Neuron and Behavior Lecture Notes

A collection of vocabulary flashcards based on key concepts and terms from the neuron and behavior lecture notes.

Neuron

The building blocks of the brain, responsible for communicating with other cells.

Dendrites

Parts of a neuron that receive messages from other cells.

Axon

Passes messages away from the cell body to other neurons, muscles, or glands.

Myelin sheath

Helps the signal travel across the neuron.

Action potential

The electrochemical transmission of a signal.

Multiple Sclerosis

A chronic autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks the myelin sheath surrounding nerve fibers.

Synapse

The meeting point between two neurons.

Neurotransmitter

A chemical released into the synapse that communicates with other neurons.

Agonist

A substance that increases the effect of a neurotransmitter.

Antagonist

A substance that decreases the effect of a neurotransmitter.

Circadian Rhythm

Biological processes that follow a 24-hour cycle, regulated by the circadian clock.

Beta Waves

Brain waves associated with normal alert consciousness.

REM Sleep

Rapid eye movement sleep where brain waves resemble those when awake.

Night Terror

A nightmare occurring in deep sleep stages, often involving being woken up upset.

Classical Conditioning

Learning through association between stimuli.

Operant Conditioning

Learning through consequences, involving reinforcement and punishment.

Positive Reinforcement

Strengthening a behavior by following it with a positive stimulus.

Negative Punishment

Reducing a behavior by taking away something pleasant.

Extinction

When the conditioned stimulus no longer leads to the conditioned response.

Observational Learning

Learning that occurs through observing others.

Learned Helplessness

A state resulting from perceived lack of control over a situation, leading to passive behavior.

Memory

Retention of information over time.

Short-term Memory

Memory that lasts 5 seconds or less.

Long-term Memory

Memory that lasts 30 seconds or longer.

Primacy and Recency Effects

The tendency to remember items at the beginning (primacy) or end (recency) of a list better than those in the middle.

Amnesia

Loss of memory, which can be retrograde or anterograde.

Nature vs. Nurture

The debate over the influence of genetics (nature) and environment (nurture) on behavior.

Genotype vs. Phenotype

Genotype refers to the genetic makeup, while phenotype is the physical expression of those genes.

Zone of Proximal Development

The range of tasks that a learner can perform with help but not independently.

Parenting Styles

Different approaches to parenting, including authoritative, permissive, uninvolved, and authoritarian.