General Psychology Midterm 1 Rutgers NB Keiko Brynildsen

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197 Terms

1
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What does "everything psychological is also biological" mean?
Like running without legs

You cannot think and do something without your body. Loving, laughing, crying requires biological events.
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What forms the biopsychosocial approach?
Biological, psychological+social-cultural influences
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What is plasticity in regards to the brain?
the brain's ability to change and adapt

- reorganize after damage
- new connection based on connection
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When is plasticity most present in our lives?
childhood
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Give examples of neuroplasticity
London taxi drivers having larger hippocamupus' because of the large number of streets to remember.

Well-practiced pianists with larger than usual auditory cortex area(sound-processing region of the brain)

Ballerinas+jugglers--\> improved performance
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What is a function of the hippocampus?
Processes spatial memories

Enables formation of new conscious memories
Think of patient HM
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How does learning a new skill affect the structure of our brain?
It makes more and more neural pathways/connections. If we keep focusing on that skill, that part of the brain will become more refined/more connections.
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What are neurons, and what significance do they have in our brain?
A nerve cell; building block of the nervous system

internal communication system
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What parts make up a neuron and what are their individual functions?
Cell body: where the dna is, and the cell's life support center is

Dendrites: like tree branches, receive messages from other cells

(Away) axon: sends messages away from the cell body to other neurons, muscles, or glands

Myelin Sheath: a fatty layer covering the axon(like sausage links) that allows for faster and smoother neural impulses.

Terminal branches: on the axon, "connects" neurons with others.
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What do neurons carry?
Electrical signals/nerve impulses/action potentials
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What supports neurons and how so?
Glial(glue) cells
- provide nutrients to the cell body
- provide myelin to the axon
- guide neural connections
- clean up after neurons send a message
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What is a synapse
The junction between an axon tip and another neuron's dendrite or cell body
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What is between a synapse?
Synaptic gap/synaptic cleft
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Excitatory in regards to gas pedals
pushing a gas pedal
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Inhibitatory in regards to gas pedals
pushing the brake pedal
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How is an action potential generated and what happens afterwards?
When excitatory signals cause a certain level of stimulation, there is a neural impulse or action potential.

Refractory period
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What kind of response is a neuron's response?
All-or-none response
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What can cause bigger response?
A bigger event or something like that causes more neurons to fire, or to fire more often.
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What does action potential trigger
the release of neutransmitters

lock and key concept
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What happens after the release of neurotransmitters?
Some released will absorbed through receptor sites, others drift away, and some are broken down by enzymes/reuptake
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Definition of reuptake?
A neurotransmitter being reabsorbed by the original/sending neuron
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What are some medications that affect reuptake of neurotransmitters?
depression medication with serotonin
-reuptake inhibitors blocked--\> longer time to reabsorb
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Acetylcholine (ACh)
Enables muscle contraction, learning+memory
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Examples of deficiency and too much of ACh
Too much: muscle cramps--\> spasms
-Black widow venom contain it--\> paralysis
Too little: alzeihmers--\> neurons making AcH deteriorate

also used to treat migraines
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Dopamine
Voluntary movement, reward, learning, memory
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Examples of deficiency+too much dopamine
oversupply: schizophrenia
undersupply: Parkinsons
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Parkinson's relationship with deficiency of dopamine
dopamine makes you lose control of voluntary movement
- tremors, mobility
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Dopamine from drugs affect on the body
Body starts to make less of its own supply--\> stop getting drugs--\> feels terrible(pain)
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What does botox derive from?
AcH--\> it basically paralyzes the muscles in the face, making it have a smoother and tighter appearance
- ppl who grind their teeth can also get this--\> sometimes muscles learn to not move
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Serotonin
Sleep, appetite, mood, hunger, arousal
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Serotonin imbalance(undersupply)
Undersupply: depression
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Norepinephrine+Epinephrineand examples
Involved in stress

physiological arousal
- Stress during a test--\> heart rate goes up, warm feeling, fidgety, etc
- can be excitatory and inhibitory
undersupply: depress mood
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What does GABA stand for
Gamma-aminobutyric acid
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What does GABA do
inhibitory-calms

ex: alcohol acts like GABA
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Undersupply+oversupply of GABA affects
Undersupply: seizures, tremors, insomnia
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Glutamate
Excitatory only--learning, memory enhancement
-causes action potential--\> more connections between neurons made
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Glutamate Imbalance causes
overstimulate brain, migraines, seizures)
- MSG(monosodium glutamate) is something ppl avoid
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Endorphins
reduces pain and promotes pleasure
-Endogenous morphine(made from body)
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Imbalance in endorphins
-suppress body's natural endorphin supply if from drugs
-high(runner's high ex)
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What is an opiate
Opium+its derivatives(morphine/heroin) lowers neural activities, temp pain reduce and anxiety
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What is CNS
Central Nervous System, body's decision maker
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PNS
Peripheral Nervous System

gathers info from other body parts+transmits decisions from CNS to body
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Draw the functional divisions of the human nervous system
Nervous system
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What are nerves
Electrical cables formed by bundles of axons
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What do nerves do
link CNS with body's sensory receptors, muscles, and glands
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What does a sensory neuron do
carry messages from tissues+sensory receptors to the spinal cord+brain for processing
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What do motor neurons do?
Carry instructions from CNS to muscles+glands
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What do interneurons do and where are they located?
communicate w/ each other+process sensory input--\> motor output
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How many parts does the PNS have and what are they called?
2: somatic+autonomic
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What does the somatic nervous system do?
monitors sensory input+triggers motor output
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What is another reason name for the somatic nervous system and why?
Skeletal nervous system bc it has control over skeletal muscles
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What is an example of the somatic nervous system being used?
Friend taps you on shoulder, system reports info to brain--\> carries back instructions that trigger you to turn ur head
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Autonomic Nervous System(ANS)
Automatic, involuntary
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What does the ANS do
controls gland+muscles of internal organs

mainly performs on its own(subconscious)
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How many subdivisions are in the ANS and what are they called
2: sympathetic+parasympathetic nervous systems
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Sympathetic Response
Arouse--\> more alert, energetic, etc
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What happens to body statistics while "aroused" by SNS?
Increase heartbeat, blood pressure, blood sugar

slow digestion, perspiration
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Parasympathetic Reponse
Rest and Digest
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What are physical statistics changed while the parasympathetic nervous system is active?
lowers heartbeat, blood sugar, etc
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Provide examples of the sympathetic system in affect on each body part listed below:
Eyes:\_____
Heart:\_____
Stomach+Pancreas:\______
Liver:\______
Adrenal Gland+Kidney:\______
Bladder:\_____
Reproductive organs:
Eyes: pupil dilation
Heart: accelerated beat
Stomach+Pancreas: inhibits digestion
Liver: stimulates glucose release by liver
Adrenal gland+kidney: stimulates secretion of epinpehrine and norepinephrine
Bladder: relaxes
Reproductive organs: stimulates ejaculation in males
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Provide examples of the parasympathetic system's effect on each body part listed below:
Eyes:\______
Heart: \______
Stomach+Pancreas: \______
Liver:\_____
Adrenal gland+kidney:\______
Bladder:\______
Reproductive Organs\______
eyes: contracts
Heart: beat slows
Stomach+pancreas: stimulates digestion
Liver: stimulates galbladder
Bladder: contracts bladder
Reproductive organs: allows blood flow to sex organs
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How is the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems connected to the brain
spinal cord
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What are two parts of the central nervous system
neural networks and spinal cord
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What are neural networks
individual neurons clustering into work groups in the brain
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What is another way to think about neural networks
people clustering in cities rather than spreading evenly across nation
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What strengthens neural networks
experience

neurons firing together wire together
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What can a spinal cord be compared to
two-way highway

- connects peripheral nervous systems to brain
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What is a reflex?
A simple, automatic response to sensory stimulus

does not require the presence of the brain to do.
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What is a simple spinal reflex pathway composed of?
single sensory neuron and motor neuron
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How to produce physical pain or pleasure?
must reach the brain
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What is the body's second communication system?
Endocrine System
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What is the endocrine system? What does it do?
"slow" chemical communication system

set of glands secrete hormones into bloodstream
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Hypothalamus influence
brain region controlling the pituitary gland
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Pituitary gland influence
secretes hormones, some of which affect other glands
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What is one hormone that is mentioned in the book and what does it do?
Oxytocin: enables contraction during birthing, milk flow+orgasm

- also releases growth hormone stimulating physical development
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An example of the pituitary gland being a master gland--\> directing other endocrine glands to release hormones
influences sex glands to release sex hormones
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Glands in the brain
hypothalamus and pituitary
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Thyroid gland influence
Metabolism
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Parathyroids Influence
helps regulate level of calcium in the blood
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What glands are in the neck area
throid+parathyroids
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Adrenal Glands influence
Mood, energy level, stress response

\-inner part helps trigger fight-or-flight response

norepinephrine + epinephrine
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Pancreas influence
regulates blood sugar
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Testis Influence
secretes male sex hormones
ie: testosterone, etc
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Ovary influence
secretes male sex hormones
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Relationship between hormones and neurotransmitters?
Both are chemically identical to each other
-produce molecules that influence receptors
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How do hormones and neurotransmitters differ?
nervous system-faster
ie: messages from eyes to brain to hand--\> fraction of a second

Endocrine: takes several seconds/more from gland to tissue thru blood
-lasts longer
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What is an easier way to describe the difference between the nervous system and the endocrine system.
Endocrine\=sending a letter
Nervous system: text message
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Feedback system between glands and body and brain?
Brain--\> pituitary--\> other glands--\> hormones--\> body and brain
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How was a map made of the brain before technology?
Past brain injuries allowed physicians to connect problems with the area of the brain that was affected
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What does EEG?
Electroencephalograph

a device that uses electrodes placed on the scalp to record waves of electrical activity across brain's surface
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MEG
Magnetoencephalography

brain-imaging technique measuring magnetic fields from the brain's natural electrical activity during specific activities
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PET scan
Positron Emission Tomography Scan

radiactive form of glucose observed(really colorful)
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Why is radioactive glucose used in PET scans
Brain uses 20% of the body's energy, and the radioactive glucose can be seen allowing physicians to see exactly where it goes in the brain through gamma rays.

Concept of Hotspots
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MRI
Magnetic resonance images

capture images thru brief disruption of brain molecules
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How does an MRI work?
Put the head in a strong magnetic field aligning with atoms in the brain molecules spinning. A pulse of radio waves disrupt the spinning. Returning of the spinning produces signals--\> detailed picture.
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fMRI
Functional magnetic resonance imaging

tracks blood flow in the brain because blood\=activity

Successive images--\> brain activates depending on what a person is doing or thinking
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sample findings of EEG's
Symptoms of depression+anxiety shows increased activity in right frontal lobe
(withdrawal+negative emotion)
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sample findings of MEG's
Soldiers with PTSD compared to those without it--\> stronger image in visual cortex when viewing trauma related images
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sample findings of PET scans
Monkeys with anxious temperament--\> more glucose in regions related to fear, memory, and expectations of reward+punishment.
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sample findings of MRI scans
People with a history of violence--\> smaller frontal lobes(moral judgement+self-control)