MCAT Behavioral Sciences Review - Ch. 1+2: Biology and Behavior; Sensation and Perception

Brief History of Neuropsychology

Franz Gall (phrenology)
Pierre Flourens (extirpation/ablation)
William James (functionalism)
John Dewey (reflex arc)
Paul Broca
Hermann von Helmholtz
Charles Sherrington

Organization of Nervous Systems

Sensory/afferent neurons
Motor/efferent neurons
Interneurons
Reflex arcs
CNS/PNS
Spinal nerves
Cranial nerves
Somatic nervous system
Autonomic nervous system (parasympathetic + sympathetic)

Organization of Brain

Meninges (dura, arachnoid, pia mater)
CSF
Ventricles
Brainstem
Limbic system
Cerebral cortex

Forebrain (prosencephalon)

Telencephalon
Cerebral cortex
Basal ganglia
Limbic system
Diencephalon
Thalamus
Hypothalamus
Posterior pituitary gland
Pineal gland

Midbrain (mesencephalon)

Inferior + superior colliculi

Hindbrain (rhombencephalon)

Cerebellum
Medulla oblongata
Reticular formation
Pons

Methods of Mapping the Brain

Neuropsychology
Cortical maps
Electroencephalogram (EEG)
Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF)
CT (computed tomography)
PET (positron emission tomography)
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging)

Parts of the forebrain

(Continued in other flashcard deck)

Neurotransmitters

Agonists
Antagonists
Cholinergic neurons
Acetylcholine
Epinephrine + Norepinephrines plus dopamine, make group: catecholamines
Monoamines/biogenic amines
E = adrenaline, N = noradrenaline
Dopamine → dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia, Parkinson’s disease
Serotonin
GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid)
Glycine
Glutamate

Peptide neurotransmitters

Neuromodulators/neuropeptides
Endorphins
Enkephalins
Endocrine system: hormones
Hypophyseal portal system
Pituitary gland (anterior pituitary)

Adrenal glands

Adrenal medulla
Adrenal cortex
Corticosteroids (e.g., cortisol)
Testosterone/estrogen
Gonads

Genetics and Behavior

Innate behavior
Learned behaviors
Adaptive value
Adaptation through natural selection
Nature vs. nurture
Family studies
Twin studies
Adoption studies

Prenatal Development

Neurulation
Neural groove —> neural folds, neural crest —> neural tube
Alar plate
Basal plate
Umbilical cord
Placenta

Motor development

Reflex
Primitive reflexes
Rooting reflex
Moro reflex
Babinski reflex
Grasping reflex
Gross motor skills
Fine motor skills

Social development

Stranger anxiety
Separation anxiety
Parallel play
Developmental milestones

Sensation vs. Perception

Sensation
Transduction
Perception

Sensory Receptors

Sensory receptors
Distal stimuli
Proximal stimuli
Psychophysics
Ganglia
Projection areas
Most heavily tested receptors:
Photoreceptors
Mechanoreceptors
Nociceptors
Thermoreceptors
Osmoreceptors
Olfactory receptors
Taste receptors

Thresholds

Threshold
Absolute threshold
Threshold of conscious perception
Subliminal perception
Difference threshold
Just-noticeable difference (jnd)
Discrimination testing
Weber’s law

Signal detection theory

Noise trials
Catch trials
Hit/Miss
False alarm/Correct negative

Adaptation

Sensory + perceptual components

Structure and Function of Eye

Sclera
Choroidal vessels
Retinal vessels
Retina
Cornea
Anterior chamber
Iris
Dilator + constrictor pupillae
Choroid
Ciliary body
Aqueous humor
Canal of Schlemm
Lens
Ciliary muscle
Suspensory ligaments
Accommodation
Vitreous humor

Duplexity/Duplicity Theory of Vision

Cones
Rods
Rhodopsin
Macula
Fovea
Blind spot
Bipolar cells
Ganglion cells
Optic nerve
Amacarine
Horizontal cells
Visual pathways
Temporal/nasal retinal fibers
Temporal/nasal visual fields
Optic chiasm
Optic tracts
Lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN)
Thalamus
Visual cortex + occiptal lobe
Superior colliculi
Parallel processing
Form
Parvocellular
Spatial resolution/temporal resolution
Magnocellular cells
Depth perception + binocular neurons
Feature detectors

Structure + Function of Ear

Pinna/Auricle
EAC
Tympanic membrane/eardrum
Intensity
Malleus + incus + stapes"
Eustachian tube

Inner ear

Bony labyrinth
Membraneous labyrinth
Endolymph + Perilymph
Cochlea
Scalae
Organ of Corti + Basilar membrane + Tectorial membrane
Round window + oval window
Auditory/vestibulocochlear nerve

Vestibule

Utricle
Saccule
Otoliths

Semicircular Canals

Ampulla
Auditory pathways + Mediate geniculate nucleus (MGN)
Auditory cortex
Superior olive + inferior colliculus

Hair cells

Vestibulo-ocular reflex
Hair cells + stereocilia
Place theory + Tonotopically organized

Smell

Olfactory chemoreceptors + olfactory nerves
Pheromones
Olfactory pathway
Olfactory bulb + olfactory tract

Taste

Chemoreceptors
Taste buds + papillae
Taste center

Somatosensation

Pacinian corpuscles
Meissner corpuscles
Merkel cells (discs)
Ruffini endings
Free nerve endings
Somatosensory cortex
Two-point threshold
Physiological zero
Nociceptors
Gate theory of pain

Kinesthetic sense

Proprioception + Proprioceptors

Object recognition

Bottom-up/Top-down processing
Data-driven/Conceptually driven processing
Perceptual organization
Monocular cues (relative size, interposition, linear perspective, motion parallax)
Binocular cues
Retinal disparity
Convergence
Constancy

Gestalt Principles

Law of Proximity
Law of Similiarity
Law of Good Continuation
Subjective contours
Law of Closure
Law of Pragnanz