Bio Psych Midterm

What are the six disciplines of neuroscience?

Neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, neuroendocrinology, neuropathology, neuropharmacology, neurophysiology.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using animal research?

Advantages: Greater control, simpler nervous systems, ethical considerations. Disadvantages: Ethical concerns, generalizability to humans.

What are the advantages of non-human research?

Greater control, simpler nervous systems, ethical considerations, and fewer confounding variables.

What are the 3 Rs that animal committees emphasize?

Reduction, Refinement, Replacement.

What is the difference between an experiment and a quasi-experimental study?

Experiment: Controlled variables and random assignment. Quasi-experiment: Lacks full control over variables.

What is the difference between within-subjects and between-subjects study designs?

Within-subjects: The same participants experience all conditions. Between-subjects: Different participants experience different conditions.

What is the difference between an independent variable, dependent variable, and confounding variable?

Independent variable: Manipulated. Dependent variable: Measured. Confounding variable: Unwanted variable affecting results.

What is a case study?

An in-depth analysis of a single subject or small group.

What is the difference between pure and applied research?

Pure: Conducted for knowledge. Applied: Conducted to solve practical problems.

What are the divisions of Biopsychology?

Physiological psychology, psychopharmacology, neuropsychology, psychophysiology, cognitive neuroscience, comparative psychology.

What is meant by converging operations?

The use of multiple approaches to study a single problem in neuroscience.

What is scientific inference?

Using empirical data to infer unseen processes in the nervous system.

Why is critical thinking important in Biological Psychology?

To avoid flawed conclusions, as seen in cases such as José Delgado’s bull and lobotomy practices.

What is Cartesian dualism?

The idea that mind and body are separate entities.

What is Behaviorism?

A theory that behavior is shaped by environmental stimuli and reinforcement.

What is ethology?

The study of animal behavior in natural settings, focusing on innate behaviors.

What is interactionism?

The interplay of genetics, experience, and current environment in shaping behavior.

What was Darwin’s theory of evolution?

Species evolve through natural selection based on survival and reproductive advantages.

What is meant by fitness in evolution?

An organism's ability to survive and reproduce in its environment.

What is social dominance?

The ability of an individual to exert control over resources and others.

What are courtship displays?

Behavioral patterns that help individuals attract mates.

What are chordates?

Animals with a dorsal nerve cord, including vertebrates.

How has the human brain evolved?

Increased complexity, cortical convolutions, and specialization.

What did Gregor Mendel’s pea plant studies reveal?

The inheritance of dominant and recessive traits.

What are dichotomous traits?

Traits that appear in only one form or another (e.g., purple vs. white flowers).

What are true-breeding lines?

Organisms that always produce offspring with the same traits.

What is the difference between phenotype and genotype?

Phenotype: Observable traits. Genotype: Genetic makeup.

What is an allele?

A variant form of a gene.

What are homozygous and heterozygous alleles?

Homozygous: Identical alleles. Heterozygous: Different alleles.

What are dominant and recessive traits?

Dominant: Always expressed. Recessive: Expressed only when both alleles are recessive.

How many pairs of chromosomes do humans have?

23 pairs (46 total).

What is meiosis?

A process of cell division that produces gametes (sperm and eggs).

What is epigenetics?

The study of changes in gene expression caused by environmental factors.

What are the two main divisions of the nervous system?

CNS: Brain and spinal cord. PNS: All other nerves.

What is the difference between the autonomic and somatic nervous systems?

Autonomic: Involuntary (e.g., heart rate). Somatic: Voluntary movements.

What is the difference between afferent and efferent nerve pathways?

Afferent: Sensory signals to CNS. Efferent: Motor commands from CNS.

What are the four lobes of the brain and their functions?

Frontal: Decision-making. Parietal: Sensory processing. Occipital: Vision. Temporal: Hearing and memory.

What is the resting membrane potential?

-70mV.

What ions are involved in the membrane potential?

Sodium (Na+), Potassium (K+).

What is the sodium-potassium pump?

A mechanism that maintains resting potential by moving sodium out and potassium in.

What is depolarization vs. hyperpolarization?

Depolarization: Cell becomes more positive. Hyperpolarization: Cell becomes more negative.

What are EPSPs and IPSPs?

EPSPs: Excitatory signals increasing likelihood of firing. IPSPs: Inhibitory signals decreasing likelihood of firing.

What is spatial vs. temporal summation?

Spatial: Signals from multiple synapses. Temporal: Repeated signals from one synapse.

What is a neurotransmitter?

A chemical messenger that transmits signals across synapses.

What are the steps in neurotransmission?

Synthesis, storage, release, receptor binding, inactivation (via enzymatic degradation or reuptake).

What is enzymatic degradation vs. reuptake?

Enzymatic degradation: Enzymes break down neurotransmitters. Reuptake: Neurotransmitters are reabsorbed into the neuron.