PSY3309 Exam 1 Practice

Neuroscience

Study of physiological, evolutionary, and developmental mechanisms of behavior and experience.

What are the main disciplinary approaches to neuroscience?

Biology, Chemistry, and Physics with emerging fields that are subcategories.

What are the four classic explanations of behavior?

Physiological - relates behavior to brain activity and other organs and/or substances

Ontogenetic - relates to development of structure or behavior

Evolutionary - homologous explanation that relates structure or behavior to other species

Functional - analogous explanation that relates animals based on function.

Monism

First way of explaining natural/physical phenomena by Sophist

Dualism

Explanation for both mind and body phenomena and related them. First done by Socrates and Plato.

Democritus

Linked to atomism (the tendency to reduce things to their physical elements).

Aristotle

Linked to materialism (the notion that physical elements arrange differently, creating different forms.

Titchener

Linked to structuralism, but also of mentalism (i.e., you can reduce nonphysical entities into essential elements).

Charles Darwin

Credited with the theory of natural selection (he beat Lamarck to this because Lamarck thought “use it or lose it” ensured an improvement of an animal specie and discounted an unpredictable.

Jean-Baptiste Boullaud

Demonstrated functional localization of the cortex (i.e., different lobes pertained to different functions), so his work also supports the modularity of the mind/functional localization of the brain.

Pierre Paul Broca

Demonstrated how aphasias pertain to specific tregions of the brain, supportuing modularity of mind/functional analysis of the brain.

Camillo Golgi

Made breakthroughs in histological staining procedures `that were used to see neurons as discrete cells (the basis of the Neuron Doctrine).

Santiago Ramon y’ Cajal

Worked with Golgi and used his staining method to show that neurons were discrete neurons separated by synapses (along with smaller glial cells surrounding them). He proposed the Neuron Doctrine as a result (and both he and Golgi wan the Nobel Prize)

Edward Sherrington

Studied electrical communication within neurons. Along with others, he studied reflex arcs that produce muscle contractions (in dogs) when stimulated. Based on his observations, he proposed the electrical communication found in muscle contractions were based on the following:

a.) Muscle contractions occur presumably by the generation of electricity that must reach a threshold of excitation.

b.) Inputs that reach threshold are excitatory; however, other inputs can be inhibitory.

c.) Weaker input will not elicit a reflex/reaction; however, weaker inputs can be summated to reach threshold (summation)

Otto Loewi

The first person who was credited with the concept of neurotransmission (i.e., chemical stimulation that occurs outside neurons). By stimulating a frog’s heart (or slowing it down), he collected the chemicals and then placed them on another frog’s heart (which created the same change of heart rate). This suggested that the chemical input is needed tor the electrical changes within the neuron (and vice versa).

Function of Conscious

Exploration of diverse functions within the nervous system and whether it is conscious or unconscious functioning and control.

Genes

Unit of heredity thta maintain structural identity from generation to generation.

Chromosome

Structure of double stranded DNA containing genes.

Autosomal

22 chromosomes that contain genes shared by both male and female

Gamete

1 chromosome that is sex linked and determines sex variation within genetic anchors.

Sex limited traits

Traits that are more prevalent in one sex over the other.

Measures of heritability

Mutations. probands, concordance rates, recombination, biosociocultural

Limitations of heritability

Multiplier effect, environmental modifications, the Wright Effect (genetic drift).

What key points are explained in Darwin’s Origin of Species?

Members of the same species have gradual variations in genetic makeup (gene pool)

Variation of species live/die/reproduce differently

More reproduction increases trait survivability

Faulty ideas proposed by Lamark

Traits will spread based on use

Independent of human life

Evolution is the improvement of a species

Eugenics

Selection of desired traits in order to improve the species (Francis Galton)

Who proposed the neuronal doctrine?

Santiago Ramon y’ Cajal determined that the nervous system was made up of discrete cells and defined the boundary among cells.

Neurons

receive, process, and transmit information and are highly analogous to cells in other systems and have differences in structure.

Glia

More numerous than neurons and are smaller in size

Ependymal Cells

Provide nutrients in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) which help neurons develop properly. Found in the CNS.

Astrocytes

Common glial cells that provide structure, establish blood/brain barrier, and regulate transmitter usage. Found in the CNS.

Oligodendrocytes

Make myelin in the brain and in the spinal cord. Found in the CNS.

Radial Glia

Guide neuron development. Found in the CNS.

Microglia

Remove unwanted waste from the brain. Found in the CNS.

Schwann Cells

Make myelin. Found in the PNS.

Satellite Cells

Act like astrocytes and regulate pain sensitivity. Found in the PNS.

Plasma Membrane

Lipid bilayer that separates extracellular fluid from intracellular fluid and contains proteins embedded to allow to selective crossing of substances.

Na⁺ Channels

Allow sodium ions to freely pass from outside to inside once activated.

K⁺ Channels

Allow potassium ions to freely pass from inside to outside once activated.

Na⁺/K⁺ Pump

Pumps 3 sodium OUT and 2 potassium IN which requires energy (ATP).