
neurotransmitters that create **a longer chain of events** than most others - \> **slower** effect --\> **longer** lasting ex. endorphins and enkephalins
58
adrenal glands
located at the **top** of the **kidneys**, divided into the **adrenal medulla** and **adrenal cortex**
59
adrenal medulla
part of the **adrenal gland** that releases **epinephrine** and **norepinephrine** as part of the **sympathetic** nervous system
60
adrenal cortex
part of the **adrenal gland** that produces **corticosteroids** and **sex hormones**
61
cortisol
a **stress hormone** released by the **adrenal cortex**
62
sex hormones
hormones that **increase libido**, contribute to **mating behavior and sexual function** made in both the adrenal cortex and the gonads
63
innate behavior
behavior that is **genetically programmed** as a result of **evolution** and is seen in all individuals regardless of environment or experience
64
learned behavior
behavior that is not based on heredity but instead on **experience and environment**
65
adaptive value
the extent to which a trait or behavior **positively benefits a species** by influencing the **evolutionary fitness** of the species leads to **adaptation through natural selection**
66
family studies
genetic studies that look at the frequency of a trait **within a family** compared to the general population limited because members of a family share environment and genes, so its hard to distinguish between genetic factors and environmental factors
67
twin studies
genetic studies that **compare concordance rates** between **monozygotic** (identical) and **dizygotic** (fraternal) twins since both MZ and DZ twins share environment, **differences between them must be genetic** sometimes look at MZ raised apart
68
adoption studies
genetic study that compares **similarities between adopted children** and **their adoptive parents**, relative to similarities with **their biological parents**
69
neurulation
**ectoderm overlying the notochord** begins to furrow, forming a **neural groove** surrounded by **two neural folds**
70
neural crest
**cells at the leading edge of the neural fold** eventually spread out throughout the body and **differentiate into many different tissues**
71
neural tube
becomes the **CNS** of the organism has an **alar plate** - sensory neurons **basal plate** - motor neurons
72
umbilical cord
attaches the **fetus** to the **uterine wall and placenta**
73
placenta
organ in the uterus that **transmits food, oxygen, and water to the fetus** while returning **water and waste to the mother**
74
primitive reflexes
reflexes that **exist in infants** and should disappear with age often **protective** can occur in adults as a result of **demyelination**
75
rooting reflex
reflex in which the **infant turns his/her head** toward anything that brushes the cheek
76
Moro reflex
reflex in which the infant **extends the arms and slowly retracts them** and **cries** in response to a sensation of falling
77
Babinski reflex
reflex in which an infant's **big toe is extended and the other toes fan** in response to the **brushing of the sole** of the big foor
78
grasping reflex
reflex in which the infant **grabs anything** put into his/her hand
79
gross motor skills
motor skills that **incorporate movement from large muscle groups and whole body motion** ex. sitting, crawling, walking often develop from **head to toe**
80
fine motor skills
motor skills that involve the **smaller muscles of the fingers, toes, and eyes,** providing **more specific and delicate movement** ex. tracking motion, drawing, catching, waving often develop in the **core before the extremities**
81
stranger anxiety
a fear and apprehension of **unfamiliar individuals** develops at 7 months
82
separation anxiety
a fear of being **separated from the parental figure** develops at one year
83
development of playtime
solitary -\> onlooker -\> parallel play
84
parallel play
a playstyle in which **children play alongside each other** without influencing each other's behavior
85
what developmental roles occur at age three?
child gains **awareness of gender identity** engages in **gender-specific play** **knows full name**
86
what developmental roles occur at age **five**?
**conformity** to peers and **romantic** feelings begin to develop
87

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