Unit 02: Biology & Behavior Flashcards

Prefrontal Cortex

Planning, Decision Making, Personality and Emotional Control

Temporal Lobe

Hearing and Memory

Occipital Lobe

Vision

Cerebellum

Balance, Movement, and Implicit Memory

Parietal Lobe

Senses Pain and Touch

Frontal Lobe

Complex thinking and decision making

Motor Cortex

Controls voluntary movement

Somatosensory cortex

receives information about touch

association areas

areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions; rather, they are involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking, such as the prefrontal cortex

glial cells

cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons

brain plasticity

the brain's ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience

neurogenesis

The formation of new neurons in the brain.

corpus callosum

the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them; sometimes is surgically severed to prevent epileptic seizures.

left hemisphere of brain

controls right side of the body and is logical, contains mathamatics, lauguage, & speech

right hemisphere of brain

The right hemisphere of the brain is responsible for control of the left side of the body, and is the more artistic and creative side of the brain, as well as helps to identify faces.

dual processing

Simultaneously processing on separate conscious and unconscious tracks; for example: while driving, a person can have a conversation will also unconsciously controlling the car.

behavior genetics

The study of how much our genes and our environment influence our individual differences; seeks to answer the nature-nurture debate

identical twins

twins who develop from a single fertilized egg that splits in two, creating two genetically identical organisms; monozygotic twins

fraternal twins

twins who develop from two separately fertilized eggs. They are genetically no closer than brothers and sisters, but they share a fetal environment; dizygotic twins

natural selection

A process in which individuals that have certain inherited traits tend to survive and reproduce at higher rates than other individuals because of those traits; studied by Charles Darwin and evolutionary psychologists

circadian rhythm

Regular bodily rhythms that occur on a 24-hour cycle; including sleep-wake cycle, blood pressure, body temperature and other body functions

pineal gland

found in the brain, it secretes melatonin to help influence sleep

suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)

a pair of cell clusters in the hypothalamus that controls circadian rhythm. In response to light, the SCN causes the pineal gland to adjust melatonin production, thus modifying our feelings of sleepiness

Melatonin

A hormone manufactured by the pineal gland that produces sleepiness.

REM sleep

Rapid eye movement sleep, a recurring sleep stage during which vivid dreams commonly occur. Also known as paradoxical sleep, because the muscles are relaxed (except for minor twitches) but other body systems and brain are active.

sleep cycle

a period of sleep lasting about 90 minutes and including one or more stages of NREM sleep, followed by REM sleep

alpha waves

the relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake state

delta waves

the large, slow brain waves associated with deep sleep

deep sleep

Stage 3 slow-wave sleep; the deepest form of normal sleep which helps the body to heal and grow

sleep spindles and K complexes

EEG waves that occur during NREM stage 2 sleep

paradoxical sleep

The type of sleep encountered during REM when internally, the brain and body are active; while externally, the body appears calm and inactive

REM rebound

the tendency for REM sleep to increase following REM sleep deprivation (created by repeated awakenings during REM sleep)

insomnia

Sleep disorder characterized by recurring problems in falling or staying asleep

somnambulism

A sleep disorder in which a person is walking or performing some other activity without awakening; also known as sleepwalking

sleep apnea

a sleep disorder characterized by loud snoring and temporary cessations of breathing during sleep and repeated momentary awakenings; typical of overweight males

REM sleep behavior disorder

a sleep disorder characterized by high arousal and an appearance of being terrified; unlike nightmares, night terrors occur during deep sleep, within two or three hours of falling asleep, and are seldom remembered

Narcolepsy

A sleep disorder characterized by uncontrollable sleep attacks. The sufferer may lapse directly into REM sleep, often at inopportune times.

activation-synthesis theory

a theory of dreaming; this theory proposes that the brain tries to make sense of random brain activity that occurs during sleep by synthesizing the activity with stored memories

withdrawal

the discomfort and distress that follow discontinuing the use of an addictive drug

tolerance

the diminishing effect with regular use of the same dose of a drug, requiring the user to take larger and larger doses before experiencing the drug's effect

dependence

the condition that results when the brain develops a chemical need for a drug and cannot function normally without it

Depressants

drugs (such as alcohol, barbiturates, and opiates) that reduce neural activity and slow body functions

Stimulants

Drugs (such as caffeine, nicotine, and the more powerful amphetamines, cocaine, and Ecstasy) that excite neural activity and speed up body functions.

Hallucinogens

Drugs that alter moods, thoughts, and sense perceptions including vision, hearing, smell, and touch (LSD, Marijuana)

Blindsight

a condition in which a person can respond to a visual stimulus without consciously experiencing it

Eugenics

the science of improving a human population by controlled breeding to increase the occurrence of desirable heritable characteristics (discredited)

consolidation theory of sleep

'during sleep we process information that we have learnt during the day and new memories are strengthened'

hypnagogic sensations

bizarre experiences, such as jerking or a feeling of falling or floating weightlessly, while transitioning to sleep

motor neurons (efferent)

neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands

sensory neurons (afferent)

neurons that carry incoming information from the sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord

reflex arc

A relatively direct connection between a sensory neuron and a motor neuron that allows an extremely rapid response to a stimulus, often without conscious brain involvement (decisions made in spinal cord)

Interneurons

neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs

Central Nervous System (CNS)

consists of the brain and spinal cord

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system (CNS) to the rest of the body.

somatic nervous system

the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's skeletal muscles

sympathetic nervous system

the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations (fight, flight, or freeze)

parasympathetic nervous system

the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy (rest and digest)

Dendrites

Branchlike parts of a neuron that are specialized to receive information.

cell body (soma)

contains the nucleus and other parts of the cell needed to sustain its life

Axon

the extension of a neuron, ending in branching terminal fibers, through which messages pass to other neurons or to muscles or glands

axon terminal

The endpoint of a neuron where neurotransmitters are stored

myelin sheath

A layer of fatty tissue segmentally encasing the fibers of many neurons; enables vastly greater transmission speed of neural impulses as the impulse hops from one node to the next.

action potential

the change in electrical potential associated with the passage of an impulse along the membrane of a muscle cell or nerve cell.

refractory period

a period of inactivity after a neuron has fired

Reuptake

process by which neurotransmitters are taken back into the synaptic vesicles

Agonist

a molecule that, by binding to a receptor site, stimulates a response (acts like a neurotransmitter)

Antagonist

A drug that blocks the action of a neurotransmitter

Pons

A brain structure that relays information from the cerebellum to the rest of the brain and helps regulate sleep

Medulla

the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing

Thalamus

the brain's sensory switchboard, located on top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla

reticular formation

a nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal

limbic system

neural system (including the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus) located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions, drives and addiction.

Amygdala

two lima bean-sized neural clusters in the limbic system; linked to the emotions of fear and aggression.

Hippocampus

A neural center located in the limbic system that helps process explicit memories for storage.

Hypothalamus

A neural structure lying below the thalamus; it directs several maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temperature), helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion and reward.

EEG (electroencephalogram)

An amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain's surface. These waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp.

fMRI (functional MRI)

A technique for revealing bloodflow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. fMRI scans show brain function.

endocrine system

the body's "slow" chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream

pituitary gland

The endocrine system's most influential gland. Under the influence of the hypothalamus, regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands.

Serotonin

Affects mood, hunger, sleep and arousal. Undersupply linked to depression.

Dopamine

A neurotransmitter associated with movement, attention and learning and the brain's pleasure and reward system. (Parkinson and Schizophrenia)

Acetylcholine

A neurotransmitter that enables learning and memory and also triggers muscle contraction

GABA

An inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain.

Norepinephrine

helps control alertness and arousal

Substance P

A neurotransmitter that is involved in the transmission of pain messages to the brain.

endorphines (neurotransmitter)

Neurotransmitters that influence the perception of pain or pleasure

Glumamate

Facilitates fast synaptic transmissions in the CNS

Synapse

the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron