Unit 2: Biological Bases of Behavior

Question 1

a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon

Answer 1

action potential

Question 2

a pair of endocrine glands that sit just above the kidneys and secrete hormones that help arouse the body in times of stress

Answer 2

adrenal glands

Question 3

a molecule that increases a neurotransmitter’s action

Answer 3

agonist

Question 4

a neuron’s reaction of either firing (with a full-strength response) or not firing

Answer 4

all-or-none response

Question 5

two lima-bean-sized neural clusters in the limbic system; linked to emotion

Answer 5

amygdala

Question 6

a molecule that inhibits or blocks a neurotransmitter’s action

Answer 6

antagonist

Question 7

areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions; rather, they are involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking

Answer 7

association areas

Question 8

the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs

Answer 8

autonomic nervous system (ANS)

Question 9

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

Answer 9

axon

Question 10

the study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior

Answer 10

behavior genetics

Question 11

a condition in which a person can respond to visual stimulus without consciously experiencing it

Answer 11

blindsight

Question 12

the oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull

Answer 12

brainstem

Question 13

the part of a neuron that contains the nucleus; the cell’s life-support center

Answer 13

cell body

Question 14

the brain and spinal cord

Answer 14

central nervous system (CNS)

Question 15

the “little brain” at the rear of the brainstem; functions include processing sensory input, coordinating movement output and balance, and enabling nonverbal learning and memory

Answer 15

cerebellum

Question 16

the intricate fabric of interconnected neural cell covering the cerebral hemispheres; the body’s ultimate control and information-processing center

Answer 16

cerebral cortex

Question 17

threadlike structures made of DNA molecules that contain the genes

Answer 17

chromosomes

Question 18

the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking, memory, and language)

Answer 18

cognitive neuroscience

Question 19

our subjective awareness of ourselves and our environment

Answer 19

consciousness

Question 20

the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them

Answer 20

corpus callosum

Question 21

a series of x-ray photographs taken from different angles and combined by computer into a composite representation of a slice of the brain’s structure

Answer 21

CT scan

Question 22

a neuron’s often bushy, branching extensions that receive and integrate messages, conducting impulses toward the cell body

Answer 22

dendrites

Question 23

a complex molecule containing the genetic information that makes up the chromosomes

Answer 23

DNA

Question 24

the principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks

Answer 24

dual processing

Question 25

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

Answer 25

EEG

Question 26

the body's "slow" chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream

Answer 26

endocrine system

Question 27

neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure

Answer 27

endorphins

Question 28

every nongenetic influence, from prenatal nutrition to the people and things around us

Answer 28

environment

Question 29

the study of environmental influences on gene expression that occur without a DNA change

Answer 29

epigenetics

Question 30

the study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection

Answer 30

evolutionary psychology

Question 31

a technique for revealing bloodflow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans

Answer 31

fMRI

Question 32

develop from separate fertilized eggs

Answer 32

fraternal twins

Question 33

the portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgement

Answer 33

frontal lobes

Question 34

the biochemical units of heredity that make up chromosomes; segments of DNA capable of synthesizing proteins

Answer 34

genes

Question 35

the complete instructions for making an organism, consisting of all the genetic material in that organism's chromosomes

Answer 35

genome

Question 36

cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons; they also play a role in learning, thinking, and memory

Answer 36

glial cells

Question 37

the genetic transfer of characteristics from parents to offspring

Answer 37

heredity

Question 38

the proportion of variation among individuals in a group that we can attribute to genes

Answer 38

heritability

Question 39

a neural center located in the limbic system; helps process for storage explicit (conscious) memories of facts and events

Answer 39

hippocampus

Question 40

chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands, travel through the bloodstream, and affect other tissues

Answer 40

hormones

Question 41

a neural structure lying below the thalamus; it directs several maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temp), it helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion and reward

Answer 41

hypothalamus

Question 42

develop from a single fertilized egg that splits in two

Answer 42

identical twins

Question 43

the interplay that occurs when the effect of one factor (such as environment) depends on another factor (such as heredity)

Answer 43

interaction

Question 44

neurons within the brain and spinal cord; they communicate internally and process info between the sensory inputs and motor outputs

Answer 44

interneurons

Question 45

tissue destruction

Answer 45

lesion

Question 46

neural system (including the amygdala, hypothalamus, and hippocampus) located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions and drives

Answer 46

limbic system

Question 47

the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing

Answer 47

medulla

Question 48

a brain imaging technique that measures magnetic fields from the brain's natural electrical activity

Answer 48

MEG

Question 49

the study of how the structure and function of genes interact with our environment to influence behavior

Answer 49

molecular behavior genetics

Question 50

the subfield of biology that studies the molecular structure and function of genes

Answer 50

molecular genetics

Question 51

an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements

Answer 51

motor cortex

Question 52

neurons that carry outgoing info from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands

Answer 52

motor neurons

Question 53

a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images of soft tissue

Answer 53

MRI

Question 54

a random error in gene replication that leads to a change

Answer 54

mutation

Question 55

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

Answer 55

myelin sheath

Question 56

the principle that inherited traits that better enable an organism to survive and reproduce in a particular environment will (in competition with other trait variations) most likely be passed on to succeeding generations

Answer 56

natural selection

Question 57

bundled axons that form neural cables connecting the central nervous system with muscles, glands, and sense organs

Answer 57

nerves

Question 58

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

Answer 58

nervous system

Question 59

the formation of new neurons

Answer 59

neurogenesis

Question 60

a nerve cell, the basic building block of the nervous system

Answer 60

neuron

Question 61

chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons

Answer 61

neurotransmitters

Question 62

the portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes areas that receive info from the visual fields

Answer 62

occipital lobes

Question 63

processing many aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain's natural mode of into processing for many functions

Answer 63

parallel processing

Question 64

the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy

Answer 64

parasympathetic nervous system

Question 65

the portion if the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; receives sensory input for touch and body position

Answer 65

parietal lobes

Question 66

the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body

Answer 66

peripheral nervous system (PNS)

Question 67

a visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task

Answer 67

PET scan

Question 68

the endocrine system's most influential gland; under the influence of the hypothalamus, it regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands

Answer 68

pituitary gland

Question 69

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

Answer 69

plasticity

Question 70

a simple, automatic response to a sensory stimulus, such as the knee-jerk response

Answer 70

reflex

Question 71

(1) 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 state (2) in human sexuality, a resting period that occurs after orgasm, during which a person cannot achieve another orgasm

Answer 71

refractory period

Question 72

a nerve network that travels through the brainstem into the thalamus and plays an important role in controlling arousal

Answer 72

reticular formation

Question 73

a neurotransmitter's reabsorption by the sending neuron

Answer 73

reuptake

Question 74

neurons that carry incoming info from the body's tissues and sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord

Answer 74

sensory neurons

Question 75

processing one aspect of a problem at a time; generally used to process new info or to solve difficult problems

Answer 75

sequential processing

Question 76

a culturally modeled guide for how to act in various situations

Answer 76

social script

Question 77

the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's skeletal muscles

Answer 77

somatic nervous system

Question 78

an area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations

Answer 78

somatosensory cortex

Question 79

a condition resulting from surgery that isolates the brain's two hemispheres by cutting the fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) connecting them

Answer 79

split brain

Question 80

the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy

Answer 80

sympathetic nervous system

Question 81

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

Answer 81

synapse

Question 82

the portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory areas, each receiving information primarily from the opposite ear

Answer 82

temporal lobes

Question 83

the brain's sensory control center, located on top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla

Answer 83

thalamus

Question 84

the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse

Answer 84

threshold