Bio Psych Exam

chapter 1-3

Allele

an alternate version of a gene; can be dominant or recessive

Behavioral Neuroscience

the branch of psychology that studies the relationships between behavior and the body, particularly the brain

Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA)

double stranded chain of chemical molecules that looks like a ladder that has been

Dominant

term referring to an allele that will produce its effect regardless of which allele it is paired with in the fertilized egg

Dualism

idea that the mind and the brain are separate

Embryo

organism in the early prenatal period; in humans, during the first 8 weeks after fertilization.

Empiricism

produce of obtaining information through observation

Equipotentiality

an idea that all of the brain are equally able to perform a task

Expression (of genes)

the process of turning genes into proteins or other functional products

Fetus

An organism after the initial prenatal period; in humans, after the first eight weeks.

Gene

the biological unit that directs cellular process and transmits inherited characteristics

Genome

the entire collection of genes in the chromosome of a species

Genotype

the combination of genes a person has

Heritability

the percentage of variation in a trait within a population that can be explained by genetic differences

Heterozygous

having a pair of alleles for a specific characteristic that different from each other

Homozygous

having a pair of alleles for a specific characteristics that are identical with each other

Human Genome Project

a large scientific effort to map out and sequence all the genes in the human DNA

Localization

the idea that specific parts of the brain carry out specific functions

Materialistic Monism

the view that the body and the mind and everything else are physical

Mind-Brain Problem

the issue of what the mind is and its relationship to the brain

Monism

idea that the mind and body consist of the same substance

Natural Selection

organisms with traits that better suit their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce, passing those genes to their offsprings

Nature vs. Nurture

the issue of the relative importance of heredity (nature) and environment (nurture)

Phenotype

in heredity, the characteristic of a person

Phrenology

theory that "faculties" of emotion and intellect were located in precise areas of the brain and could be assessed by feeling bumps on the skull

Polygenic

determined by several genes rather than a single gene

Recessive

a genetic trait that only shows up when a person inherits 2 copies of the same recessive gene from both parents

Vulnerability

people are more likely to experience s negative outcome when faced with stress or challenging situations because of their genotype

X-linked

in heredity, a condition in which a gene on the X chromosome is not paired with a gene on the shorter Y chromosome, so that a single recessive gene is adequate to produce a characteristic

Zygote

a fertilized egg

Models of Brain Function

left brain, right brain model, triune brain model and the system 1, system 2 model

Galvani and Helmholtz

Galvani identified the electrical nature of muscle contractions, while Helmholtz quantified and refined our understanding of nerve impulses through his experiments

Brocas's Area

part of the brain that is in the frontal lobe of the dominant hemisphere linked to speech production

Cell Types of the Nervous System

neurons, glial cells- (astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, ependymal cells, and microglia), choroid plexus cells, cells related to blood vessels and coverings

Structure of a neuron

The roots of a neuron are the dendrites, the small stem connecting to the myelin (fatty round cell surronding the axon), the end of the roots are the axon terminal. the ranvier is where action potentials occur

cell membrane of a neuron

an ionic potential by separating various ions across its cell membrane

causes of cell polarization

uneven distribution of specific proteins and molecule across a cell membrane

protein channels vs pumps

pumps move ions against a concentration gradient. channels allow ions to flow down a concentration gradient

our neurons at rest

while at rest our neurons are not actively sending electrical signals

ion concentration gradients of a neuron

cg is the difference in ion concentration between the inside of the neuron and the outside of the neuron

forces moving ions (electrostatic, diffusional)

electrostatic forces (electrical charge attraction and repulsion) diffusional forces (concentration gradients, moving ions from areas of high concentration to low concentration)

local (graded) potential vs action potential

local (graded) potential are short lived changes in a cell's membrane potential that are caused by stimuli. action potentials are large depolarizations that travel long distances

action potential

a rapid electrical impulse that transmits signals throughout the body via a temporary shift in a neurons membrane potential

during action potential: a rapid change in electrical charge occurs across a cell membrane

threshold (on a neuron)

the minimum amount of stimulation required to trigger an action potential

depolarization vs repolarization

depolarization is the process of losing the electrical potential difference across a cell membrane

repolarization is the process of restoring the electrical potential difference across a cell membrane to its resting state

cortical structure (gyrus, sulcus, fissure)

gyrus: the core of gyrus that contains white matter, while the outer area contains gray matter

sulcus: a crease or invagination of the surface of the vocal fold

fissure: fissures separate one lobe from another, while the sulcus is seen in a lobe delimiting gyrus

grey matter vs white matter

grey matter processes information

white matter transmits that information

cortical column

a vertical cylinder of neurons that extends through all six layers of the cerebral cortex

four cortical lobes

frontal, parietal, temporal, occipital

thalamus

a paired gray matter structure of the diencephalon located near the center of the brain. a part of the brain that relays sensory and motor information to the cerebral cortex

ventricles

fluid filled spaces that cushion and support the brain. helps the brain stay floating and light. the fluid helps the brain not take eternal damage. helps maintain chemical balance of the brain function