AP Psychology - Biological Bases of Behavior

biological psychology

study links b/w biological activity and psychological events

Neuron

Nerve cell specialized for communication

Dendrite

Branchlike parts of a neuron that are specialized to receive information.

Axon

A threadlike extension of a neuron that carries nerve impulses away from the cell body.

Myelin Sheath

a fatty tissue layer segmentally encasing the axons of some neurons; enables vastly greater transmission speed as neural impulses hop from one node to the next

Action potential

A neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon.

Refractory period

period of inactivity after neuron has fired

Threshold

Membrane potential necessary to trigger an action potential.

All-or-Nothing Response

a neuron can release all of its neurotransmitters or none

Synapse

Space between two connecting neurons through which messages are transmitted chemically

Neurotransmitter

Chemical messenger specialized for communication from neuron to neuron

Reuptake

A neurotransmitter's reabsorption by the sending neuron

Acetylcholine (ACh)

Muscle contraction (PNS) Cortical arousal (CNS)

Dopamine

Motor function and pleasure reward

Serotonin

Mood and temperature regulation, happiness

Norepinephrine (NE)

Brain arousal and other functions like mood, hunger, and sleep

Gamma-aminobutyricvcacidc(GABA)

Main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the nervous system

Glutamate

Main excitatory neurotransmitter in the nervous system; participates in relay of sensory information and learning

Endorphin

"Morphine within" - natural, opiate-like neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure.

Agonist

acts like neurotransmitters and stimulates the same reaction

nervous system

the body's speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems

Central nervous system (CNS)

A system that includes the brain and spinal cord, controlling voluntary and involuntary acts

Peripheral Nervous System

nerves that lie outside the brain and spinal cord.

Nerves

bundled axons that form neural "cables" connecting the central nervous system with muscles, glands, and sense organs

Sensory neurons

neurons that carry incoming information from the sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord; afferent neurons

Motor neurons

neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands; efferent neurons

Interneuron

neuron that sends messages to other neurons nearby

somatic nervous system

part of the nervous system that conveys

information between the CNS and the

body, controlling and coordinating voluntary

movement

autonomic nervous system

part of the nervous system controlling the

involuntary actions of our internal organs and glands, which (along with the limbic system) participates in emotion regulation

sympathetic nervous system

division of the autonomic nervous system

engaged during a crisis or after actions

requiring fight or flight

parasympathetic nervous system

division of autonomic nervous system that

controls rest and digestion

Reflex

an automatic motor response to a sensory

stimulus

endocrine system

system of glands and hormones that

controls secretion of blood-borne chemical

messengers

Hormone

chemical released into the bloodstream that

influences particular organs and glands

adrenal gland

tissue located on top of the kidneys that

releases adrenaline and cortisol during states of emotional arousal

Pituitary Gland

master gland that, under the control of the

hypothalamus, directs the other glands of

the body

Lesion

tissue destruction; A brain lesion is a naturally or experimentally caused destruction of brain tissue

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

recording of brain's electrical activity at the

surface of the skull

computed tomography (CT) scan

(CAT scan) a scanning technique using multiple X-rays to construct three-dimensional images

positron emission tomography (PET) scan

imaging technique that measures consumption of glucose-like molecules, yielding a picture of neural activity in different regions of the brain

magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

technique that uses magnetic fields to

indirectly visualize brain structure

functional MRI (fMRI)

technique that uses magnetic fields to visualize brain activity using changes in blood oxygen level

Brain Stem

part of the brain between the spinal cord and cerebral cortex that contains the midbrain, pons, and medulla

Medulla

part of brain stem involved in basic functions, such as heartbeat and breathing

Thalamus

A forebrain structure that processes sensory information for all senses, except smell, and relays it to the cerebral cortex.

reticular formation

brain area that plays a key role in arousal; nerve network that travels through brainstem & thalamus; plays important role in controlling arousal; "netlike"

Cerebellum

Balance and coordination; "little brain"; @ rear of brainstem; nonverbal learning & memory.

Pons

part of the brain stem that connects the

cortex with the cerebellum. "Message station". Also sleep

Limbic System

emotional center of brain that also plays roles in smell, motivation, and memory

Amyglada

part of limbic system that plays key roles in

fear, excitement, and arousal

Hypothalamus

Structure below the thalamus, responsible for maintaining a constant internal state

Cerebrum

forward part of the brain that allows advanced intellectual abilities

Cerebral Cortex

outermost part of forebrain, responsible for

analyzing sensory processing and higher brain functions

Frontal Lobe

A region of the cerebral cortex that has specialized areas for movement, abstract thinking, planning, memory, and judgement

Glial cell

Cell in nervous system that plays a role in the formation of myelin and the blood-brain barrier, responds to injury, removes debris, and enhances learning and memory

Parietal Lobe

upper middle part of the cerebral cortex lying behind the frontal lobe that is specialized for touch and perception

Occipital Lobe

back part of cerebral cortex specialized

for vision

Temporal lobe

lower part of cerebral cortex that plays roles in hearing, understanding language, and memory

Motor Cortex

an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements; stimulate right or left hemisphere causes movement on opposite side of body.

somatosensory cortex

area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations

Association area

connects sensory and motor areas, and that is thought to be concerned with higher mental activities.

Plasticity

Ability of brain tissue to modify itself and take on new functions.

Neurogenesis

Creation of new neurons in the adult brain

Corpus Callosum

A thick band of nerve fibers that connects large areas of the cerebral cortex on each side of the brain and supports communication of information across the hemispheres.

split-brain surgery

procedure that involves severing the corpus callosum to reduce the spread of epileptic seizures

consciousness

our awareness of ourselves and our environment

Cognitive Neuroscience

specific focus on the neural connections in the brain which are involved in mental processes.

Dual processing

two processes consist of an implicit (automatic), unconscious process and an explicit (controlled), conscious process.

Behavior genetics

study of genetic and environmental influences on behaviors. By examining genetic influence, more information can be gleaned about how the environment operates to affect behavior

Environment

every external influence, from prenatal nutrition to the people and things around us

Chromosomes

threadlike structures made of DNA molecules that contain the genes

DNA(deoxyribonucleic acid)

A complex molecule containing the genetic information that makes up the chromosomes.

Genes

the biochemical units of heredity that make up the chromosomes; a segment of DNA capable of synthesizing a protein

Genome

complete set of genetic information for an organism

identical twins (monozygotic twins)

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

fraternal twins (dizygotic twins)

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

molecular genetics

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

Heritability

statistic used in breeding and genetics works that estimates how much variation in a phenotypic trait in a population is due to genetic variation between individuals in that population

Interaction

Two independent variables interact if the effect of one of the variables differs depending on the level of the other variable.

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

Mutations

a random error in gene replication that leads to a change

Receptor site

Locations on a receptor neuron into which a specific neurotransmitter fits like a key into a lock.

Cerebral Hemispheres

Divided into right and left by the cerebrum.

Prefrontal cortex

part of frontal lobe responsible for thinking, planning, and language

Hippocampus

part of the brain that plays a role in spatial

memory

Spinal Cord

thick bundle of nerves that conveys signals

between the brain and the body

Antagonist

locks into a receptor site like the neurotransmitter it mimics

Afferent Neurons

neurons that send signals to the brain

Efferent Neurons

neurons that send signals away from the brain

Right Hemisphere

Intuition facial recognition, visual arts, emotional processing

Left Hemisphere

Language, syntax, computation, word recognition, logical, reason

Roger Sperry

work with split-brain research