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Psych > Unit 3 (Biological Basics of Behavior) > Flashcards

Unit 3 (Biological Basics of Behavior) Flashcards

(61 cards)

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1
Q

Neurons

A

the building blocks of our nervous system (Santiago Ramon y Cajal is the first one to discover that we have many neurons, and ended up drawing a bunch of pictures of them since there weren’t camera’s attached to microscopes at the time)

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2
Q

Dendrites

A

receive signals

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3
Q

Cell body

A

maintains cell life

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4
Q

Axon

A

send signals electrically

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5
Q

Myelin

A

insulate axon

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6
Q

Axon terminal

A

send signals chemically

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7
Q

Resting potential

A

stored energy that results from the separation of positive and negative ions across the axon’s membrane

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8
Q

Action potential

A

a brief change in electrical charge

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9
Q

Neutral threshold

A

the minimum amount of stimulation needed to fire an action potential

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10
Q

Oligodendrocytes

A

These myelinate axons in the central nervous system

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11
Q

Schwann cells

A

These myelinate axons in the PNS

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12
Q

Node of Ranvier

A

Saltatory conduction, AP jumps from node to node

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13
Q

Unmyelinated axon

A

These can signal at speeds of 0.5 m/s (1 mph)

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14
Q

Myelinated axon

A

These can signal at speeds of 150 m/s (335 mph)

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15
Q

Acetylchilne

A

Activates the muscles and is involved in memory and learning (Alzheimer’s disease)

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16
Q

Dopamine

A

Vital for voluntary movement, attention, emotion, and motivation (Addiction, Schizophrenia, Parkinson’s Disease)

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17
Q

Seratonin

A

Affects mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal (Depression)

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18
Q

Norepinephrine (Adrenaline)

A

Helps control alertness and arousal (Depression. Anxiety

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19
Q

GABA

A

Major inhibitor neurotransmitter (Seizures, Anxiety)

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20
Q

Glutamate

A

Major excitatory neurotransmitter (Seizures, Migranes)

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21
Q

EFG (electroencephalogram)

A

Electrodes attached to the skull to record brain activity (functional)

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22
Q

CT (computed tomography) scan

A

Computer enhanced X-ray technique (structure)

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23
Q

PET (positron emission tomography) scan

A

Computer generated image of the brain, formed by measuring a radioactive tracer (often glucose)

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24
Q

fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging)

A

Computer generated image of the brain, formed by measuring the blood flow (function)

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25
Central Nervous System (CNS)
Controls the brain and the spinal cord
26
Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
All neurons not within the brain and spinal cord. Nerves in the PNS have the ability to regrow, regenerate, or reattach if served or damaged
27
Somatic Nervous System (SNS)
Carries into from sensory organs to CNS and relays motor commands from CNS to muscles
28
Automatic Nervous System (ANS)
Regulates involuntary bodily processes, including heart rate, respiration, and digestion
29
Sympathetic Nervous System
"Fight-or-Flight"; Mobilizes bodily resources in response to threat by speeding up heart rate and respiration and drawing energy from bodily reserves (getting stressed)
30
Parasympathetic Nervous System
Replenishes bodily resources by promoting digestion and slowing down other bodily procedures (calming down)
31
Spinal Cord
Communication (Passes messages from body to brain, and from brain to body) Integrative functions (Mediates spinal reflexes - simple, automatic behaviors that occur without conscious voluntary action. This does not include the brain. Only the spinal cord.)
32
Medulla
Conveys sensory information from the spinal cord to the forebrain; control of basic bodily processes including heart rate, breathing, and certain reflexes
33
Cross laterality
Each side of the brain controls the opposite side of the body
34
Pons
Conveying sensory information from the spinal cord to the forebrain; regulation of states of wakefulness and sleep
35
cerebellum
Motor/movement (this is the first area of the brain where functions are affected after an injury to the brain)
36
Reticular formation
Filter of sensory info. Works with pons for alertness
37
Basal Ganglia
Movement. Uses dopamine --> Parkinson's
38
Limbic system
Emotion, Memory (Amygdala, Hypothalamus, and Hippocampus)
39
Amygdala
Emotional response + FEAR
40
Hypothalamus
Master regulator. Pituitary gland - Master gland (all basic drives - hunger, thirst, sleep, sex, temperature)
41
Hippocampus
Memory formation/ Consolidation (example: Patient HM)
42
Thalamos
Post office. Receives and sends signals
43
Corpus Callosum
Connects the left and right brain
44
Cerebral cortex
Large outer covering of the brain that is the seat of voluntary action and cognitive function. Two hemispheres connected by the corpus callosum.
45
Left hemisphere
Language and right side of the body
46
Right hemisphere
Visual, spatial processing, and left side of the body
47
Hemispherectomy
Involves surgically removing an entire brain hemisphere
48
Split brain procedure
Involves surgically removing the corpus callosum
49
Frontal lobe
Planning motor
50
Temporal lobe
Hearing, memory, learning, emotion
51
Pariental lobe
Body sensations
52
Occipital lobe
Vision
53
Motor cortex
Movement
54
Broca's area
Speech production
55
Wernicke's area
Understanding language
56
Sphasia
Language difficulty
57
Broca aphasia
Able to understand language but cannot speak (aka non-fluent)
58
Endocrine System
Set of glands that release hormones into the blood (hypothalamus regulates the pituitary gland which releases hormones)(Adrenal glands -> fight of flight)
59
Nature or Nurture Debate
Is it genetic or learned? -> Is it genetic or the result of an experience? -> How much of it is genetic, and how much of it is the result of experience?
60
Epigenetics
Modifying expressions of genes
61
Phenylketonuria (PKU)
Condition in which the body can't break down an amino acid (phenylalanine)

Psych (6 decks)

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