Unit 3 - BIological Basis: Brain and Nervous System

physiological psychology

study of bheavior as influenced by biology, using it for examining psychological phenomena

Imaging Techniques

techniques allowing researchers to map the structure and/pr activity of brain, and using it to connect data with behavior

EEG (electroencephalogram)

measures subtle changes in brain electrical activity through electrodes placed on the head; used to create picture of brain activity during tasks

CAT scans (computerized axial tomography scans)

generates cross-sectional images of brain using x-ray pictures at different angles

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)

powerful electromagners and radio waves used to create 3D structural info

Functional MRI (MRI)

MRI allowing them to view brain asa it works; rapid sequencing of MRI images

PET scans (positron emission tomography)

allow one to view brain as it is working, provide images via diffusion of radioactive glucose in the brain; glucose allows one to view how much or which brain areas are at work

nervous system

contains the brain, spinal cord, and nerves within the body; central nervous system and peripheral nervous system

central nervous system (CNS)

system comprised of brain and spinal cord; neurons along spine and brain encased in protective cerebrospinal fuild

peripheral nervous system (PNS)

comprised of all nerves in the body, responsible for conveying info to and from the brain; made of somatic and autonomic nervous system

Neurons

nerve cells, form a network that extends to the spinal cord; bunblde into strands of interconnected neurons called nerves; basic unit of nervous system

Afferent

nerves sending info TO the brain, sensory neurons

Efferent

nerves sending info FROM the brain, motor neurons

Reflexes

quick and involuntary responses to environmental stimuli

somatic nervous system

part of the PNS; voluntary movement of large skeletal muscles through nerves

autonomic nervous system

part of the PNS; automatic system controlling nonskeletal or smooth muscles not typically under voluntary control - heart and digestion; dvidided into sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems

sympathetic nervous system

part of the ANS, system associated with processes that burn energy; creates fight or flight - “sympathetic” as you deal with a problem

fight-or-fight reaction

state of physiological arousal; inc. heart rate and respiration but dec. in digestion and salivation

parasympathetic nervous system

part of the ANS; complementary system to sympathetic system--conserves energy; allows one to calm down through slowing heart rate, conserving energy; “parachute” to help bring you down

Neuroanatomy

anatomy of the brain and its sections \-- hindbrin, midbrain, forebrain (limbic system and cerebral cortex)

Hindbrain

oldest part of brain to develop evolutionarily; comprised of cerebellu,, medulla oblongata, reticular activating system (RAS), and pons

Cerebellum

part of hindbrain controlling muscle tone and balance

Medulla oblongata

part of hindbrain controlling involuntary actions, like breathing, digetions, heart rate, and swallowing; basic life functions

reticular activating system (RAS)

part of hindbrain controlling arousal (wakefulness and alertness); also named reticular formation; “tickling” your arousal

Pons

part of hindbrain acting as bridge for neural info between brain regions; involved in REM sleep

Midbrain

area of brain contraining the tectum and tegmentum

Tectum

part of midbrain acting as brain’s “roof”, govern visual and auditory reflexes, like orienting to sight or sound

Tegmentum

part of midbrain acting as brain’s “floor”, govern visual and auditory reflexes, like orienting to sight or sound

Forebrain

part of brain contains the limbic system and cerebral cortex

limbic system

sytem in forebrain containing thalamus, hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus

Thalamus

part of limbic system that relays sensory info, receives and directs sensory info from visual and auditory systems

Hippocampus

part of limbic system involved in processing and integrating memories

anterograde amnesia

when hippocampus is damaged and no further memories are able to be created

Amygdala

part of limbic system implicated in the expression of anger, frustration, or fear; fight-or-flight

Hypothalamus

part of limbic system controlling temperature and water balance of body, hunger and sex drives; sets of sympathetic nervous and endocrine system; lateral and ventromedial

lateral hypothalamus

hypothalamus part activating hunger; if damaged, tells you “give me LESS food”

ventromedial hypothalamus

hypothalamus part preventing overeating and telling you you’re full; if damaged, tells you “gives me VERY much food”

cerebral cortex

part of forebrain; wrinkled outer layer of the brain; higher cognitive such as thinking, planning, motor control

sensory cortex

part of cerebral cortex receiving sensory information

motor cortex

part of cerebral cortex sending out motor information

left and right cerebral hemispheres

cerebral cortex divided into symmetrical sides of brain joined by the corpus callosum

corpus callosum

band of connective nerve fibers connecting both brain hemispheres

Paul Broca

researcher who first noticed left hemisphere processes language, noticed damage to it results in loss of ability to speak (expressive aphasia)

Broca's area and expressive aphasia

area in left hemisphere that damage to will result in loss of ability to speak

Carl Wernicke

researcher discovered area in left temporal lobe that results in receptive aphasia

Wernicke's area and receptive aphasia

area of brain that, when damaged results in receptive aphasia, affects the comprehension of speech

Roger Sperry

researcher demonstrating two hemispheres can operate independently of eachother; performed experiments on split-brain patients

split-brain patients

performed on by Roger Sperry, had corpus callosums severed to control their epilectic seizures, deomonstrated a lack of contralateral processing

contralateral processing

ability of (non-split) brins to use both hemispheres and integrate information between them via the corpus callosum

association areas

areas in the cerebral cortex responsible for associating information in the sensory and motor cortices

Apraxia

inability to organize movement, caused by damage to association areas

Agnosia

difficulty processing sensory input; caused by damage to association areas

Alexia

inability to read, caused by damage to association areas

agraphia

inability to write; caused by damage to association areas

frontal lobe

part of cerebral cortex responsible for higher-level thought and processing; working memeory, attention, solving, movements

parietal lobe

part of cerbral cortex handling somatosensory info and home of primary somatosensory cortex; recieves info like temp, pressure, texture, and pain

temporal lobe

part of cerebral cortex that handles auditory input and critical in processing speech and music

occipital lobe

part of cerebral cortex processing visual input, crosses optic chiasm

optic chiasm

where optic nerves cross; process of taking visual input from one side and processing it in other hemisphere of occipital lobe

Nerves

bundles of neurons

Soma

clearly defined cell body of a neuron

Dendrites

branch out from soma in a neuron; receive info from other neurons through their receptors

Axon

long, tubelike structure on the neuron that responds to input from dendrites and soma from another neuron, carries it down to pass its information on

myelin sheath

fatty coating surrounding the axon, acting as their insulation and speeding the rate electrical info passes through

nodes of Ranvier

nodes between the “beads” of myelin sheath along axon to help speed up neural transmission

terminal buttons

ending of branched end of the axon, where they communicate with other neurons

Synapse

gap between two neurons communicating with terminal buttons

Neurotransmitters

released by terminal buttons; chemical messengers sent across synapse that bind with receptors on other neuron

Resting membrane potential

electrical potential between the plasma membrane used for communication with cells; approximately -70 Millivolts, where interior of cell is negatively charged to its exterior

leak channels

channels that are open all the time that allow ions to “leak” across the membrane according to their membrane

nerve impulse (action potentia)l

disturbance in resting membrane potential of being neg charge on inside and positive on outside

Excitatory

neurotransmitters that excite the cell or cause the nerve to fire, such as glutamate

Inhibitory

neurotransmitters that inhibit cell firing, such as GABA

Enzymes

breaks down neurotransmitters have been released and conducting impulse to othercell

Reuptake

process involving absorbing neurotransmitters back in cell that released it

Order of nerve impulse

resting potential, depolarization, repolarization, hyperpolarization, resting potential

Acetylcholine

neutrotrasnmitter that affects memory function, muscle contractions, especially in heard

Serotonin

neurotransmitter related to arousal, sleep, paiin sensitivity and mood and hunger regulation

Dopamine

neurotransmitter associated with movement, attention, and reward; could negatively lead to parkinson’s disease and schizophrenia

GABA

inhibitory neurotransmitter

Glutamate

excitatory neurotransmitter and counterpart to GABA

Norepinephrine

neurotransmitter affecting alertness; lack could lead to depression

Endorphins

neurotransmitter acting as body’s natural painkillers

Neuroplasticity

brain’s ability to respond to its environment, by responding to injury or disease if needed through forming or severing neural connections

Michael Gazzaniga

pioneer researcher in neuroplasticity in split-brain patients and cognitive neuroscience

Endocrine System

body system working through glands releseaing hormones; pituitary gland

Hormones

chemical messengers affecting cell growth and proliferation and released into bloodstream and travel throughout body; wide range of uses and affect body for a while

pituitary gland

primary gland of the endocrine system; releases hormones that control hormonal release by many other glands; located under the hypothalamus which controls it

adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)

hormone released by pituitary in stressful situation that stimulates the adrenal glands (fight or flight)

adrenal glands

control fight or flight response, secreting epinephrine and norepinephrine

Epinephrine

adrenaline; secreted by the adrenal gland

Norepinephrine

noradrenaline; secreted by the adrenal gland

thyroid gland

part of endocrine system, produces thyroxine and located at front of the neck

Thyroxine

produced in the thyroid gland and is important for regulating cellular metabolism

Traits

distinctive characteristics pr behavior patterns that are determined by genetics

dominant trait

trait more likely to be passed on genetically

recessive trait

trait less likely to be pass on genetically

Genotype

genetic makeup of a cell or of an organism

Phenotype

expressed features of cell or organism, observable result

Heritability

degree of variance among individuals that can be attributed to genetic variations