Biological Psychology Chapter 2

___ provide the basis for studying behavior

Theories

Reductionistic approach

Breaks things down to their simplest form

What are two biological psychology reductionistic approaches to studying behavior?

Epigenetic model; Evolutionary model

Epigenetic model

Individuals are born with certain genes that can be switched off or on depending on their interaction with their environment

Humans have 23 pairs of ___

Chromosomes

How many chromosomes are passed down from parents to children?

23 each; 46 total

Where are genes located?

Chromosomes

Why is heritability losing validity?

Environmental factors have the ability to alter gene expression

Does epigenetics only happen in the womb?

No; can occur in childhood, adulthood

CRISPR

Altering of genes in laboratory

Genotype

Body's instruction manual; full genetic makeup of an organism

Phenotype

Set of observable physical traits resulting from the interaction of its genotype with the environment

Evolutionary model

Explains behavior through adaptive and shared traits

Darwinism

Theory of the evolution of species (survival of the fittest) by natural selection advanced by Charles Darwin

What is the main concept of Darwinism?

The "best" genes are passed down from generation to generation

Holistic approach

Not reasonable or valid to separate one thing from another; nothing exists by itself

What is an example of a holistic approach?

Biopsychosocial model

Biopsychosocial model

Considers biological, psychological, and social factors to explain behavior

What two structures make up the central nervous system?

Brain and spinal cord

The central nervous system consists of two types of cells:

Neurons; glial cells

Neurons

How brain structures communicate with each other

What structures make up a neuron?

Dendrites, SOMA, axon, myelin

Dendrites

Receptors on neurons that receive information

SOMA

Cell body of neuron; contains nucleus, chromosomes, etc.

Axon

Channel that carries electrical impulses away from neuron and releases it into synaptic gap

Myelin

White fatty substance that insulates axons and speeds transmission of information

What two types of messages a neuron can send?

Inhibitory; Excitatory

Inhibitory

Prevents a response

Excitatory

Causes a response

What are four types of neurons?

Interneuron, sensory neuron, motor neuron, mirror neuron

Interneuron

Most common neuron; receives information from one neuron and sends it to another

Sensory neuron

Specific, designed to only pick up one thing (EX: visual sensory neurons)

Motor neuron

A neuron that sends an impulse to a muscle or gland, causing a physical reaction

Mirror neuron

Reflect the actions/emotions of others in brain; help us empathize and choose appropriate responses, feel the pain/feelings of others

Resting potential

The state of the neuron when not firing a neural impulse

Action potential

An electrical charge that travels down the axon to send a message

Refractory period

Neurons cannot refire for a certain period after firing, no matter how much stimulation

Synapse

Small space between neurons that sends/receives information

Pre-synaptic neuron

Sends information; messenger end of synapse

Post-synaptic neuron

Receives information; receiving end of synapse

Survival of neurons are dependent on ___

Synchronicity

Neurotransmitter

Chemical messengers that travel across synaptic gaps and bind to post-synaptic neurons

Endorphins

A type of neurotransmitter; Our body's "natural pain-killers"

glial cells

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

What are four of the many functions a glial cell can have?

Support neurons, insulate neurons, clean up waste, act as immune cells

What two systems make up the peripheral nervous system?

Somatic nervous system; Automatic nervous system

What is the main function of the automatic nervous system?

Controls what you cannot (breathing, sweating, vomiting)

What two systems make up the Automatic nervous system?

Sympathetic system; Parasympathetic system

What immediate survival response is managed by the sympathetic nervous system?

Fight or flight system

How does the sympathetic nervous system prioritize survival during an emergency?

Processes may be turned up (breathing, heart rate) OR turned down (digestion, kidneys)

What is an explanation as to why individuals may pee themselves when sympathetic nervous system is activated?

Body is getting rid of excess waste as much as possible for survival

What is the main function of the parasympathetic system?

Acts as an energy conservation system that brings everything back to normal after activation of sympathetic system/threat has been neutralized

What are two ways to study the brain?

Case studies; Neuroimaging

Does the brain have pain receptors?

No

What do brain cells eat?

Glucose

Case studies

In-depth study of one person (or small group of people) to determine causes, development, etc. of behavior; looking for new findings

Neuroimaging

Techniques to visualize brain structure and function

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)

Brain imaging technique that uses a large magnet to create an image of the structure of a brain

Electrical brain mapping

Technique used by neurosurgeons on awake patients in brain surgery; done by stimulating neurons in brain to determine where things are originating

CT/CAT scan

Brain imaging technique that uses x-rays and dyes to construct an image of the structure of the brain

EEG

Technique that consists of attaching electrodes to scalp and looking at electrical brain activity

What type of researchers primarily use EEGs?

Sleep researchers

PET scan

Technique that measures brain activity by attaching radioactive tags to glucose to pinpoint brain activity

fMRI (functional MRI)

A brain imaging technique that tells both structure and function of brain

What is fMRI used for?

Diagnostics

Neuroanatomy states the brain can be divided into three divisions, what are they?

Hindbrain, midbrain, forebrain

What three major structures make up the Hindbrain?

Medulla, pons, cerebellum

Medulla

Controls very vital functions (breathing, heart rate, vomiting), damage can be fatal; just above the spinal cord

Pons

Brain structure involved in the crossing over of information from both hemispheres of brain

Cerebellum

Brain structure important for motor functioning, classical conditioning, and the reason why an individual cannot surprise themselves

What two structures make up the hindbrain?

Substantia nigra; Reticular activating system

Substantia nigra

Brain structure important for readiness of movement (destroyed in Parkinson's); full of dopamine

What brain structure gets destroyed when a person has Parkinson's disease?

Substantia nigra

Reticular activating system

Brain structure that keeps individuals awake and alert (shuts down in surgery)

Which is the largest of the three brain divisions?

Forebrain

What structure is the outer portion of the forebrain?

Cerebral cortex

The cerebral cortex has ___ hemispheres

Two

What structures can be found under the cerebral cortex?

Subcortical structures

What subcortical structures make up the limbic system?

Thalamus, hypothalamus, hippocampus, amygdala

What functions does the limbic system deal with?

Emotion, impulse control, learning & memory, reinforcement

Thalamus

Most sensory information travels through the thalamus on the way to the cerebral cortex; The main source of sensory input to the cerebral cortex

The thalamus is the ___ of the forebrain

Center

Hypothalamus

Below the thalamus; constrains nuclei cell clusters that deal with eating, drinking, sex, and temperature regulation

Hippocampus

Primary learning & memory center, deals with spatial awareness

Amygdala

Important area for emotion, fear, and memory of fear; detects fear and sends information of threats

What two types of arteries provide blood to the brain?

Vertebral arteries; Internal carotid arteries

Vertebral arteries

Provide blood to the back of the brain

Internal carotid arteries

Provide blood to the front of the brain

If the brain loses all access to blood, how long does it take for the body to collapse?

8 seconds

If the brain has no pain receptors, why do we get headaches?

There are pain receptors in vascular walls of arteries, and if walls are constricted, a headache will occur

What are the lobes of the brain?

Occipital, parietal, temporal, frontal lobes

Occipital lobe

Visual cortex, main visual target

What happens if the occipital lobe is damaged?

If damage is centralized to the lobe only, person may develop cortical blindness

Cortical blindness

Blindness caused by damage to the occipital lobe; cannot see or visualize

Parietal lobe

Body's information center, spatial awareness (somatic sensory cortex), anytime you do anything --> information goes to this lobe; between frontal and occipital lobe

What lobe deals with the "sense of touch"?

Parietal lobe

Temporal lobe

Auditory cortex, also important for sense of balance; located by the ears

Back of frontal lobe

Deals with fine motor movements

Front of frontal lobe

Prefrontal cortex

Prefrontal cortex

Deals with many complex tasks including working memory and inhibiting impulsive behavior; values outcomes/consequences of behavior