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Behavioural Sciences > Chapter 1 - Biology and Behaviour > Flashcards

Chapter 1 - Biology and Behaviour Flashcards

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1
Q

Franz Gall

A
  • phrenology: if a particular trait was well developed, the area of the brain responsible for that trait would expand, causing bulge on head
  • measuring psychological attributes by measuring or feeling skull
  • phrenology generated research on brain functions
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2
Q

Pierre Flourens

A
  • first person to study functions of major sections of brain
  • extirpation/ablation on rabbits and pigeons: parts of brain surgically removed and the behavioral consequences are observed
  • led to understanding that specific parts of brain had specific functions, removal of one part weakens whole brain
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3
Q

William James

A
  • founder of American psychology
  • studied how mind adapts to environment
  • foundation for functionalism: how mental processes help individuals adapt to their environment
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4
Q

John Dewey

A
  • important name in functionalism
  • criticized concept of reflex arc (process of reacting to stimulus in discrete parts)
  • he believed psychology should focus on study of organism as a WHOLE as it functioned to adapt to environment
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5
Q

Paul Broca

A
  • examined behavioral deficits of people with brain damage
  • first to demonstrate that specific functional impairments could be linked with specific brain lesions
  • Broca studied person who couldn’t talk and discovered that his disability was due to lesion in specific area on left side of brain now known as Broca’s area
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6
Q

Hermann von Helmholtz

A
  • first to measure speed of nerve impulse
  • related measured speed of impulse to reaction time, providing link b/w behviour and underlying nervous system activity
  • early link b/w psychology and physiology, Helmholtz credited with transition of psychology into natural science
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7
Q

Sir Charles Sherrington

A
  • inferred existence of synapses
  • falsely thought that synaptic transmission was electrical process when it is primarily chemical
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8
Q

Human Nervous System

A
  • 100 billion cells that communicate, coordinate, regulate signals for rest of body
  • mental and physical action occurs when body reacts to external stimuli using nervous system
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9
Q

nerve cells - SENSORY NEURONS

A

AFFERENT neurons - Ascend in the cord toward the brain
- transmit sensory info from receptors to the spinal cord and brain

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10
Q

nerve cells - MOTOR NEURONS

A

EFFERENT neurons - Exit the cord to rest of body
- transmit motor info from brain and spinal cord to muscles and glands

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11
Q

nerve cells - INTERNEURONS

A
  • found b/w other neurons
  • most numerous
  • mostly in brain and spinal cord
  • linked to reflexive behaviour
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12
Q

reflex arcs

A

control reflexes
1. step on nail
2. receptors in foot detect pain
3. pain signal transmitted by sensory neurons up to spinal cord
4. sensory neuron connects w/ interneuron which relays pain impulses to brain
5. interneurons don’t wait, they send signals to muscles of both legs
6. person withdraws foot in pain
7. eventually OG sensory info reaches brain but muscles have already responded to pain

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13
Q

divisions of nervous system

A

CNS and PNS
CNS into brain and spinal cord
PNS into somatic and autonomic
autonomic into symp and parasymp

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14
Q

CNS - central nervous system

A

brain and spinal cord

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15
Q

PNS - peripheral nervous system

A
  • nerve tissue and fibers outside of brain and spinal cord
  • 31 pairs of nerves emanating from spinal cord called spinal nerves
  • 12 pairs of nerves emanating from brain called cranial nerves
  • olfactory and optic nerves part of PNS
    -PNS connects CNS to rest of body
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16
Q

somatic nervous system

A
  • sensory and motor neurons distributed through skin, joints, muscles
  • sensory neurons transmit info toward CNS (afferent fibers)
  • motor neurons transmit info from CNS to body (efferent fibers)
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17
Q

autonomic nervous system

A
  • regulates INVOLUNTARY MUSCLES: heartbeat, respiration, digestion, glandular secretions
  • regulates body temp by activating sweating
    -autonomic=automatic, no conscious control needed
    AUTONOMIC split into symp and parasymp (act in opposition so they are antagonistic)
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18
Q

sympathetic nervous system

A
  • accelerate heart rate and inhibit digestion
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19
Q

parasympathetic nervous system

A

REST AND DIGEST
- decelerates heart rate and increases digestion
- conserve energy, associated with resting and sleeping states
- reduces heart rate, constrict bronchi, inhibits adrenaline production, contracts bladder
- manage digestion by increasing peristalsis and exocrine secretions
- neurotransmitter acetylcholine plays role

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20
Q

sympathetic nervous system

A

FIGHT AND FLIGHT
- activated by stress such as school assignments or life and death situation
- rage and fear reactions
- increase heart rate, blood flow to muscles of locomotion, increase blood glucose conc, relaxes bronchi, decreases digestion, dilates eyes to maximizebn bn light intake, releases epinephrine, stimulates orgasm, inhibits bladder contraction, stimulates sweating,

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21
Q

organization of brain

A

diff parts of brain p

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22
Q

forebrain (prosencephalon)

A

COMPLEX FUNCTIONS
cerebral cortex
thalamus
hypothalamus
lymbic system
basal ganglia
cerebrum
posterior pituitary gland
pineal gland

  • developed after mid and hindbrain
  • complex perceptual, cognitive, behavioural processes
  • functions not absolutely necessary but associated with intellectual abilities of humans
    during prenatal development, prosencephalon divides to telencephalon- cerebral cortex, basal ganglia, lymbic system and diencephalon - thalamus, hypothalamus, posterior pituitary, pineal gland
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23
Q

hindbrain (rhombencephalon)

A

BASIC SURVIVAL
pons
medulla oblongata
cerebellum
reticular formation

  • located where brain meets spinal cord
  • hindbrain controls balance, motor coordination, breathing, digestion, sleeping, walking

during embryonic development, rhombencephalon divides to form myelencephalon - medulla oblongata and metencephalon which becomes bons and cerebellum

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24
Q

meninges

A

thick, three-layered sheath of connective tissue help protect brain by keeping it anchored with skull

meninges reabsorb cerebrospinal fluid which is aq solution that nourishes brain and spinal cord and provides and protective cushion

OUTER LAYER - dura mater which is connected to skull bone

MIDDLE LAYER - arachnoid mater which is fibrous weblike structure

INNER LAYER - pia mater which is connected to brain

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25
cerebrospinal fluid
produced by special cells that line ventricles of brain
26
dura mater
outer layer of meninges connected to skull bone
27
arachnoid mater
middle layer of meninges which is fibrous and weblike
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pia mater
inner layer of meninges connected to brain
29
midbrain (mesencephalon)
inferior and superior colliculi - sensorimotor reflexes - above hindbrain - receives sensory and motor info from rest of body - associated with involuntary reflex responses triggered by visual or auditory stimuli - COLLICULI: 2 prominent nuclei -superior colliculus receives visual sensory input inferior colliculus receives auditory sensory input
30
brainstem
hindbrain + midbrain
31
limbic system
neural structures associated with emotion and memory - agression, fear, pleasure, pain
32
cerebral cortex
- most recent evolutionary development of human brain which is outer covering of cerebral hemispheres - associated w/ problem solving, language processing, impulse control, long-term planning
33
prenatal life
brain develops from neural tube start off w/ 3 swellings (fore, mid, hindbrain) then hind and forebrain split into 2 swellings creating 5 total swellings
34
prosencephalon
forebrain split into telencephalon and diencephalon
34
mesencephalon
midbrain
35
rhombencephalon
hindbrain split into metencephalon and myelencephalon
36
medulla oblongata
lower brain structure responsible for regulating vital functions such as breathing, heart rate, digestion emerged from myencephalon
37
pons
lies above medulla and contains sensory and motor pathways b/w cortex and medulla emerged from metencephalon
38
cerebellum
maintains posture and balance and coordinates body movements emerged from metencephalon
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cerebral cortex
complex perceptual, cognitive, behavioural processes
40
basal ganglia
movement
41
limbic system
emotion and memory
42
thalamus
sensory relay station except smell sorts impulses to appropriate areas of cerebral cortex
43
hypothalamus
hunger, thirst, emotion homeostatic fxns detects imbalances and signals body to correct them
44
inferior and superior colliculi
sensorimotor relfexes from auditory and visual input
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reticular formation
arousal and alertness
46
neuropsychology
study of functions and behaviours associated with specific regions of brain RESEARCH - associating specific areas of brain to behaviour CLINICAL - evaluations of patient cognitive and behavioural functioning and treatment of brain disorders
47
studying human brain lesions
pro: determining the functions of the brain bc damage to one part of brain is coupled with loss of the function con: lesions of brain are rarely isolated to specific brain structures so pinpointing specific link b/w brain structure and function becomes difficult
48
studying brain lesions in lab animals
advantage: precisely defined brain lesiosn can be created in animals by extirpation or inserting tiny electrodes inside brain and selectively applying heat, cold, or electricity to specific regions this has helped our understanding of comparable neural structures in humans
49
electrically stimulating brain +recording brain activity
- stimulate cortex with small electrode, causing groups of neurons to fire, activating the behavioral or perceptual processes associated with those neurons 1. electrode stimulates neurons in motor cortex --> muscle movements triggered 2. electrode stimulates visual cortex -->patient may see flashes of light not really there
50
cortical maps
created for patients when electrical stimulation is used patient must be awake and alert, no pain receptors in brain so only local anesthesia required electrodes in lab animals all used to elicit sleep, sexual arousal, rage, terror electrodes off -->behaviours cease
51
EEG (electroencephalogram)
placing several electrodes on the scalp to detect, record, and study large groups of neurons and their electrical activity noninvasive (doesn't cause damage) so can be used with humans research on sleep, seizures, and brain lesions relies heavily on EEgs
52
rCBF (regional cerebral blood flow)
- noninvasive - detects broad patterns of neural activity based on increased blood flow to diff parts of brain - rCBF relies on assumption that blood flow increases in regions of brain engaged in cognitive fxn - measure blood flow: patient inhales harmless radioactive gas, and special device that detects radioactivity in bloodstream correlates radioactivity levels with regional cerebral blood flow
53
CT or CAT scan (computed tomography or computed axial tomography)
multiple x rays raken at diff angles and processed by computer to produce cross sectional images of the tissue
54
PET scan (positron emission tomography)
radioactive sugar injected and absorbed into body, and its dispersion and uptake throughout the target tissue is imaged
55
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
magnetic field that interacts w hydrogen atoms is used to map out hydrogen dense regions of the body
56
most modern and largest portion of brain by weight and volume
forebrain
57
hypothalamus subdivisions
lateral hypo ventromedial hypo anterior hypo
58
lateral hypothalamus (LH)
hunger center, triggers eating and drinking when LH is destroyed, one lacks hunger
59
ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH)
satiety center, provides signals to stop eating when VMH is destroyed, one is very much hungry
60
anterior hypothalamus
controls sexual behaviour
61
posterior pituitary
site of release for hormones ADH and oxytocin
62
pineal gland
secretes melatonin with regulates circadian rhythms receives direct signals from retina for coordination with sunlight
63
basal ganglia
coordinate muscle movement and relay info to brain and spinal cord plays role in Parkinson's, schizophrenia, and OCD
64
extrapyramidal system
gathers info about body position and sends to CNS but doesn't fxn through motor neurons
65
Parkinson's disease
destruction of portions of basal ganglia so jerky movements, uncontrolled resting tremors (involuntary quivering movement)
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limbic system
loops around central portion of brain emotions and memory
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parts of limbic system
septal nuclei amygdala hippocampus anterior cingulate cortex
68
septal nuclei
primary pleasure centers plays role in addictive behaviour
69
amygdala
plays role in defensive and aggressive behaviours such as fear and rage damage to amygdala -->aggression and fear reduced, hypersexual, docile (submissive)
70
hippocampus
learning and memory long term memories
71
fornix
long projection used by hippocampus to communicate with other portions of limbic system
72
anterograde amnesia
memory loss characterized by not being able to establish new long-term memories
73
retrograde amnesia
memory loss of events that happenedant before brain injury
74
anterior cingulate cortex
fxns in higher order cognitive processes such as impulse control and decision making
75
cerebral cortex
outer surface of brain most recent region to evolve has many bumps and folds called gyri and sulci - increases surface area
76

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