Principles of Behavioral Neuroscience: Hunger

These flashcards cover the key concepts related to hunger, digestion, energy storage, and the regulatory roles of hormones and the hypothalamus in behavioral neuroscience.

Homeostasis

The action of a system to maintain internal stability when faced with a disturbance of its normal condition.

Digestion

The process by which the body breaks down food to absorb nutrients for energy.

Glucose

A sugar that comes mostly from carbohydrates, used as a primary energy source by the body.

Insulin

A hormone in the bloodstream that helps glucose enter cells.

ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate)

A molecule produced when glucose is broken down inside a cell, providing energy.

Lipostatic theory

The theory that we eat to maintain fat levels within a stable range.

Ghrelin

A peptide hormone released to signal hunger when the stomach is empty.

Leptin

A longer-term satiety signal released in response to the accumulation of adipose cells.

Orexin

A peptide that stimulates appetite, acting in the lateral hypothalamus.

Neuropeptide Y (NPY)

A neuropeptide released by arcuate 'hunger' neurons to excite lateral hypothalamus neurons.

Arcuate nucleus

A region of the hypothalamus that detects ghrelin and signals hunger.

Triglycerides

Molecules composed of fatty acids and glycerol, serving as the body's long-term energy storage.

Short-term energy storage

The process of using glucose as an immediate energy source.

Cognitive control

The ability to manage eating habits through mental processes, often seen in dieting.

Anorexia

An eating disorder characterized by self-imposed starvation and excessive weight loss.

Bulimia

An eating disorder marked by binge eating followed by purging.

Binge-eating disorder

An eating disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of eating large quantities of food.