Biological Bases of Behavior

amygdala

amygdala

engrains emotional memories; anger, aggression, fear responses

brainstem

controls many life functions; breathing, consciousness, heart rate, blood pressure, etc.

broca’s area

speech production + comprehension

cerebellum

controls balance, coordination, and other motor functions

cerebral cortex

outermost layer of the brain; thought, reasoning, voluntary movement

frontal lobe

reasoning, thinking, movement, social skills, language

hippocampus

memory, learning, spatial relationships

hypothalamus

fight or flight reaction, feeling hungry/full, sex drive

limbic system

includes hippocampus, amygdala, hypothalamus; processes emotions, memory, and motivation

medulla

controls basic autonomic functions (breathing, heart rate) and reflexes

motor cortex

controls voluntary movement and motor learning

occipital lobe

visual preception

parietal lobe

processes sensory info and spatial cognition

pituitary gland

regulates growth, metabolism, hormones, and reproduction

reticular activating system

a network of neurons in the brainstem that regulates alertness, arousal, and attention

somatosensory cortex

processes sensory info about touch, pressure, temperature, and pain

temporal lobe

language, visual perception, auditory perception, maintaining homeostasis

thalamus

receives/sorts sensory info then sends to cortex (all senses except smell)

wernicke’s area

involved in understanding/comprehending language

EEG

brain scan that measures electrical activity

MRI

brain scan that measures blood flow

all-or-nothing principle

if a neuron fires, then it always fires at the sane intensity; all action potentials have the same strength

depolarization

neuron has reached the threshold (-55 mv) and experiences action potential

excitatory neurotransmitter

slightly depolarizes receiving neuron, increasing the likelihood that it will reach threshold and create action potential; tells other neuron to “pass message along”

hyperpolarization

change that makes the neuron’s membrane potential more negative, makes neuron less excitable

inhibitory neurotransmitter

slightly hyperpolarizes the receiving neuron, moving the cell farther away from the threshold; tells other neuron “don’t pass the message along”

multiple sclerosis

deterioration of the myelin sheath

polarization

neuron is at resting state (-70 mv); Na+ inside and K+ outside the membrane; ion channels allow Na+ to pass inside

repolarization

neuron returns to the resting state

reuptake

the process by which a neuron reabsorbs neurotransmitters after they have been released at a synapse

threshold

more excitatory signals than inhibitory signals; the minimum amount to generate action potential; -55 mv

acetylcholine

involved in voluntary movement, learning, memory, sleep

dopamine

movement, attention, emotion, pleasure, and reward

endorphins

pain relief, feelings of pleasure/contentedness

GABA

slows down/calms brain

glutamate

excitatory, involved in memory

norepinephrine

alertness, fight or flight

serotonin

mood, hunger, sleep, arousal

substance p

nervous system, wound healing, pain

corpus callosum

a thick bundle of nerve fibers that connects the brain's left and right hemispheres

left hemisphere

speaking/language, math, logic, right side of body, positive emotions

right hemisphere

facial recognition, emotion, spatial/visual perception, left side of body, negative emotions

autonomic nervous system

part of peripheral system, controls self regulated action of organs/glands

central nervous system

brain + spinal cord

endocrine system

nervous system + hormone-based, send signals/responses to the brain via electricity + bloodstream

interneuron

neuron that acts as a bridge between sensory and motor neurons in the central nervous system

motor neurons

nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control movements

parasympathetic nervous system

part of peripheral system, calming

peripheral nervous system

network of nerves that runs throughout the head, neck, and body

sensory neuron

nerve cells that receive and transmit information about the environment to the central nervous system

sympathetic nervous system

part of peripheral system, arousing

hormones

chemical messengers that affect and manage hundreds of bodily processes

agonist

drug that occupies receptors to activate them

alcohol

depressant, increases inhibitory effects of GABA, prevents glutamate from binding to/exciting the cell

antagonist

drug that blocks activation of receptors

caffeine

stimulant, blocks adenosine receptors

cocaine

stimulant, blocks dopamine transporters so that it becomes trapped in cell + binds to receptors more

hallucinogen

type of drug that stimulates the experience of false perceptions

heroin

depressant, binds to opiate receptors + shuts down release of inhibitory neurotransmitters, causing dopamine to flood synapse

marijuana

depressant/hallucinogen, binds to cannabinoid receptors + turns off release of inhibitory neurotransmitters, causing dopamine to flood synapse