biological bases of behavior(full vocab)

nature-nurture issue

nature=gene nurture=environment

natural selection

transorganisms have to survive

evolutionary psychology

how humans are alike

behavior genetics

how we differ genes/environment

mutation

random errors in genes

genome

common species

genetic predisposition

act a certain way

behavior genetics

gene/environment roots

environment

non genetic influence

heredity

genes from parents

chromosome

46

gene

small segment of DNA

genome

instruction for organism/cell

family studies

diseases that are shared

identical twins

1 egg, 1 sperm, split

fraternal twins

2 egg, 2 sperm, born at same time

adoption creates

2 groups-genetic/environmental relatives

adoption study findings

people who grew up together do not resemble one another in personality

traits are expressed

only in particular environments

adaptation

the difference in how you adapt to the environment

eugenics

human interaction to increase the desired traits

neurotransmitters

chemical messangers

central nervous system (CNS)

brain and spinal cord

peripheral nervous system (PNS)

CNS decisions to body parts

sensory neurons

carry messages from body tissue and sensory receptors inward

motor neurons

carry instructions from CNS outward to the muscles and glands

somatic nervous system

motor/sensory

autonomic nervous system

organs

sympathetic nervous system

arousing

parasympathetic nervous system

calming

clneural networks

clusters of neurons clustered into work groups

spinal cord

two way information-connects brain an PNS

reflexes

automatic responses

reflex arc

a single sensory neuron and a single motor neuron

neuron

nerve cell

neural transmission

how the message travels through nerves

glial cells

support nerves and cleanup, provides nutrition and myelin, guide neural connections

action potential

a neural impulse, electrical charge travels to axon

thresholds

level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse

refractory period

a brief resting pause that occurs after a neuron has fired

all or none response

a neurons reaction of either firing or not firing

reuptake

neurotransmitter is reabsorbed by the sending neuron

multiple sclerosis

caused by the loss of the myelin sheath

myasthenia gravis

neuromuscular disease-muscles cannot contract, weakness, difficulty with musclee control, paralysis

endocrine system

set of glands and fat tissue that secrete hormones into the bloodstream

hormones

chemical messengers in the bloodstream

adrenaline

epinephrine increases heartrate, BP, blood sugar

oxytocin

enables orgasm, labor contractions, milk flow while nursing, promote social bonding

function of acetylcholine(ACh)

enables muscle action, learning, and memory

malfunctions of acetylcholine (ACh)

paralysis, alzheimer’s, violent muscle spasms/contractions

function of dopamine

influences movement, learning, attention, and emotion

malfunctions of dopamine

parkinsons disease, schizophrenia

functions of serotonin

affects mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal

malfunctions of serotonin

depression, anxiety, insomnia, OCD

function of norepinephrine

helps control alertness and arousal

malfunctions of norepinephrine

depression, anxiety, stress, nervous tension

function of GABA

a major inhibitory neurotransmitter

malfunctions of GABA

anxiety, seizures, tremors, insomnia, sleep and eating disorders

function of glutamate

a major excitatory neurotransmitter; involved in memory

malfunctions of glutamate

brain seizures, migraine

functions of endorphins

neurotransmitters that influence the perception of pain or pleasure

malfunctions of endorphins

pain, no warning about pain from mind-body connection, artificial high

function of substance P

involved in pain perception and immune response

malfunction of substance P

chronic pain

psyhoactive drugs

alters your brain

tolerance

continue to see knowing consequences

withdrawal

if you don’t use delirium, tremors, sweats, vomiting, cold, seizures, fatigue, relentless

depresssants

slows CNS

alcohol

slows thought processing

barbiturates

tranquilizers, induces sleep

opiods

opiodes, reduces pain, slows breathe

stimulants

speeds up CNS

nicotine

increase BP, damage lungs

cocaine

rush of euphoria

methamphetamine

release of dopamine, more energy/mood, insomnia, seizures, depression

ecstasy(MDMA)

hallucinations, increase BPM

hallucinogens

distorts perception

LSD

euphoria

marijuana

delusions, anxiety, sensitive to color

agonist

increase neural activity

antagonists

decrease neural activity

neuroplasticity

ability to build neuropathways

lesion

destroyed clusters of brain cells

EEG-electrocephalogram

measures electrical activity of the brain

CT- computed tomography

shows soft tissue

PET-positron emission tomography

shows brain activity, shows where brain is using sugar

MRI- magnetic resonance imaging

shows soft tissue in greater detail, spins atoms

fMRI- functional MRI

shows brains functioning and structure

brainstem

lower extension of brain, controls surviving functions, heart beat and breathing

medulla

lowest part of brain stem, life functions, heart beat and breathing

thalamus

sensory info

reticular formation

sends info into brainstem from the thalamus, controlling arousal, sends sensory info where it needs to go

cerebellum

balance

limbic system

emotions, drives memory formation

amygdala

aggression and fear

hypothalamus

hunger, thirst, body temp, sexual behavior, maintain homeostasis

hippocampus

conscious, memories

corpus callosum

compressed nerves

cerebral cortex

outer layer of brain

frontal lobes

executive functions, long term planning, processing language, higher order thinking,muscle movement