CH1 (automatic) Flashcards
What is the basic unit of the nervous system?
Neuron
A neuron is also known as a nerve cell.
How many nerve cells are estimated to be in one’s head?
86 billion
This is an estimated number of neurons in the human brain.
What are the contact points between neurons called?
Synapses
There are trillions of synapses in the human brain.
What is Behavioural Neuroscience also known as?
Biological psychology
It studies the neural bases of behaviour and mental processes.
List the five major viewpoints to explore the biology of behaviour.
- Describing behaviour (Structural, Functional)
- Observing the development of behaviour (ontogeny)
- Studying biological mechanisms of behaviour
- Studying applications of behavioural neuroscience
- Studying the evolution of behaviour
What does ontogeny refer to?
The process by which an individual changes over its lifetime
This includes growth and aging.
What are proximate questions?
Questions about the physical interactions controlling a behaviour
Example: How do cells in our eye respond to different light wavelengths?
What are hormones?
Chemical compounds that transmit messages through the bloodstream
They are similar across many species.
Define conserved characteristic in the context of evolution.
A trait passed on from a common ancestor to descendant species
Not all similar features guarantee a common ancestor.
What does Darwin’s theory of evolution emphasize?
- Continuity of behaviour and biological processes among species
- Species-specific differences as adaptations to environments
What is the independent variable in an experiment?
The cause or factor manipulated by the experimenter
What is the dependent variable in an experiment?
The outcome or factor measured to monitor the response
What is somatic intervention?
An approach involving manipulation of brain/body structure or function to observe changes in behaviour
It is the most common approach in understanding behaviour.
What is behavioural intervention?
An approach that involves intervening in behaviour and observing resulting changes in body structure or function
What does correlation measure in behavioural neuroscience?
The extent to which a given body measure varies with a given behavioural measure
What is neuroplasticity?
The ability of the nervous system to change in response to experience or the environment
What is reductionism in behavioural neuroscience?
The strategy of breaking a system down into smaller parts to understand it
List the levels of analysis in behavioural neuroscience.
- Social Level
- Organ Level
- Neural Systems Level
- Brain Region Level
- Circuit Level
- Cellular Level
- Synaptic Level
- Molecular Level
What is dualism according to Descartes?
The notion that the mind and body are separate, with the mind subject to spiritual interactions and the body to material interactions
What was phrenology?
The belief that bumps on the skull reflect enlargements of brain regions responsible for certain behaviours
What did Broca discover about language ability?
Language ability is localized to a specific brain region, known as Broca’s area
What did William James’ book ‘The Principles of Psychology’ signify?
The beginning of a modern approach to behavioural neuroscience
What does consciousness refer to?
The state of awareness of one’s own existence and experience
What has been the trend in the occurrence of the term neuroscience in biomedical journals since 1990?
Increased steadily and sharply in the past decade
