Unit 1: Biological Bases of Behavior Vocab

Nature

The biological, genetic behaviors that influence an individual’s development and behavior; idea that our characteristics passed down parents through genes. Ex: A genetic can increase a person’s chance to mental health disorders.

Nurture

Idea that our surroundings, external/environment, upbringing, and our experiences influence who we become/are. Ex: Siblings with similar genetic tendency can developed diff lang skills, one could be exposed ti books and regular reading by guardian having a advanced lang and the other may have not been exposed the same things so they don’t have advanced lang.

Heredity

Passing down physical and psychological characteristics, parent to offspring and so on through genetic inheritance. Ex: Bob and Barbra both have green eyes they have a baby, and he also had green eyes.

Environment

The external factors physical, social, cultural that influence thoughts, feelings, and behaviors (natural settings/homes/work/cities). Ex: noisy office increase stress and decrease their productivity.

Evolutionary Perspective

Approach that examines behavior, thoughts, emotions, through evolutionary biology (Darwin theory). Ex: study of mate selection and attraction; they explain why people are attracted to certain physical or behavior traits.

Survival for reproductive success

Psychological and behavior adaptations evolved to increase a person’s chance of survival and ability to reproduce, ensuring genes are passed on.  Ex: Big bird is smart and wants someone that have similar or better abilities to reproduce with.

Eugenics

Idea that traits, including mental and social behaviors could be improved through selective breeding. Ex: Big bird didn’t want to breed with Blue bird because it has poor flying abilities, so he breeds with Red bird.

Twin studies

Examine similarities/differences between identical (monozygotic) and fraternal (dizygotic) twins, for understanding contributions of genetics and environment to traits and behaviors. Ex: ID twins separated at birth found similarities in their personality, intelligence, specific behaviors; suggesting genetics are powerful influences on those traits.

Family studies

Examine family dynamics, genetics, interactions to understand how those factors influence individual and family well-being. Ex: fam study on schizophrenia can tract this disorder through relatives of someone with the disorder, if they find higher risk of having it then they say that this is genetically linked. 

Adoption studies

Examine influences of genetic and environment on traits and behaviors by comparing the adoptee with their bio and adoptive fams. Ex: Adoptive parents with no alcoholism vs Bio parents with alcoholism, adoptee has higher chance of having alcoholism. 

Nervous system

Body’s communication network includes brain, spinal cord, nerves that process info from outside world and within body to regulate thoughts, emotions, physical movement, and automatic body functions. Ex: when you burn yourself sensory nerves sends signals to brain triggering you as a reflex to pull hand away.

Central nervous system

Brain/Spinal cord manages everything body does from thoughts, feelings, movements. Ex: Torching hot stove CNS receives pain sensory input processing it as a threat sending motor signal to brain to quickly pull hand away.

Peripheral nervous system

Nerves branch out from brain/spinal cord; PNS feeds info to brain from most senses, carrying signals to allow muscle movement; also signals brain to control unconscious processes. Ex: PNS send signals for your heart to beat and for you to breath.

Somatic nervous system

Part of peripheral nervous system that controls voluntary movements and transmits sensory info from body to centra nervous system. Ex: Bob decide to pick up glass of water, brain sent signals ti muscles in his arm/hand allowing him to grab the glass.

Autonomic nervous system

Controls involuntary processes; glands, muscles of internal organs, influencing functions. Ex: your heartbeat, digestion etc.

Sympathetic nervous system

Awakens the body and expands energy. Ex: Bob is scared so the system activates making heartrate/blood pressure increase, pupils dilate, and digestion slows.

Parasympathetic nervous system

Produce opposite effects from sympathetic, calms your body conserving its energy. Ex: Bob’s body decreases heartrate/blood pressure, increasing digestion/blood sugar etc.

The neuron

Neural cell that transmits info, basic building block of nervous system. Ex: Bob wants to pick up glass to drink water, firing of neuron key role in sending that signal to brain.

Glial cells

Cells in nervous system that support, nourish, protects neurons; may also play role in learning, thinking, memory. Ex: Astrocytes type of glial cell, help maintain blood brain barrier and regulate neural communication, impacting individuals thinking/behavior.

Spinal cord

Nerve tissue that forms part of central nervous system, primary pathway for signals between brain and the rest of body and controlling automatic reflexes. Ex: signal from sensory nerves to an interneuron within spinal cord, bypassing brain for initial reaction.

Reflex arc

Simple, automatic response to sensory stimulus. Ex: when doctor hits your knee and it has knee-jerk reflex.

Sensory neuron (afferent)

Neurons carrying incoming info from body’s tissues and sensory receptos to the brain and spinal cord. Ex: Bob touches hot pan, sensory receptos in fingers detect the heat.

Motor neuron (efferent)

Carries outgoing info from brain/spinal cord to muscles and glands. Ex: Signals to hand muscles to contract and pick up a pen.

Interneuron

Neurons within brain/spinal cord; communicate internally and process info between sensory and motor neurons. Ex: When doctor taps knee sensory neurons send signals to interneurons in spinal cord, triggers motor neurons contracting leg muscle, results in reflex (movement).

Neural transmission

Process by which neurons (nerve cells) sends messages to one another, involves releasing chemical messengers called neurotransmitters across tiny gap (synapse) to bind with receptors on a receiving neuron. Ex: Touching hot surface sensory activated by heat, sending electrical signals to brain, causing neurotransmitters to be released carrying pain across synapse, brain interprets it as pain.

All or nothing principle

A neuron reaction either firing (with full-strength response) or not firing. Ex:If you get a faint touch on your finger it may not be strong enough to trigger a response doesn not fire vs a strong enough which will result in an action potential.

depolarization

Neurons electrical charge becomes less negative, or more positive making it more likely to fire and transmit signal. Ex: Neurons electrical charge becomes less negative = more likely to fire a signal.

Refractory period

A brief resting pause occurring after neuron fired, in which action potential can’t happen until axon returns to resting state. Ex: After you flush a toilet, handle won’t work for a couple more seconds.

Temporal lobe

The region of the outermost layer (cerebral cortex) of the brain for interpretating sensory input, sounds, and for processing memories/emotions. Ex: Bob hears a song that reminds him of the memories in his high school prom feeling nostalgia and happiness.

Resting potential

When neuron is charged and ready to fire (hasn’t fired yet), it’s polarized. Ex: Toilet is full of water ready to be flushed but not active yet.

Reuptake

A neurotransmitter’s reabsorption back into the sending neuron to be uses again, recycling. Ex: Like cars delivering messages to houses on a st, after dropping off message the car goes back to OG house to pick up more messages.

threshold

Level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse, that will fire and cause an action potential. Ex: If stimulation is below threshold then you won’t notice something faintly touching you.

Multiple sclerosis

Chronic disease affected central nervous system (brain/spinal cord/optic nerves), thought to be autoimmune disorder where body attacks itself damaging myelin sheath; affects control eyes/mouth/throat/limbs. Ex: MS scrambles the signals in your bodies wiring causing weakness, vision issues etc.

Myasthenia gravis

Chronic autoimmune disorder, antibodies destroy antibodies block and destroy muscle receptor cites for neurotransmitters (connection between muscles and nerves gets messed up) Ex: Muscle weakness and fatigue.

Neurotransmitters

chemical massagers crossing gap between neurons, when released by sending neuron traveling gap onto receptor sites of neuron receiving influencing if that neuron will have a neural impulse. Ex: You feel happy bc neurotransmitters like serotonin sends happy messages across brain.

Excitatory neurotransmitter

Chemical messenger increases the likelihood of a receiving neuron firing action potential, making it more active. Ex: Glutamate, most EN in brain, promotes neural activity, essential for processes like learning/memory.

Inhibitory neurotransmitter

Chemical messenger decreasing likelihood of a neuron firing by making postsynaptic (after a synapse) cell more negativity charged (hyperpolarized). Ex: GABA, nervous system’s primary IT, reducing brain activity, promotes calming effects/concentration/sleep.

dopamine

Key neurotransmitter plays a major role in brain’s reward and pleasure centers, motivation, movement, learning. Ex: When you achieve a goal, dopamine is released making you feel good/motivated to repeat what you did.

serotonin

A neurotransmitter that affects mood, sleep, apetite, impulse control by managing brain activity. Ex: Bob feels anxious/down, serotonin helps balance those feelings promoting calmness/well-being.

norepinephrine

A neurotransmitter and hormone that mobilize (prepare) brain and body for action, arousal, alertness. Ex: You walk at night, and you hear something N will kick in causing you to be more alert “fight or flight”.

glutamate

Central nervous system abundant and important excitatory neurotransmitter, stimulating neurons to fire and communicate with one another; important in leaning, memory formation. Ex: Studying for test glutamate helps brain cells communicate and form new memories to remember.

GABA

(Gamma-aminobutyric acid), central nervous system’s primary inhibitory neurotransmitter, it blocks or slows down chemical messages and decreases stimulation of nerve cells. Ex: You feel anxious/overwhelmed, GABA calms things down, reducing activity f neurons in brain, promotes relaxation reducing stress.

endorphins

“morphine within”; neural, opiod-like neurotransmitters inked to pain control and pleasure. Ex: You feel down, eating chocolate can release E giving you mood lift.

Substance P

A neuropeptide and neurotransmitter for its role in perception and sending pain signals. Ex: If you touch hot stove substance p will transmit pain signal from hand to brain, making awareness of burning sensation.

acetylcholine

A neurotransmitter that plays a role in central/peripheral nervous system; muscle movement, memory, attention. Ex: When waiting to raise hand brain releases A, tells mucle in arm to contract and lift your hand.

glands

Body organs (primary in endocrine system) that release hormones, affecting mood, behavior, mental state, cognition, and physical functions behavior that influence behavior. EX: adrenal glands release adrenaline response to stress, triggers “fight or flight” and altering behavior increasing heart rate/ alertness.

hormones

Chemical messengers manufactured by endocrine, travels bloodstream, affects other tissues; influence mood, behavior, mental processes. Ex: Cortisol is hormone released when stressed can make you feel anxious/on edge.

Endocrine system

The body’s “slow” chemical communication; set of glands/fat tissue secretes hormones into bloodstream, influencing behavior, mood, mental processes. Ex: Thyroid gland releases hormones affecting energy levels and mood.

adrenaline

The hormone and neurotransmitter that activates the body’s stress respond, known as “fight-or-flight” response. Ex: Getting rush of adrenaline b4 presentation causing to be alert and focused.

leptin

Hormone that signals brain about body’s energy stores; helps regulate appetite, energy balance, influencing eating behavior and body weight. Ex: Leptin levels increase after meal, signals brain you’re full and helping to stop you overeating.

ghrelin

Hormone communicates body’s need for energy to brain increasing appetite. “hunger hormone” Ex: When your stomach growls b4 lunch, G telling brain you’re hungry.

melatonin

Hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles, increases in evening promoting sleep and decreases in morning to help wake up. Ex: When its dark out, your brain releases M making you feel sleepy so you can fall asleep.

oxytocin

Hormone and neurotransmitter influencing social cognition, emotional processes, impacting social bonding, trust, empathy; lessening stress and fear.

Pituitary gland

Psychoactive drugs

Drugs affecting brain (altering CNS) and change your mood, thoughts, feelings, behavior. Ex: caffeine acts act’s as a CNS stimulant making you more alert.

agonist

Molecule increasing neurotransmitter’s action (like a key fits in receptor in your brain, opening it causing specific effect). Ex: Nicotine= agonists for acetylcholine receptors, that’s why enhances alertness and focus,

antagonist

Molecule that inhibits or blocks a neurotransmitter’s action (key that fits in receptor of brain but don’t open it blocks neurotransmitters) Ex: Drug that blocks pain by stopping pain signals from getting through.

Absolute threshold

Smallest amount of something so you need to notice it at all. Ex: Dimmest light you can see or quietest sound you can hear.

Reuptake inhibitor

A drug that prevents neurotransmitters from being reabsorbed by the presynaptic neuron (neuron that sent signal), allowing the chemicals to be available for longer time in synapse, improving mood or reduce anxiety. Ex: Prozac treat depression block reuptake of serotonin, so it stays longer in brain, improving mood.

Stimulants (caffeine/cocaine)

Drugs increasing activity in CNS, increasing alertness, energy, changes in mood and perception. Ex: Volume knob, they turn it up making everything seem faster/intense, caffeine is mild version.

Depressants (alcohol)

Central Nervous system (CNS) depressant bc slows down brain activity, alchohal messes brain signals makes it harder to think straight, move smoothly, control emotions. Ex: Think as a computer alcohol makes it slow and glitchy.

Hallucinogens (marijuana)

Disrupts normal neurological function/sensory perception, disort perception of reality, causing you to see/hear things aren’t there, or experience things diff than normal. Ex: Taking marijuana may cause you to feel like 1min= 1 hour basically feel like time is much slower.

Opioids (heroin)

Psychoactive drugs they take over brain’s natural reward system, mimicking the natural O like chemicals, triggering pleasure and pain relief; resulting in adaptation, tolerance, addiction. Ex: Person with social anxiety might take H as “self-medication”.

tolerance

Body gets used to drug, so you need more of it to feel same effects, body adapts to it but not like addiction. Ex: You drink coffee every day, beginning 1 cup= more awake after a while you need 2-3 cups for same effect.

addiction

Brain’s reward system taken over by drugs or certain behaviors, caused by mix genes/brain changes/surroundings leds uncontrollable actions even if harmful. Ex: Somone that plays Video Games a lil each day, overtime play even more neglecting other things, they know its hurts them but they can’t stop.

withdrawal

The range of symptoms that happen when person stops or reduces their use of addictive substances or behavior. Ex: Some drinks coffee every day and out of now where stops, maybe they feel headaches/tried/become irritated.

brainstem

Part of brain connecting to spinal cord essential for things you need for survival breathing, heartbeat, sleep, reflexes. Ex: like the engine of car keeping basic functions running w/out thinking about it like heartbeat, if stem stops=life stops.

medulla

Part of brainstem controlling involuntary functions breathing/heart rate/blood pressure, regulates reflexive actions coughing/sneezing/swallowing/vomiting. Ex: When M maintains steady breathing rate sends signals respiratory muscles, increasing respiration when oxygen levels drop.

Reticular activating system

RAS a brainstem neural network acts as filter in your brainstem that decides what sensory info you pay attention to, helps you stay awake/alert/focused. Ex: You're in crowded room RAS helps you focus on person you’re talking to instead of being overwhelmed other notices/sights around you.

cerebellum

Brain’s structure responsible for moving smoothly, keep balance, stand up straight; helps with thinking/social skills/controlling emotions. Ex: Think like conductor of orchestra makes sure movements= coordinated/smooth like plying instruments/walking without stumbling and helps focus/good decisions.

Cerebral cortex

Outermost layer of brain responsible for higher-level cognitive functions such as thinking, memory, language, conscious awareness; divided into 4 lobes each with diff tasks like sensing/moving/understanding world. Ex: When reading it helps you understand words, remember story, imagine scenes.

hemispheres

Refers to the 2 halves of the brain: left cerebral hemisphere and right CH, connected by bundle of nerve fibers allowing them to talk to each other. Ex: When driving car LCH might focus on traffic laws while RCH helps you navigate/stay aware of surroundings.

Limbic system

Group of brain parts controlling your emotions, memories, motivation, basic instincts connects to physical responses/regu behavior (includes structures: hypothalamus, amygdala, thalamus, hippocampus). Ex: When you are scared the amygdala part of LS triggers response ready to react.

thalamus

Like central hub in brain that receives all sensory info except smell, sorts/filters these signals b4 sending to cerebral cortex for processing. Ex: Think as a switchboard operator in brain, receiving sensory info from body and directs it to cortex for further action.

hypothalamus

Primary control center for reg body func for things like hunger, thirst, s6,stress, links nervous system and endocrine to keep body stable (homeostasis). Ex: body is car H=driver, when fuel low (hunger) driver tells stop for gas.

Pituitary gland

“Master gland” bc it produces hormones that controls func of other endocrine glands and reg other body func all directed by signals of hypothalamus. Ex: PG=CEO assistant, CEO=hypothalamus gives instructions to assistant to send out orders (hormones) to other glands to get things done.

hippocampus

Crucial part of brain’s limbic system responsible for processing and remember facts, events, locations, acts as temporary storage space b4 sending the memories to other parts of brain for long-term keeping. Ex: Hippocampus=brain recorder, records new info like where you parked and files it away, so you remember later.

amygdala

A paired, almond shaped brain structure plays a role in processing/regu emotions, particularly those related to fear/anxiety/aggression, central component to limbic system. Ex: Think of it like brain alarm system detects potential threats or emotionally charged situations and triggers response like fear.

Corpus callosum

Thick bundle of nerve fibers connect left/right hemispheres if brain, acts as “information superhighway” for communication and integration between them. Ex: CC as wifi router of brain, enables left/right sides to share info and work tg.

The 4 lobes

4 Major anatomical divisions of cerebrum: frontal(decision-makes), parietal(sensory: touch taste), temporal(hearing/memory), occipital lobes(vision), they are responsible for diff cognitive and sensory functions that contribute to behavior. Think of it as a car: F=driver controls, P: GPS (process info), T= radio, O: camera.

Somatosensory cortex

Region of brain that prosses and interprets body sensations such as touch, temperature, pain, body position; located parietal lobe. Ex: Mosquito lands on your arm and a signal zips to the area on the map brain= knows where to swat it.

Prefrontal cortex

The front part of brain responsible for complex cognitive/executive control, helps you make plans, control feelings decide what to do to reach goals. Ex: PC= CEO of brain when deciding to study for test or watch TV PC weighs pro/con, helps choose best option to goal= good grade.

Motor cortex

Region of brain in frontal lobe responsible fo initiating and controlling voluntary movements. Ex: Picking up delicate peach, MC plans and starts necessary sequence of muscle movement'= grasping while receiving feedback to adjust pressure to delicate peach.

Frontal lobe

Brain’s “command and control center,” responsible higher-level cognitive processes and executive func; it reg reasoning, planning, judgement, lang, voluntary movement; houses prefrontal cortex for decision-making, personality expression, controlling social behaviors. Ex: Baking: FL helps you follow recipe, remember ingredients alrdy added, plan next steps, stops you from eating all frosting b4 cake is in oven.

Parietal lobe

Brain region for processing and integrating sensory info to form understanding of the world, sense of touch, temperature, pain, body awareness, as well as integrating visual and auditory to help with awareness and navigation. Ex: PL helps you understand the shapes/sizes where they fit in overall pic and how to rotate to make them fit.

Occipital lobe

Brain’s primary visual processing center, at back of head, the smallest lobe responsible for receiving/interpreting info form eyes, to perceive/understand visual world. Ex: You watch movie the OL is processing all visual info colors/shapes/movement to understand what’s happening.

loudness

Psychological perception of a sound’s physical intensity or amplitude. Ex: whisper= low loudness, shout=high loudness.

Split brain research

Looks at what happens when the connection between the 2 halves of the brain is cut, usually to help with epilepsy; showing each side of brain has own specialties: left= lang/logic, right= spatial/visual tasks. Ex: Person draws good with left hand but struggles to write with it, could be bc right B controls left hand, and is better at spatial tasks like drawing and left B better at lang.

epilepsy

Brain disorder where there’s sudden bursts of unusual electrical activity, leading to seizures; this happened bc imbalance in brain chemicals or irregular nerve cell activity in certain areas of brain. Ex: Brain=city with electrical wires sending messages; sudden electrical storm causing a blackout or disruption in certain areas.

Right hemisphere

Right side of brain associated with func like understanding space, facial recognition, interpreting emotions in speech, creativity and non-verbal cues. Ex: Listening to fav song RH helps you recognize the melody feel emotions in music.

Left hemisphere

Typically controls right side of body and is associated with logic, language, analytical thinking, mathematics, problem solving. Ex: Person solving complex math problem is using primarily LH.

Broca's area

Region in the left frontal lobe of the brain responsible for production of speech and formation of gramatically correct sentences; damage to area= Broca’s aphasia understands lang but struggles to produce spoken/written lang. Ex: Says “Want water now” instead of “I want a glass of water”

Wernicke's area

Brain region responsible for language comprehension, allowing individuals to understand spoken and written language and meaning of words in context, damage to this= aphasia struggles to understand lang but can produce fluent speech. Ex: If that area is healthy then they understand “How was your day?”.

Aphasia

A language disorder caused by damage to the brain’s language centers, typically on left hemisphere, after strokes or traumatic brain injury. Ex: Person with Broca’s aphasia might struggle with sentence forming, saying “Want water now” instead “I want a glass of water”.

Cortex specialization

The brain’s outer layer is responsible for distinct func like lang, feeling things, moving your body. Ex: Seeing a rainbow, the visual part of the cortex is in back of brain proceses colors/shapes.

Contralateral organization

The left side of your brain controls the right side of your body, and the right side of brain controls the left side of your body, brain’s wiring is crossed. Ex: You writing with right hand the left side of your brain is controlling that movement.

Hemispheric organization

The left/right side of brain responsible for different tasks, cognitive and motor func known as brain lateralization. Ex: Right=tasks like recognizing faces/understanding maps, Left= Lang/understanding and producing speech, in puzzle left is working, navigating new city=right brain.

brain plasticity

Brain’s ability to change and adapt throughout life, does this by rewiring connections between neurons based on your experiences, learning, after injuries; brain constantly remolding. Ex: Learning piano at first very hard, brain has to work to read music and coordinate fingers but pract=easier.

EEG

(Electroencephalogram) Technique to measure brain activity using sensors on your head; helps study what brain does when you’re awake/sleep, doing diff tasks, giving clues about how your brain affects your behavior. Ex: Doctors use EEG to monitor a persons brain activity at night.

fMRI

(Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scanning technique that shows which parts of brain are active when you do smt by measuring changes in blood flow. Ex: You read a book while fMRI showing increased blood flow in areas responsible for lang processing, indicates those areas highly active while reading.