Chapter 3- Biological Bases Of Mental Life And Behaviour

Question 0

What are the main parts of a neuron!

Answer 0

Dendrites- branch like extensions. Receive inputs from other cells
Cell body- includes a nucleus. Determines how that particular neuron will manipulate the input from the dendrites. It passes the manipulated input to the dendrites of other neurons through the axon.
Axon- long extension from the cell body. Transmits information to other neurons. Two or more offshoots it collateral branches.

Question 1

What are neurons ? And what are the three types?

Answer 1

Are the basic units of the nervous system.
Sensory neurons- transmit information from sensory receptors to the central nervous system (brain).
Motor neurons- transmit commands from the brain to the muscles and glands of the body
Interneurons- connect neurons with one another mostly in the brain and spinal cord

Question 2

What is the role of a

Neurotransmitter?

Answer 2

Transmits information from one neurons to another as they are released into the synapse where they bind with receptors in the membrane of the postsynaptic neuron which produces grades grades potentials that can excite or inhibit the postsynaptic neuron from firing

Question 3

What is excitatory and inhibitory of the neurotransmitter?

Answer 3

Excitatory- depolarize the postsynaptic cell Membrane, making an action potential more likely
Inhibitory- hyperbola rise the membranes reducing the likelihood the postsynaptic neuron will fire.

Question 4

What are the types of neurotransmitters (hormones) and their roles ?

Answer 4

Glutamate - excitation of neurons
GABA- inhibition of neurons
Dopamine- emotional arousal, pleasure and reward; voluntary movement and attention
Serotonin- sleep and emotional arousal, aggression, pain regulation, mood regulation
Acetylcholine- learning and memory
Endorphins and enkephalins- pain relief and elevation of mood

Question 5

What are the two nervous systems ? Briefly explain the role of each.

Answer 5

Central nervous system- directs psychological and basic life processes, responds to stimuli
Peripheral nervous system- carries information to and from the central nervous system

Question 6

What is the function of the spinal cord and what nervous system is it a part of?

Answer 6

Part of the central nervous system. It receives sensory input, sends information to the brain, responds with motor output.

Question 7

What is the function of the brain? What are its three main parts? What nervous system is it part of?

Answer 7

The brain directs psychological activity, processes information and maintains life supports. It is divided into three main parts : the forebrain, the midbrain and the hindbrain. The brain is part of the central nervous system

Question 8

What are the main parts of the forebrain and their functions?

Answer 8

Hypothalamus - regulates emotions and drives ( hunger, thirst, sex, aggression)
Thalamus- relays sensory messages to the cortex
Limbic system - emotion, movement, learning and memory
Basal ganglia- movement and judgement
Cerebral cortex- flexible construction of sequences of voluntary movements. Allows discrimination among complex sensory patterns. Ability to think symbolically.

Question 9

What are the main parts of the cerebral cortex and their functions?

Answer 9

Occipital lobe- vision
Parietal lobes- touch, spatial orientation, nonverbal thinning
Frontal lobes - abstract thinking and planning. Damage can result in personality change.
Temporal lobes- hearing, language, visual pattern recognition

Question 10

What are the main parts of the hindbrain and their functions?

Answer 10

Medulla- breathing, heartbeat
Cerebellum- muscle movement, balance, perception and cognition
Reticular formation- arousal, screens incoming sensory messages

Question 11

What are the main parts of the kid rain and their functions?

Answer 11

Tectum- vision and breathing

Tegmentum- movement associated with Parkinson’s disease

Question 12

The somatic nervous system is part of the the peripheral nervous system, what is its function?

Answer 12

Coneys sensory information to the central nervous system and sends motor messages to muscles

Question 13

The autonomic nervous system is also part of the peripheral nervous system, what is its function?

Answer 13

Autonomic nervous system- serves basic life functions, such as the beating of the heart and response to stress

Question 14

What are the two nervous systems and their functions that stem from the autonomic nervous system?

Answer 14

Sympathetic nervous system- readies the body is response to threat - fight or
Flight response. Activates the organism
Parasympathetic nervous system- calms the body down. Maintains energy. Returns the body to normal after threat

Question 15

What are the six stages if communication between neurons ?

Answer 15

1. Resting state - sodium cannot enter, or is actively pumped out of the neuron. The cell is Negatively charged.
2. Depolarization- sodium enters the dendrites and cell body making the cell less negatively charged
3. Graded potential- change is cell voltage is passed down dendrites and cell body
4. Action potential - if the change in axon voltage surpasses a threshold the axon suddenly lets in a surge of sodium
5. Neurotransmitter release - the action potential causes terminal buttons to release neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft
6. Chemical change transmitted- down depending on the facilitation or inhibitory nature of the neurotransmitter released the voltage of the cell membrane receiving the message become depolarized or hyper polarized and the process repeats

Question 16

What is the myelination?

Answer 16

Coasting of the cells. Gives parts parts of the brain a white appear cell.
It is insulation for the axis from chemical and physical stimuli that may interfere with the transmission of nerve pulses. Dramatically increases the speed of transmitting messages

Question 17

How do graded potentials differ from action potentials?

Answer 17

Graded potentials diminish in stranger as they travel along the cell membrane while also accumulating if this cumulative electrical ripple crosses a certain threshold depolarization occurs resulting in the neuron firing. The shift of polarity across the membrane and subsequent restoration of the testing potential is called and action potential.

Question 18

What is the function of the pituitary glad?

Answer 18

Releases hormones that stimulates and regulated other glands

Question 19

What is the function of the thyroid gland?

Answer 19

Release hormones that control growth and metabolism

Question 20

What is the function of the adrenal glands ?

Answer 20

Secretes adrenalin and other hormones during emergencies

Question 21

what is the function of the gonads?

Answer 21

Tested for males and ovaries for females. They influence sexual development and behaviour

Question 22

How do the functions of the primary and association areas of the cortex differ?

Answer 22

Primary areas of the cortex receive sensory information and initiate motor movements while the association areas are involved in putting together perceptions, ideas and plans

Question 23

Where does grey matter get its colour from ?

Answer 23

Cell bodies, dendrites and unmyelinated axons and dendrites

Question 24

Where does the connection between neurons occur?

Answer 24

Synapse

Question 25

Unlike graded potential, what potential has an ‘all or none’ quality ?

Answer 25

Action potential

Question 26

Some people respond to msg in food with neurological symptoms such as tingling and numbing, because the ingredient activates what type of receptors in their brain ?

Answer 26

Glutamate

Question 27

Which endocrine gland is more connected to the central nervous system than other endocrine glands ?

Answer 27

Pituitary gland

Question 28

What nervous system prepares the body for fight or flight response ?

Answer 28

Sympathetic nervous system

Question 29

Sexual activity is a good example of how which two nervous systems interact ?

Answer 29

Sympathetic and parasympathetic

Question 30

Which area of the hindbrain is responsible for maintaining consciousness, regulating arousal levels and modulating the activity of neurons?

Answer 30

The reticular formation

Question 31

What is the most important function of the hypothalamus?

Answer 31

Homeostasis

Question 32

Which structure in the lambic system is involved in learning and remembering emotionally significant events?

Answer 32

Amygdala