Biological Bases of Behavior - Comprehensive Study Notes

angular gyrus

Written language and number processing, spatial recognition, and elements of memory. In the parietal lobe, on top of the head

temporal lobes

above the ears which includes auditory areas, each reciving input from the opposite ears

assists with memory

contains the auditory cortex and constains wernickes area

auditory cortex

Organization and processing of audiory informatiion

wernicke’s area

responsiiible for language comphrehension

werniicke’s aphasis: problems with meaning of speech due to damage; the syntax and grammer jumbled

occipital lobes

back of the head, above the cerebellum

receives information from the visual fields of opposie yes for visual processing

visual cortext : organization and processing of visual information

natural selection

the priincipal that inherited traits that better anable an orgasim to survive and reproduced in a particulat enviroment will most likely be passed on to the succeeding generations.

eugenics

practice of selective breeding to create ideal specimens

mutuations

a random error in gene replication that leads to a change

adaptaion

the process by which a species becomes fitted to its enviorment through natural selection

neuroplasticity

brains ability to change, build and reorganize after damage or experience. this process is eaiser for childrean than adults

Aphasia

lack of speech production and/or comprehension due to brain damage

lesioned

Skulls will be drilled into and braiin tissue destroyed, but for behavior modification and as a last resort.

split brain

patients with severe epilepitic seizures found treatment in the form of the split brain procedure where their corpus callosum was cut. it eleimentated their seizures but cause difficulty in basic tasks as the two hemispheres coulnt communicate with eachother

fraternal or dizygotic twins

developed from diffrent eggs that were fetilized simultaneously, they share the same genes as sibbling but are not identical

monozygotic twins

developed from a single egg that splits, meaning all genes are the same

autonomic

controls self regulated action of internal organs and glands.

you dont tell your heart to keep beating

includes sympathetic (arousing) and parasympathetic(calming) actions

somatic

controls voluntary movements of skeletal muscles

nervous system

the body speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all nerve cells and is divded into several smaller systems based on fuction

central nervous system (CNS)

brain and spinal cord

peripheral nerous system (PNS)

sensory and motor neurons that connect to brain and spinal cord

parasympathetic nervous system

rest and digest; automatically lows the body down after a stressful event

examples:

sexual arousal, homostasis, bladder contracts

sympathetic nervous system

flight or flight response; automatically accelerated heart rate, breathing, dilates pupils, slows down digestion

examples:

bladder relaxes, activates sweat glands, release of adrenaline, inhibits digestion

afferent nerves

sensory neurons

efferent nerves

motor neurons

interneurons

neurons in the brain and spinal cord that serve as an intermediary beetween sensory and motor neurons; carry info around the brain for processing

soma/cell body

contains nucleus and DNA

Dendrites

recives signals from other neurons

axon

carry signals from one end to the other; the conducting fiber

axon terminals/terminal buttons

send signals to next neuron

Schwann cells

produce myelin for the myelin sheath and the nodes of ranvier are the spaces beetween schwaan cells.

giial cells (gila)

are support cells for the nervous system, providing extra protection and nourishment to neurons. if nerve cells are queen bees, glial cells are the worker bees.

resting potential

when nuerons arent friring, it has a slightly neg charge, the ions are ligened or polarizd.

impulse threshold

minimum stinulation needed to trigger a neural impulse, neurson will fire.

action potential

when neuron is actiion and ions are exachned, the ions are scrapped or depolariized

all or nothing law/response

a nuerons reaction of tiring or not firing is not determined by the srenth of stimulation, as long as it meets the threshold

refactory period

before the neuron can fire again, the ions need to return to theiir original position. this breif pause between firings is called refactory period. once polarized, the neuron is back to resting potential.

synaspe

or synapic gap, a small space beetween the neurons.

multiple sclerosis MS

chronic autimmune disease in which the iimmune systen mistakenly attacks the myelin sheath

mysasthenia gravis

chromic autoimmune neromusclular disorder charactized by weakness and rapid fatige and voluntary muscles cause by a breakdown in the normal communication beetween nerves and muscles

excitatory neruotransmitters

increase the likeleyhood that post synaptic neruson will fire an action potential. they do this by causing depolarization of the post synaptic membrane, amking the inside of he neuron more postiivae and closer to the threshold for firiing and action potential

inhinitory nerutransmitters

decrease he likleihood that a postynaptic neruson will fire an action potential. they do this by causing hyperpolarization of the post synapic memebrane, making the inside of the neuron mor enegaive and farther from the threshold for firing and action potential

Acetylcholine ACh

enables muscle action, learning, and memeory

malfuctions:

undersupply linked the alzheimers disease

over suppler linked to paralysiis

Dopamine

Influences coluntary movement, learning, atention and emotion

Undersupply linked to parkinson;s

oversuppy linked the schizophrenia

norepinephrine

helps control alertness and arousal

undersupply linked to depression

oversupply linked to anziety/mania

serotonin

affects mood, hunger, slee and arousal

undersupply linked to depression

GABA

inhibitory neurotransmitter; natural tranquilizer invovled in calming you down.

undersupply linked to seizures, tremors and insomia

glutamate

excitory neruotransmitter; involved in memeory

undersypply linked to concerntration prolems

oversupply linked to zeisures and migranes

endocrine system

the bodys slow chemical commmunivation system. whiich consits a series of glands that secrete hormons into the bloodstream. neurotransmitters are the chemical messengers of the nerous system, and hormons are the chemical messenger of the endocrine system. the nervous system has a quicker reation, but the sensation quickly fades, while the endocrine has a slower response but lingers

adrenaline

adrenal glands

prepare body emergencies - fight or flight

ghrelin

stomach

feelings of hunger

leptin

fat cells

feelings of satiety

melatonin

pineal gland

regulate the sleep/wake cycle

oxytocin

pituitary gland

facilitate lacation and improve relations - bonding hormone

brain stem

found at the base of the skull above the spinal cord

reticular formation

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

reticultat activiiating systmem: if severed or damaged, you could be in a state of permanent sleep or wakefulness

medulla

the base of the brainstem that controls breathing and heartbeat

pons

connects hindbrain, midbrain, forebrain togethor; invovled in respiration and rem sleep, also serves as a communications and coordination center between the two hemispheres of the brain

cerebellum

little brain

section at rear of the brain stem

coordinates movements and balance, processes sensory input, judgment of time, and enables nonverbal learning memory

first parts of the brain impacted by alcohol, thus explaiining why people stagger and sturggle to react quickly and intoxicated

Thalamus

located on the top of the brain stem

directs messages to the senory revicing areas in the cortex and transmit replies to the cerebellum and medulla

recevies sensory information from all sense except smell

limbic system

is a neural system located below the cerebral hemispheres that is associated with emotions and drives

amygdala

responsible for survival emotions of fear and aggression

hippocampus

responsible for processiing and storing explicit memories of facts and events

hypothalamus

below the thalamus; direct serveral maintence behaviros, like eating, drinking, and maintaining optimal body temperature, helps regulate the endocrine system via pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion and reward

pituitary and pineal glands

the piruitary gland, or master gland is controlled by the hypothalamus and is responsibile for release of hormones throughout the body by controlling all endocrine glands

pineal glands produces melatnin, regulating the body sleep cycle

corpus callosum

network of fibers connecting he two hemispheres of the brain together, allowing for communication beetween them

can be seved as a treatment for epilepsy, but has some intresting effects

cerebral cortex

is the intricae fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the cerebral hemisphere that runctions as the bodys ultimate control and information processing center. it plays a key role in memory, attention and perceptual awareness, thinking, speaking and consciousness

it is organized into

frontal

pariental

temporal

occipital

lobes

broca’s area

responsible for controlling muscles that produce speech

motor cortex

send signals to our body controlling muscle movements

parietal lobe

top of the head

receives sensory input for touch sensation and body positon

contains somatosensory cortex: specified area of the parietal lobe that takes in senosry input from corresponding body parts