Brain and behaviour Flashcards
What are the basic components of the human nervous system?
Brain, spinal cord, peripheral nervous system.
What is the primary function of neurons?
Transmit signals through synapses.
Who discovered neurons?
Santiago Ramón y Cajal.
What is the neuron/glia ratio in the human brain?
Approximately 1:1 (neuron to glia).
What distinguishes Bilaterian nervous systems from Cnidarian systems?
Bilaterians have CNS and cephalisation; cnidarians have nerve nets.
What was the earliest known fossil with a CNS?
Alalcomenaeus fossil (~520 million years old).
What is the fundamental unit of the nervous system?
The synapse.
Where were synaptic proteins found before synapses evolved?
In single-celled organisms for communication.
What is myelin and its significance in vertebrates?
Fatty insulation around neurons increasing conduction speed.
What is cephalisation?
Concentration of nervous tissue into a head region.
What brain structure stabilizes the body in water or on land?
Cerebellum.
What distinguishes human brains from other primates?
Greater brain-to-body size ratio and expanded prefrontal cortex.
What evolutionary event may have triggered rapid human brain growth?
Discovery of fire and cooking.
How does brain cell density contribute to intelligence?
Higher neuron density enhances processing and cognitive ability.
What is an example of intelligent birds aside from primates?
Crows and parrots.
How does the nervous system enable behavior?
It integrates sensory inputs and coordinates motor outputs.
What defines a behavior in evolutionary biology?
An internally generated response to stimuli.
What are Tinbergen’s four questions for studying behavior?
Mechanism, development, evolution, and adaptive value.
What example illustrates the evolution of learned behavior?
Birdsong learning from tutors.
Why is sleep considered an evolutionary adaptation?
It serves fundamental biological needs and increases fitness.
What defines sleep behaviorally across species?
Reduced responsiveness, reversible arousal threshold, and sleep homeostasis.
Do all animals exhibit sleep behavior?
A form of sleep or sleep-like state is found across multiple phyla.
What role does sleep play in development?
Higher during early developmental stages across species.
What environmental factors influence sleep patterns?
Temperature, diet, migration, and mating behavior.
