unit 2a: biological bases of behavior

Question 1

neurons

Answer 1

basic building blocks of the nervous system. send & receive messages from other structures in the body. individual nerve cells

Question 2

soma (cell body)

Answer 2

component of a neuron. produces energy that fuels the activity of the cell

Question 3

dendrites

Answer 3

component of a neuron. receives impulses from axon terminals of other neurons and conduct them toward the cell body

Question 4

axon

Answer 4

component of a neuron. transmits impulses away from the cell body to the synapse

Question 5

myelin sheath

Answer 5

component of a neuron. insulates and protects axon. speeds up impulses. can cause multiple sclerosis

Question 6

nodes of ranvier

Answer 6

component of a neuron. regularly spaced gaps in the myelin sheath to transmit faster

Question 7

axon terminals

Answer 7

component of a neuron. at the end of a neuron and secrete neurotransmitters

Question 8

action potential

Answer 8

a brief electrical charge that travels down the axon of a neuron

Question 9

selectively permeable

Answer 9

allows some particles to pass in & out while blocking other

Question 10

all-or-none law/principle

Answer 10

principle stating that either a neuron is sufficiently stimulated and an action potential occurs, or a neuron is not sufficiently stimulated and the action potential doesn’t occur. always fires with the same strength and intensity

Question 11

refractory period

Answer 11

short period between action potentials

Question 12

neurotransmitters

Answer 12

chemical messages released from the axon terminals

Question 13

synapse

Answer 13

the tiny gap between the axon terminal of the sending neuron and the dendrites of the receiving neuron

Question 14

reuptake

Answer 14

a neurotransmitter’s reabsorption by the sending neutron

Question 15

agonists

Answer 15

drugs that boost the effect of a neurotransmitter

Question 16

antagonist

Answer 16

drugs that block the effect of a neurotransmitter

Question 17

what comprises the nervous system?

Answer 17

the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system

Question 18

what are the parts of the central nervous system?

Answer 18

the brain and spinal cord

Question 19

spinal cord

Answer 19

two-way information highway connecting the brain and peripheral nervous system

Question 20

what do sensory neurons do?

Answer 20

they carry information from the receptors to the spinal cord and the brain

Question 21

what do motor neurons do?

Answer 21

carry information away from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands so they can take action

Question 22

what do interneurons do?

Answer 22

process information and connect other neurons within the central nervous system

Question 23

peripheral nervous system

Answer 23

nerve cells that send messages between the central nervous system and all parts of the body

Question 24

what comprises the peripheral nervous system?

Answer 24

the somatic and autonomic nervous systems

Question 25

somatic nervous system

Answer 25

controls voluntary activities, serves arousal functions

Question 26

autonomic nervous system

Answer 26

controls involuntary activities, regulates the body's vital functions (breathing, digestion, blood pressure), and involves emotions. contains the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems

Question 27

sympathetic nervous system

Answer 27

part of the autonomic nervous system. prepares the body for fight-or-flight responses

Question 28

parasympathetic nervous system

Answer 28

part of the autonomic nervous system. calms the body after emergencies and restores the body's energy

Question 29

the endocrine system

Answer 29

a system of glands that secrete hormones. messages are sent chemically throughout the body

Question 30

what does the adrenal gland do?

Answer 30

secretes steroids that increase resistance to stress and promote muscle development

Question 31

what does the pituitary gland do?

Answer 31

it is a "master gland" that secretes a wide range of hormones. mostly related to growth

Question 32

what does the thyroid gland do?

Answer 32

secretes hormones involved with metabolism

Question 33

lesion

Answer 33

a naturally or experimentally caused destruction of brain tissue

Question 34

clinical observation

Answer 34

oldest method of studying the brain

Question 35

cat scan

Answer 35

produces a 3-d view of the brain

Question 36

mri scan

Answer 36

3-d view that shows more clear details of the brain (blood vessels, nerves, bones & organs)

Question 37

pet scan

Answer 37

visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes

Question 38

fmri scan

Answer 38

reveals the brain's functioning as well as its structure. lights up when mental functions are activated

Question 39

eeg scan

Answer 39

records the electrical activity of the brain creating "brain waves"

Question 40

brainstem

Answer 40

responsible for automatic survival functions. comprised of the medulla and pons

Question 41

medulla

Answer 41

in the brainstem. controls basic life support functions (heartbeat, breathing)

Question 42

pons

Answer 42

in the brainstem. controls equilibrium to coordinate voluntary movements

Question 43

reticular formation

Answer 43

involved in arousal and alertness

Question 44

thalamus

Answer 44

the brain's sensory switchboard. directs messages for all senses except for smell

Question 45

cerebellum

Answer 45

helps coordinate voluntary movement and balance

Question 46

the limbic system

Answer 46

important role in regulating emotion and memory. comprised of the amygdala, hypothalamus, and the hippocampus

Question 47

amygdala

Answer 47

part of the limbic system. controls emotional responses, such as fear, anger, and aggresion

Question 48

amygdala

Answer 48

part of the limbic system. controls emotional responses, such as fear, anger, and aggression

Question 49

hypothalamus

Answer 49

part of the limbic system. helps regulate many of the body's maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temperature)

Question 50

hippocampus

Answer 50

part of the limbic system. processes new memories for permanent storage

Question 51

cerebrum

Answer 51

the most complex part of our brain. is divided into 2 hemispheres

Question 52

cerebral cortex

Answer 52

makes up the body's ultimate control & information processing center (learning, remembering, and thinking)

Question 53

glial cells

Answer 53

cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons

Question 54

frontal lobe

Answer 54

front-most lobe. responsible for judgment and decision-making

Question 55

parietal lobe

Answer 55

top-most lobe. responsible for touch, pain, and temperature

Question 56

temporal lobe

Answer 56

bottom-most lobe. responsible for hearing and memory

Question 57

occipital lobe

Answer 57

back-most lobe. responsible for vision

Question 58

motor cortex

Answer 58

initiates voluntary movements

Question 59

sensory cortex

Answer 59

registers and processes body sensations

Question 60

association areas

Answer 60

found in all 4 lobes, involved in higher mental functions

Question 61

aphasia

Answer 61

loss or impairment of the ability to understand language or express oneself through language

Question 62

broca's area

Answer 62

damage in this area results in difficulty with producing speech. can form ideas but cannot express them

Question 63

wernicke's area

Answer 63

damage in this area can result in inability to understand language

Question 64

plasticity

Answer 64

the brain's capacity for modification

Question 65

corpus callosum

Answer 65

axon fibers that connect the two brain hemispheres