AP Psych Unit 1: Biological Bases of Behaviour

Parts of brain & functions, twin studies, epigenetics, parts of neuron, the nervous systems, stages of sleep, neurotransmitters, and the endocrine system.

Cell Body

part of neuron that contains the nucleus

Dendrites

receives the electrical impulse and directs it to the cell body; “listens”

Axons

pass the electrical impulse on to the next dendrite; “speaks”

Glial Cells

provide nutrients, myelin, and guide neural transmissions

Ion

electrically charged atom

Fluid outside of an axon has a …

mostly positive charge

Fluid inside of an axon has a mostly…

negative charge

All-or-None reaction

The amount of stimulation does not affect the strength of the impulse; either fire or it doesn’t.

Depolarization

When positive charges flood the inside of the cell, depolarizing the charge and causing the next section to open

Refractory Period

when the axon returns to its resting state

Synapse

The space between two neurons

Reuptake

drift away and are broken apart or reabsorbed into the sending neuron

Dopamine

Influences movement, learning, and emotion. Too much can cause schizophrenia, and too little causes Parkinson’s

Acetylcholine

Influences muscle movement, memory. Too little can cause Alzheimer’s

Serotonin

Mood, sleep, hunger, arousal. Too little can cause depression

Norepinephrine

alertness, arousal. Too little can depress mood

GABA

Inhibitory transmitter, too little causes seizures, tremors, insomnia

Glutamate

Excitatory transmitter, too much can cause migraines and headaches

Endorphins

pain, pleasure

Substance P

pain perception, immune response

Antagonists

Decrease action by blocking the release of neurotransmitters

Endocrine system

Pituary, pineal, glands, brain, hormones

Depressants

Slow brain activity such as judgement and inhibitions, increase good and bad behavior (alcohol)

Amygdala

processes fear, aggression, anxiety

Hippocampus

Processes memories; when damaged, no new memories form

Brainstem

made up of the thalamus, hypothalamus, RAS, medulla, and pons; primarily autonomic functions

Thalamus

the sensory central except for smell; reroutes info and sends it to proper places in the brain

Hypothalamus

controls the endocrine, maintains homeostasis, critical in learning, and has many other functions

the Pons

Motor control, alertness, respiration, bridge between cerebrum and cerebellum

Medulla

heart rate, blood pressure, digestive functions

RAS

alertness, consciousness, sleep-wake cycle

Cerebellum

coordinate voluntary movements, posture

Pituitary gland

head of all glands, sends commands to other glands and makes them produce hormones

Pineal gland

Produces melatonin

Corpus callosum

the bridge between two hemispheres

Broca’s Area

part of brain that enables speech

Wernicke’s area

part of brain that allows comprehension and processing

Motor cortex

processes and coordinates movements

Somatosensory cortex

takes in all sensory information and integrates it

Occipital lobes

process vision

Temporal lobes

sound, language, emotions, retrieving memories

Parietal lobes

integrate sensory info and process spatial info

Frontal lobes

higher cognitive functions, judgement, thinking, reasoning

Sympathetic nervous system

controls your fight or flight response; increase pupil size, perspiration, opens airways

Parasympathetic nervous system

calms down; constricts pupils, slows breathing, stops sweating

Somatic nervous system

skeletal, controls muscle movements

central nervous system

consists of the brain and spinal cord

autonomic nervous system

controls involuntary bodily functionsperiphera

peripheral nervous system

everything other than the CNS, made of autonomic and somatic

Interneurons

enable communication between motor and sensory neurons

sensory neurons

detect and respond to environmental sense stimuli

Motor neurons

control muscle movement

We have how many lobes in the cerebrum TOTAL

8 total

REM sleep

last stage of sleep, when you dream, rapid brain activity, irregular breath

NREM 1

alpha waves, slowing of breath, entering sleep

NREM 2

sleep spindles

NREM 3

deep sleep, delta waves

Insomnia

inability to fall or stay asleep

narcolepsy

sudden attacks of drowsiness

REM disorder

acting out dreams in the normally paralyzed state of sleep

paradoxical sleep

also known as REM sleep, is called this because brain is active, body is paralyzed

sleep apnea

stopping of breathing during sleep

Nature

what you were born with genetically

nurture

what environment has done to cause you to exhibit traits in a certain way

Hemispherectomy

the removal of one half of the brain

split brained

when your corpus callosum has been severed

Activation-synthesis

theory that proposes dreams are random firings of neurons and your brain is trying to make sense of them

Stimulants

speed up brain activity followed by intense crashes (cocaine)