unit 2 - the brain and biological factors

unit 11-14

phrenology

the study of bumps on the skull that could reveal a person’s mental abilities and character traits (proposed by Franz Gall)

localization of function

the idea that various brain regions have different functions

biological psychology

the scientific study of the links between biological (genetic, neural, hormonal) and psychological processes

lesion

destruction of tissue

electroencephalogram (EEG)

records the brain's electrical activity by looking at waves measured by electrodes placed on the scalp

computed tomography scan (CT/CAT)

examines brain structure, shape, and position by x-ray

positron emission tomography scan (PET)

examines brain function by metabolic activity, and measures glucose absorption after injection with a radioactive isotope

magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

shows brain structure using strong magnetic pulses, can show healthy tissue, blood clots/leaks

functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

examines brain function by measuring blood flow and oxygen use within

brainstem

the oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull. it is responsible for automatic survival functions

medulla

the base of the brainstem, responsible for life-maintaining processes (e.g. heartbeat and breathing)

thalamus

the brain’s sensory control center, located on top of the brainstem. it sends messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex, and sends replies to the cerebellum and medulla

reticular formation

a nerve network that travels through the brainstem and thalamus, and controls arousal and consciousness. (e.g. sleep/wake cycle) damage can cause coma (brainstem)

cerebellum

the “little brain” behind the brainstem. its’ functions include processing sensory input, coordinating movement output and balance, fine motor control, and enabling nonverbal learning and memory

limbic system

neural system (including the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus) found underneath the cortex and above the brainstem. it’s associated with emotions, long-term memory and drives

amygdala

two lima-bean-sized neural clusters, involved in processing emotions, activating the fight-or-flight response, helping read other's emotions, and storing highly emotional memories (e.g. trauma) (think: AHH!-___) (limbic system)

hypothalamus

a neural structure below the thalamus. it regulates the automatic nervous system (homeostasis), controls the endocrine system (via the pituitary gland), and is linked to emotion and reward (think: below thalamus = hypo) (limbic system)

pons

a major connection from the spinal cord to the brain, involved in automatic processes, especially the sleep-wake cycle (think: don't sleep on lele ___) (brainstem)

hippocampus

helps store long-term memory, and spatial memory (think: you would remember if you saw a hippo on campus) (limbic system)

lateral hypothalamus

regulates feelings of hunger (think: i’m __late__ to eat)

ventromedial hypothalamus

regulates feelings of sateity/fullness (think: mon __ventr__e est plein)

cerebral cortex

the wrinkled outer portion of the brain, contains a right and left hemisphere and four lobes (divided into right and left) separated by fissures. it’s the body’s ultimate control and information-processing center

fissures

deep folds in the cerebral cortex that separate lobes

glial cells

cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons. they may also play a role in learning and thinking

frontal lobes

front portion of the cerebral cortex, involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgments

prefrontal cortex

part of the frontal lobe, responsible for (moral) judgment, problem solving and personality (impaired functioning in psychopaths)

motor cortex

an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements (output external stimuli)

Broca’s area

part of the frontal lobe, near the motor cortex, responsible for verbal and written speech production

Broca’s aphasia

a condition caused by damage to the Broca’s area, resulting in difficulty/inability producing verbal and written speech, however still being able to sing familiar songs

parietal lobes

located behind the frontal lobe and at the top of the cerebral cortex, it processes sensory signals from the body (touch, pressure, temperature, pain), and helps with spatial orientation

somatosensory cortex

the front of the parietal lobe, and located behind the motor cortex (frontal lobe), it registers/processes body touch and movement sensations (input external stimuli)

temporal lobes

bottom portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears and in front of the occipital lobes. involved in hearing, language processing, memory, and the limbic system

primary auditory cortex

main site of auditory perception and processing (temporal lobe)

wernicke’s area

part of the temporal lobe, involved in comprehension of written/spoken language

wernicke’s aphasia

a condition caused by damage to the wernicke’s area, resulting in difficulty/inability expressing/understanding written/verbal language

right fusiform gyrus

part of the temporal lobe, it allows for facial recognition

occipital lobes

the rear-bottom portion of the cortex, it processes visual information from the eyes

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 (e.g. learning, remembering, thinking, speaking)

corpus callosum

a large band of neural fibers that allows for communication, and phyiscal connection between the right and left hemispheres

brain lateralization

the tendency for some neural functions/cognitive processes to be specialized to a particular side of the brain (i.e. the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, vice-versa)

left hemisphere

responsible for motor control and sensory processing of the right side of the body (e.g. speech, language, and comprehension, math calculations, recognition of letters, numbers, etc.) (think: left is smart)

right hemisphere

responsible for motor control and sensory processing of the left side of the body, spatial ability, modulating speech, perceiving/expressing emotion, recognizing faces, objects, places (think: right is teenage girl going out to a mall with her friends)

seizure

uncontrolled electrical activity between brain cells

plasticity

the brain’s ability to change by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience (especially prevalent in childhood)

neurogenesis

the formation of new neurons, typically in embryo

split brain

a condition resulting from surgery (to reduce seizures) that isolates the brain’s two hemispheres by cutting the fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) connecting them

cognitive neuroscience

the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking, memory, and language)w

behaviour genetics

the study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior

environment

external influences/factors

deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)

a complex molecule containing the genetic information that makes up the chromosomes

genes

the biochemical units of heredity that make up the chromosomes; segments of DNA capable of synthesizing proteins

genome

the complete instructions for making an organism, consisting of all the genetic material in that organism’s chromosomes

proteins

molecules that are the basis of body structure. they carry out all traits and functions in our bodies

chromosomes

threadlike structures made of DNA molecules that contain the genes

monozygotic twins

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

dizygotic twins

twins who develop from separate fertilized eggs. they are genetically no closer than brothers and sisters, but they share a fetal environment

twin studies

an informative approach for understanding the genetic and environmental influences affecting behavioral, physical, and medical traits

adoption studies

typically compare pairs of persons (e.g., adopted child and adoptive mother/adopted child and biological mother) to assess genetic and environmental influences on behavior

molecular genetics

the subfield of biology that studies the molecular structure and function of genes

heritability

the extent to which variation among members of a group can be attributed to genes

interaction

the interplay that occurs when the effect of one factor (such as environment) depends on another factor (such as heredity)

epigenetics

the study of how your behaviors and environment can cause changes that affect the way your genes work (i.e. certain environmental influences can “turn on” certain genes)

evolutionary psychology

the study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection

natural selection

the principle that, among the range of inherited trait variations, those contributing to reproduction and survival will most likely be passed on to succeeding generations

mutation

a random error in gene replication that leads to a change