Biological Bases of Behavior (The Brain Edition)

Flashcards about the biological bases of behavior, covering heredity, the nervous system, neural communication, brain plasticity and specialization, and brain structures and functions.

What is the evolutionary perspective in psychology?

The study of how psychological traits and behaviors have evolved over time to enhance survival and reproductive success, seeking to understand universal human behaviors and mental processes through evolutionary principles.

What is natural selection?

The process by which organisms with traits that are better suited to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce, passing on those advantageous traits to future generations, explaining how psychological traits and behaviors have evolved over time in response to environmental pressures.

What are 'nature' influences on psychological development?

Inherent biological and genetic factors that influence an individual's psychological development, traits, behaviors, and cognitive abilities, including traits inherited from parents, brain structure, temperament, intelligence, and basic instincts.

What are 'nurture' influences on psychological development?

Environmental influences and experiences that shape an individual's psychological development, behaviors, and cognitive processes, including early childhood experiences, parenting styles, social relationships, culture, educational opportunities, socioeconomic status, exposure to media, and life events.

How do twin studies contribute to understanding the interplay of genetics and environment?

Examines similarities and differences between identical (monozygotic) and fraternal (dizygotic) twins to assess the relative influence of genetics and environment on traits and behaviors.

How do adoption studies contribute to understanding the interplay of genetics and environment?

Investigates similarities between adopted children and their biological and adoptive families to assess the impact of genetics versus environment on various traits and behaviors.

How do family studies contribute to understanding the interplay of genetics and environment?

Analyzes similarities and differences among family members, including parents and siblings, to understand the interplay of genetics and environment in shaping traits and behaviors within a family unit.

What is heredity?

The transmission of genetic information from biological parents to offspring, helping to determine how much of our traits come from genes versus the environment.

What is genetic predisposition?

The inherited likelihood of developing specific traits or conditions due to genetic factors from biological parents.

What is eugenics?

The belief in improving the genetic quality of a human population by controlling reproduction to increase desirable traits and decrease undesirable ones, historically associated with discriminatory practices based on flawed ideas of racial superiority and genetic determinism.

What is the cerebral cortex?

The outer layer of the brain, responsible for higher-level cognitive functions, including thinking, perceiving, and decision-making. It is highly folded to increase its surface area, allowing for complex neural processing and integration of information.

What are association areas in the brain?

Parts of the brain that take information from all over the place, such as what we see, hear, smell, and touch, and put it together to help us understand the world around us. They integrate information from different sensory modalities and higher cognitive functions.

What are the frontal lobes?

Located at the front of the brain and are involved in higher-level cognitive functions, including decision-making, problem-solving, planning, and personality expression.

What is the prefrontal cortex?

A region of the brain located in the frontal lobe, responsible for higher-level cognitive functions and executive functioning.

What is the motor cortex?

A region of the brain located in the frontal lobe, responsible for planning, executing, and controlling voluntary movements of the body, sending signals to the muscles to perform actions such as walking, talking, and grasping objects.

What are the parietal lobes?

Located at the top of the brain and are primarily responsible for processing sensory information from the body, such as touch, temperature, and spatial awareness.

What is the somatosensory cortex?

A region of the brain located in the parietal lobe, responsible for processing sensations from the skin, muscles, and joints, interpreting touch, pressure, temperature, and pain signals from different parts of the body.

What are the occipital lobes?

Located at the back of the brain and are primarily responsible for processing visual information received from the eyes, containing the primary visual cortex, which interprets visual stimuli and helps us perceive shapes, colors, and motion.

What are the temporal lobes?

Located on the sides of the brain and are involved in processing auditory information, language comprehension, and memory formation, containing the auditory cortex, which interprets sound signals from the ears.

What is the corpus callosum?

A thick band of nerve fibers that connects the left and right hemispheres of the brain, facilitating communication and information sharing between the two hemispheres.

What is the brainstem?

The oldest and most primitive part of the brain, responsible for basic life-sustaining functions such as breathing, heart rate, and sleep-wake cycles, serving as a pathway for neural signals traveling between the brain and the rest of the body.

What is the medulla?

A vital structure located at the base of the brainstem, regulating essential autonomic functions such as heartbeat, breathing, and blood pressure, serving as a relay station for nerve signals traveling between the brain and the spinal cord.

What is the reticular activating system (RAS)?

A network of neurons located in the brainstem that plays a critical role in regulating arousal, attention, and consciousness, filtering sensory information and modulating overall brain activity to maintain wakefulness and alertness.

What is the cerebellum?

Located at the back of the brain, below the cerebral hemispheres, responsible for coordinating movement, balance, and posture, receiving input from sensory systems and other parts of the brain to fine-tune motor movements and ensure smooth coordination.

What is the limbic system?

A set of brain structures located beneath the cerebral cortex, involved in emotions, memory, and motivation.

What is the reward center?

A network of brain structures, primarily located in the limbic system, that processes pleasurable experiences and reinforces behaviors associated with them.

What is the thalamus?

A relay station in the brain that processes and relays sensory information, such as sight, sound, touch, and taste, to the cerebral cortex, acting as a gateway for sensory input and directing signals to the appropriate areas of the brain for further processing.

What is the hypothalamus?

A small but powerful structure located below the thalamus, responsible for regulating various essential bodily functions, including hunger, thirst, body temperature, and the sleep-wake cycle, serving as a control center helping to maintain homeostasis in the body.

What is the pituitary gland?

A small pea-sized gland located at the base of the brain, often referred to as the 'master gland' due to its central role in regulating hormone production and secretion throughout the body, playing a critical role in coordinating hormonal activity and maintaining homeostasis.

What is the hippocampus?

A curved structure located within the brain's temporal lobes, primarily responsible for forming and consolidating new memories.

What is the amygdala?

A small, almond-shaped structure located deep within the brain's temporal lobes, involved in processing emotions, particularly fear and aggression, playing a central role in the brain's threat detection system and triggering the body's fight-or-flight response.

What is the nervous system?

The body's communication network, consisting of a complex system of nerves, neurons, and specialized cells.

What is the central nervous system (CNS)?

Consists of the brain and spinal cord, serving as the command center of the body, responsible for processing information, coordinating responses, and regulating bodily functions.

What is the peripheral nervous system (PNS)?

Consists of all the nerves and ganglia outside the brain and spinal cord, serving as a communication network, transmitting sensory information from the body to the central nervous system (CNS).

What is the autonomic nervous system?

A division of the peripheral nervous system that regulates involuntary bodily functions, operating automatically without conscious control, consisting of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.

What is the sympathetic nervous system?

Responsible for activating the body's 'fight or flight' response in times of stress or danger, increasing heart rate, dilating airways, and redirecting blood flow to essential organs, preparing the body to respond to perceived threats.

What is the parasympathetic nervous system?

Responsible for promoting relaxation and restoring the body to a calm state after experiencing stress or danger, slowing heart rate, constricting airways, and enhancing digestion, allowing the body to conserve energy and recover from stressors.

What is the somatic nervous system?

A division of the peripheral nervous system responsible for controlling voluntary movements and relaying sensory information from the body to the central nervous system.

What are neurons?

Specialized cells that serve as the building block of the nervous system, transmitting electrical and chemical signals throughout the body, consisting of the cell body (soma), dendrites, and axon.

What are glial cells?

The 'support cells' of the nervous system, providing structural support, insulation, and nourishment to neurons, playing essential roles in maintaining brain health and supporting neuronal function.

What are motor neurons?

Nerve cells that transmit signals from the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) to muscles, glands, and organs, initiating and controlling voluntary and involuntary movements, receiving commands from the brain or spinal cord and conveying these signals to muscles, causing them to contract or relax.

What are sensory neurons?

Specialized nerve cells that transmit sensory information from sensory receptors in the skin, muscles, and organs to the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), detecting various stimuli, including touch and temperature, and converting these stimuli into electrical signals.

What are interneurons?

Nerve cells that serve as connectors within the central nervous system, relaying signals between sensory neurons and motor neurons.

What is the reflex arc?

A neural pathway that controls reflex actions, allowing for rapid, automatic responses to sensory stimuli without conscious thought, protecting the body and enabling quick reactions to potential dangers.

What is neural transmission?

The process by which neurons communicate with each other through electrical and chemical signals.

What is the threshold in the context of neural communication?

The level of stimulation required to trigger an action potential in a neuron; the minimum amount of stimulation necessary to produce a response.

What is action potential?

A brief electrical impulse that travels along the axon of a neuron, occurring when the neuron receives a stimulus that causes the inside of the cell to become more positively charged than the outside.

What is the all-or-nothing principle?

States that once a neuron reaches its threshold of excitation, it will fire an action potential at full strength; if the stimulus is below the threshold, the neuron will not fire at all.

What is depolarization?

The phase of an action potential where the inside of the neuron becomes less negative compared to the outside due to the influx of positively charged ions, such as sodium ions, triggering the neuron to fire an action potential.

What is the refractory period?

The brief period following an action potential during which a neuron is unable to generate another action potential, occurring because the neuron's sodium channels are temporarily inactivated and returns to its resting state.

What is resting potential?

The stable, negative electrical charge that exists across the cell membrane of a neuron when it is not actively transmitting signals, maintained by the unequal distribution of ions.

What is reuptake?

The process in which neurotransmitters that have been released into the synapse are reabsorbed by the presynaptic neuron from which they were originally released.

What is Multiple Sclerosis?

A chronic autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system, including the brain and spinal cord, occurring when the immune system mistakenly attacks the myelin sheath.

What is Myasthenia Gravis?

A chronic autoimmune disorder that affects the neuromuscular junction, where nerve impulses are transmitted to muscles, occurring when the immune system produces antibodies that block or destroy the receptors for acetylcholine.

What are neurotransmitters?

Chemical messengers that transmit signals between neurons, allowing for communication within the nervous system, released from presynaptic neurons into the synaptic cleft, where they bind to specific receptor sites on postsynaptic neurons.

What are excitatory neurotransmitters?

Chemicals released by neurons that increase the likelihood of an action potential occurring in the postsynaptic neuron, binding to receptor sites on the postsynaptic membrane, causing depolarization.

What is glutamate?

The primary excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, playing a key role in synaptic transmission, neuronal communication, learning, memory, and neural plasticity.

What are inhibitory neurotransmitters?

Chemicals released by neurons that decrease the likelihood of an action potential occurring in the postsynaptic neuron.

What is GABA?

A neurotransmitter that acts as the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, promoting relaxation and reducing anxiety.

What is dopamine?

A neurotransmitter that plays a crucial role in regulating mood, reward, motivation, and movement, implicated in the experience of pleasure and reward in the brain's reward system.

What is serotonin?

A neurotransmitter that plays a vital role in regulating mood, sleep, appetite, and stress, influencing mood and emotional well-being, making it an essential neurotransmitter for mental health.

What are endorphins?

Neurotransmitters produced by the brain and central nervous system that act as natural pain relievers and mood enhancers, released in response to stress, pain, or intense physical activity.

What is substance P?

A neurotransmitter involved in transmitting pain signals in the nervous system, binding to specific receptors on nerve cells in the spinal cord and brain.

What is acetylcholine?

A neurotransmitter that plays a fundamental role in both the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system, involved in various functions, including muscle contraction, memory, and learning.

What are hormones?

Chemical messengers produced by glands in the endocrine system that travel through the bloodstream to target cells or organs, where they regulate various physiological processes and behaviors.

What is ghrelin?

A hormone produced primarily by the stomach and small intestine that stimulates appetite and promotes hunger, often referred to as the 'hunger hormone' because its levels increase before meals and decrease after eating.

What is leptin?

A hormone produced primarily by fat cells that regulates energy balance and appetite, acting on the hypothalamus in the brain to suppress appetite and increase energy expenditure.

What is melatonin?

A hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle and circadian rhythms in the body, playing a crucial role in maintaining the body's internal clock and ensuring restful sleep.

What is oxytocin?

A hormone and neurotransmitter that plays a key role in social bonding, often referred to as the 'love hormone' or 'bonding hormone' due to its involvement in forming emotional connections, trust, and intimacy.

What is adrenaline?

A hormone and neurotransmitter that plays a key role in the body's stress response, often referred to as the 'fight or flight' response, with levels surging during times of stress, fear, or excitement.

What is norepinephrine?

A neurotransmitter that functions as both a hormone and a neurotransmitter in the body, involved in the body's 'fight or flight' response, regulating arousal, attention, and stress.

What is plasticity?

The brain's ability to reorganize and adapt throughout life in response to experiences, learning, and environmental changes through processes like synaptic pruning, sprouting of new connections, and changes in neural pathways.

What is split brain research?

Studies individuals who have undergone a surgical procedure called corpus callosotomy, which disconnects the two hemispheres of the brain, primarily done as a treatment for severe epilepsy.

What is contralateral hemispheric organization?

The phenomenon where each hemisphere of the brain controls the opposite side of the body, meaning that sensory information received by one side of the body is processed by the opposite hemisphere of the brain.

What is hemispheric specialization?

Explored through split-brain research, refers to the concept that each hemisphere of the brain has specialized functions and abilities, helping to uncover the distinct roles of each hemisphere in tasks such as language processing, spatial awareness, and motor control.

What is linguistic processing?

The complex cognitive processes involved in understanding and producing language.

What is Broca's area?

A region located in the left hemisphere of the brain, specifically in the frontal lobe, that is responsible for speech production and language processing, playing a crucial role in the formation of grammatically correct sentences and the coordination of the muscles involved in speech.

What is Broca's aphasia?

A language disorder caused by damage to Broca's area in the left hemisphere of the brain, often resulting from stroke or brain injury, characterized by difficulty producing fluent speech and forming grammatically correct sentences.

What is Wernicke's area?

A region located in the left hemisphere of the brain, specifically in the temporal lobe, that is involved in language comprehension and understanding spoken and written language, helping to interpret the meaning of words and sentences.

What is Wernicke's aphasia?

A language disorder caused by damage to Wernicke's area in the left hemisphere of the brain, typically resulting from stroke or brain injury, characterized by fluent speech but difficulty understanding spoken and written language.

What is an electroencephalogram (EEG)?

A non-invasive neuroimaging technique used to record the electrical activity of the brain, involving placing electrodes on the scalp to detect electrical signals produced by neurons, and is commonly used to diagnose neurological conditions.

What is functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)?

A neuroimaging technique used to measure brain activity by detecting changes in blood flow and oxygen levels, providing detailed images of the brain's structure and function.

What is Lesioning?

A research technique used to study brain function by intentionally damaging or destroying specific areas of the brain in experimental animals, to observe changes in behavior.