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Intro to Psych > Chapter 2 > Flashcards

Chapter 2 Flashcards

The Biology of Behavior (85 cards)

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1
Q

Phrenology

A

Stated that bumps on the skull indicated personality traits.
Franz Gall.

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2
Q

Biological Psychology

A

The scientific study of the links between biological and psychological processes.

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3
Q

Plasticity

A

The brain’s ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience.

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4
Q

Neurons

A

A nerve cell - basic building block of the nervous system.

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5
Q

All neurons contain three things:

A
  1. cell body
  2. dendrites
  3. axon
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6
Q

Cell Body

A

The part of a neuron that contains the nucleus, the cell’s life support center.

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7
Q

Dendrites

A

A neuron’s often bushy, branching extensions that receive and integrate messages, conducing impulses toward the cell body.

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8
Q

Axon

A

The neuron extension that passes messages through its branches to other neurons or to muscles or glands.

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9
Q

Myelin Sheath

A

A fatty tissue layer segmentally encasing the axons of some neurons; enables vastly greater transmission speed as neuronal impulses hop from one node to the next.

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10
Q

Glial Cells (glia)

A

Cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons, they may also play a role in learning, thinking, and memory.

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11
Q

Proportion of Glial Cells in different mammals

A

In more complex animal brains, the proportion of glia to neurons increases.

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12
Q

Action Potential

A

a neural impulse, a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon.

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13
Q

Neural Impulse:

A

Resting potential - positive (sodium) outside and negative (potassium) inside.
When a neuron fires, positive sodium ions go into the axon and the charge difference is depolarization.

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14
Q

Threshold

A

The level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse.

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15
Q

Refractory Period

A

In neural processing, a brief resting pause that occurs after a neuron has fired, subsequent action potentials cannot occur until the axon returns to its resting rate.

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16
Q

All-Or-None Response

A

A neuron’s reaction of either firing with a full-strength response or not firing.

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17
Q

Synapse

A

The junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron.

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18
Q

Neurotransmitters

A

Chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gap between neurons, when released by the sending neuron, neurotransmitters travel across the synapse and bind to receptor sites on the receiving neuron, thereby influencing whether that neuron will generate a neural impulse.

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19
Q

Reuptake

A

A neurotransmitter’s reabsorption by the sending neuron.

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20
Q

Endorphins

A

Natural, opiate-like neurotransmitters linked to pain control and pleasure.

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21
Q

Agonist

A

A molecule that increases a neurotransmitter’s action.

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22
Q

Antagonist

A

A molecule that inhibits or blocks a neurotransmitter’s action.

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23
Q

Nervous System

A

The body’s speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems.

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24
Q

Central Nervous System (CNS)

A

The brain and spinal cord.

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25
Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
The sensory and motor neurons that connect the CNS to the rest of the body.
26
Nerves
Bundled axons that form neural cables connecting the CNS with muscles, glands, and sense organs.
27
Sensory (Afferent) Neurons
Neurons that carry incoming information from the body's tissues and sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord.
28
Motor (Efferent) Neurons
Neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands.
29
Interneurons
Neurons within the brain and spinal cord, communicate internally and process information between the sensory inputs and motor inputs.
30
The PNS has two components:
1. Somatic Nervous System 2. Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)
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Somatic Nervous System
Controls the body's skeletal muscles.
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Autonomic Nervous System
Controls the glands and muscles of the internal organs, like the heart.
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Autonomic Nervous System has two components:
1. Sympathetic Nervous System 2. Parasympathetic Nervous System
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Sympathetic Nervous System
Arouses the body, mobilizing its energy.
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Parasympathetic Nervous System
Calms the body, conserving energy.
36
Reflex
A simple, automatic response to a sensory stimulus, such as the knee-jerk response.
37
Endocrine System
The body's "slow" chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream.
38
Hormones
Chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands, travel through the bloodstream, and affect other tissues.
39
Adrenal Gland
A pair of endocrine glands that sit just above the kidneys and secrete epinephrine and norepinephrine to arouse the body in times of stress.
40
Pituitary Gland
The endocrine system's most influential gland, controlled by the hypothalamus, it regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands.
41
The Master Gland
Pituitary gland.
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Lesion
Tissue destruction; a brain lesion is a naturally or experimentally caused destruction of brain tissue.
43
EEG
An amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity sweeping across the brain's surface, these waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp.
44
MEG
A brain-imaging technique that measures magnetic fields from the brain's natural electrical activity.
45
PET Scan
A visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task.
46
MRI
A technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images of soft tissue - shows brain anatomy.
47
fMRI
A technique for revealing blood flow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans, can show brain function as well as structure.
48
Diffusion Spectrum Imaging
Maps long-distance brain fiber connections that have led to a new brain map with 100 new neural centers.
49
Brain Stem
Oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull - responsible for automatic survival functions.
50
Medulla
The base of the brainstem - controls heartbeat and breathing.
51
Pons
Above the medulla - coordinates movements and controls sleep.
52
Thalamus
The brains sensory control center, located on top of the brain stem - directs information to higher brain regions.
53
Reticular Formation
A nerve network that travels through the brainstem into the thalamus and plays an important role in controlling arousal.
54
Cerebellum
The "little brain" at the rear of the brain stem - processes sensory input, coordinates movement output and balance, enables nonverbal learning and memory.
55
Limbic System
Neural system located below the cerebral hemispheres - associated with emotions and drives.
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Old Brain Structures
Brain stem Medulla Pons Thalamus Reticular formation Cerebellum
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Limbic System Includes
Amygdala Hypothalamus Hippocampus
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Amygdala
Two lima-bean-sized neural clusters in the limbic system; linked to emotion - has a role in fear and rage.
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Hypothalamus
Neural structure lying below the thalamus; directs several maintenance activities and helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, is linked to emotion and reward.
60
Hippocampus
A neural center located in the limbic system; helps process explicit memories of facts and events for storage.
61
Cerebrum
Contributes to 85% of the brains weight and consists of two cerebral hemispheres.
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Cerebral Cortex
The intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the cerebral hemispheres; the body's ultimate control and information processing center.
63
Four Lobes
1. Frontal lobes 2. Parietal lobes 3. Occipital lobes 4. Temporal lobes
64
Frontal Lobes
Just behind the forehead - involved in muscle movements and speaking and making plans and judgements.
65
Parietal Lobes
At the top of the head and towards the rear - receives sensory input for touch and body position.
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Occipital Lobes
Back of the head - includes areas that receive information from the visual fields.
67
Temporal Lobes
Roughly above the ears - includes auditory areas, each receiving information from the opposite ear.
68
Motor Cortex
An area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements.
69
Somatosensory Cortex
An area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations.
70
Association Areas
Areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primarily motor functions - involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking. Found in all four lobes.
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Prefrontal Cortex
Forward part of the frontal lobes - enable judgement, planning, social interactions, processing of new memories.
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Functional Connectivity
Communication among distinct brain areas and neural networks.
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Neurogenesis
The formation of new neurons.
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Corpus Callosum
The large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them.
75
Split Brain
A condition resulting from surgery that isolates the brain's two hemispheres by cutting the fibers connecting them.
76
Left Vs Right Hemisphere
Right Hemisphere - perceptual tasks. Left Hemisphere - speaking or math calculations.
77
Environment
Every non-genetic influence, from prenatal nutrition to the people and things around us.
78
Heredity
The genetic transfer of characteristics from parents to offspring.
79
Behavior Genetics
The study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior.
80
Chromosome
Threadlike structure mode of DNA molecules that contain the genes.
81
DNA
A complex molecule containing the genetic information that makes up the chromosomes.
82
Genes
The biochemical units of heredity that make up the chromosomes - segments of DNA capable of synthesizing proteins.
83
Genome
The complete instructions for making an organism, consisting of all the genetic material in that organism's chromosomes.
84
Identical Twins
Individuals that develop from a single fertilized egg that splits in two, creating two genetically identical organisms.
85
Fraternal Twins
Individuals that develop from separate fertilized eggs - they are genetically no closer than ordinary siblings but they share a prenatal environment.

Intro to Psych (2 decks)

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