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Psychology > Chapter 4: The Brain And Behavior > Flashcards

Chapter 4: The Brain And Behavior Flashcards

1
Q

Neurons

A

The functional building blocks of the nervous system; cells that transmit the electrical activity that underlies psychological processes

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2
Q

Glial cell

A

From the greek for “glue”; cells surrounding neurons, holding them in place, providing the nutrients neurons need and insulating toxins that would harm the neurons

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3
Q

Synapse

A

A connection between neurons

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4
Q

Sensory neurons

A

Carry input messages from the sense organs to the spinal cord and brain

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5
Q

Motor neurons

A

Transmit output impulses from the brain and spinal cord to the body’s muscles and organs

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6
Q

Interneurons

A

Perform connective or associative functions within the nervous system

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7
Q

Peripheral nervous system

A

Contains all the neural structures that lie outside the brain and spinal cord

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8
Q

Somatic nervous system

A

Consists of sensory neurons that are specialized to transmit messages from the eyes, ears and other sensory receptors, and motor neurons that send messages from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles that control our voluntary movements

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9
Q

Autonomic nervous system

A

Senses the body’s internal functions and controls the glands and the smooth (involuntary) muscles that form the heart, the blood vessels, and the lining of the stomach and intestines

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10
Q

Sympathetic nervous system

A

Has an activation or arousal function, and tends to act as a total unit

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11
Q

Parasympathetic nervous system

A

Is far more specific in its opposing actions than the sympathetic nervous system, affecting one or a few organs at a time; in general, it slows down body processes and maintains a state of tranquility

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12
Q

Homeostasis

A

A delicately balanced or constant internal state

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13
Q

Central nervous system

A

Contains the brain and the spinal cord, which connects most parts of the peripheral nervous system with the brain

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14
Q

Dendrites

A

Specialized receiving units like antennae that collect messages from neighboring neurons and send them on to the cell body

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15
Q

Axon

A

Conducts electrical impulses away from the cell body to other neurons, muscles or glands

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16
Q

Resting potential

A

Internal difference of around 70 millivolts (mV)

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17
Q

Action potential

A

Electrical shift across the neural membrane, which lasts about a millisecond and propagates electrical signals down an axon

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18
Q

Absolute refractory period

A

Period during which the membrane is not excitable and cannot discharge another impulse

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19
Q

Graded potentials

A

Changes in the negative resting potential that do not reach the -50 millivolt action potential threshold

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20
Q

Myelin sheath

A

A whitish, fatty insulation layer derived from glial cells during development

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21
Q

Synaptic cleft

A

A tiny gap between the axon terminal and the next neuron

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22
Q

Neurotransmitters

A

Chemicals released by nerve cells that allow them to communicate with one another (example: acetylcholine)

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23
Q

Synaptic vesicles

A

Chambers within the axon terminals

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24
Q

Receptor sites

A

Large protein molecules embedded in the receiving neurons cell membrane

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25
Re-uptake
The transmitter molecules are taken back into the presynaptic axon terminals
26
Acetylcholine (ACh)
A neurotransmitter involved in muscle activity and memory
27
Botulinum bacteria
Toxin-forming bacteria, a mild form of which is commonly known as botox
28
Neuromodulators
Chemicals that modulate the activity of diverse populations of neurons in the nervous system
29
Psychoactive drugs
Chemicals that produce alterations in consciousness, emotion and behavior
30
Agonist
A drug that increases the activity of a neurotransmitter
31
Antagonist
A drug that inhibits or decreases the action of a neurotransmitter
32
Neuropsychology
The study of the function of the brain by investigating the effects of brain damage on mental functions
33
Vascular brain injury
Disruption of blood flow to the brain (from f.eks. a blockage/stroke, partial blockage/ischaemia, or an enlarged artery/aneurysm) The loss of function depends on severity of the event and position of damage
34
Tumor
Aka a neoplasm. Tissue mass with no physiological function that grows and disrupts normal functioning (like causing vascular problems or destroying neurons)
35
Degenerative disease
A breakdown of neurological material. May be genetic and influenced by environmental factors. May be cortical or subcortical.
36
Infectious disease
A virus may result in neurological symptoms. Examples: HIV, AIDS and herpes
37
Trauma
A violent assault on the head that results in trauma to the brain. May result in vascular problems
38
Epilepsy
Transient loss of consciousness resulting from excessive and often focused electrical activity in the brain. Often triggered by trauma, and is hard to investigate cognitively as it disrupts activity across a wide area of the brain.
39
Wernicke’s aphasia
Results from damage in the temporal lobe, and is primarily manifested as difficulties with speech comprehension
40
Broca’s aphasia
Results from damage to the frontal lobe and is primarily manifested as difficulties with the production of speech
41
Electroencephalography (EEG)
Measures the activity of large groups of neurons through a series of large electrodes placed on the scalp
42
Magnetoencephalography (MEG)
A brain imaging method that detects activity via the magnetic fields generated by brain activity
43
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Creates images based on how atoms in living tissue respond to a magnetic pulse delivered by the device
44
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)
Measures how water molecules diffuse in tissue
45
Functional MRI (fMRI)
Can produce pictures of blood flow in the brain taken less than a second apart
46
Positron-emission tomography (PET) scans
Measure brain activity, including metabolism, blood flow and neurotransmitter activity
47
Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS)
By shining near-infrared light into the brain and measuring the ways it’s reflected, we can tell which parts of the brain use most oxygen
48
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
Electrical stimulation of a targeted part of the brain via magnetic pulses sent from an electromagnetic coil
49
Transcranial electric stimulation
Electrical stimulation of the brain by applying a low current to the scalp
50
Hindbrain
The lowest and most primitive level of the brain (the ooga booga level)
51
Brain stem
Spans the hindbrain and midbrain, hindbrain structures in the brain stem include the medulla and pons, the brain stem supports a number of vital physiological functions
52
Medulla
Important for vital body functions like heart rate and respiration
53
Pons
Lies just above the medulla Relays sensory information between cerebral cortex and the cerebellum Involved in sleep and arousal
54
Cerebellum
Concerned primarily with muscle movement and coordination, but also plays a role in memory and learning
55
Hippocampus
Limbic system structure involved in learning and memory (forming and retrieving memories)
56
Amygdala
Limbic system structure involved in emotion and aggression (particularly fear)
57
Cerebrum
Involved in sensing, thinking, learning, emotion, consciousness and voluntary movement Superior part of the forebrain
58
Reticular formation
Group of fibres that carry stimulation related to sleep and arousal through brain stem Message center, either blocking or allowing messages to go through to other parts of the brain
59
Thalamus
Relay center for incoming sensory information Like a switchboard that organizes and reroutes input from other sensory organs
60
Corpus callosum
Bridge of fibres passing information between the two cerebral hemispheres
61
Hypothalamus
``` Plays a big role in: motivation and emotion regulates hormones for: sexual behavior, temperature regulation, sleeping, eating, drinking aggression ```
62
Limbic system
Helps to coordinate the behaviors needed to satisfy the motivational and emotional urges that arise in the hypothalamus Also involved in memory
63
Task: describe the structural characteristics and functions of the thalamus and the hypothalamus
Page 140-141
64
Task: what roles do the hippocampus and amygdala play in psychological functions?
Page 141
65
Cerebral cortex
The outermost layer of the brain Consists of grey matter (dead cell bodies) Can be seen in less primitive mammals (unlike fish)
66
Motor cortex
Controls the 600 or more muscles involved in voluntary body movements
67
Somatosensory cortex
Receives sensory input that gives rise to our sensations of heat, touch and cold, and to our senses of balance and body movement
68
Association cortex
Important for many essential mental functions, like perception, language and thought
69
The four lobes of the brain:
1: temporal lobe (under\sides) 2: frontal lobe (front) 3: parietal lobe (middle up) 4: occipital lobe (back)
70
Prefrontal cortex
Located just behind the forehead (in frontal lobe) Seat of the executive functions: - mental strategic planning - impulse control
71
Describe the role of the frontal cortex in higher mental (including executive) functions
Page 145
72
Lateralization
Refers to the relatively greater localization of a function in one hemisphere or the other
73
Aphasia (afasi)
The partial or total loss of the ability to communicate
74
What is neural plasticity, and what functional role does it have?
Page 149
75
Neural plasticity
The ability of neurons and brain areas and networks to change in structure and function
76
Neurogenesis
The production of new neurons in the nervous system
77
Cognitive neurogenomics
The study of how the genome of an organism influences development if the cognitive functions of its nervous system
78
Neural stem cells
Immature “uncommitted” cells that can mature into any type of neuron or glial cell needed by the brain
79
Endocrine system
Consists of numerous hormone-secreting glands distributed throughout the body
80
Hormones
Chemical messengers that are secreted from its glands into the bloodstream
81
Adrenal glands
Twin structures perched on top of the kidneys that serve as ‘hormone factories’, producing and secreting ca 50 different hormones
82
Antigens
Foreign substances that trigger a biochemical response from the immune system
83
What evidence exists that the nervous, endocrine and immune systems communicate with and influence each other?
Page 154

Psychology (7 decks)

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