Chap 3: Biological Bases of Behaviour

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75 Terms

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Neuroanatomy
The study of the parts and functions of neurons
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Neurons
Individual nerve cells
Individual nerve cells
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Dendrites
* Root-like parts of the cell that stretch out from the cell body.


* Grow to make synaptic connections with other neurons
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Cell Body (Soma)
Contains the nucleus and other parts of the cell needed to sustain its life
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Axon
Wire-like structure ending in the terminal buttons that extends from the cell body
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Myelin Sheath
A fatty covering around the axon of some neurons that speeds neural impulses
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Terminal Buttons
The branched end of the axon that also contains neurotransmitters
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Neurotransmitters
* Chemicals contained in terminal buttons that enable neurons to communicate
* Fit into receptor sites on the dendrites of neurons like a key into a lock
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Synapse
Space between the terminal buttons of one neuron and the dendrites of the next neuron
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Receptor Sites
A place on the dendrites where neurotransmitters fit into
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Absolute Threshold
The amount of neurotransmitters needed for firing
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Action Potential
When a neuron sends information down an axon, away from the cell body
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All-or-none principle
A neuron either fires completely or it does not fire at all
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Excitatory Neurotransmitters
Excite the next cell into firing
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Inhibitory Neurotransmitters
Inhibit the next cell from firing
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Acetylcholine
* A neurotransmitter involved in motor movement
* Lack of acetylcholine is associated with Alzheimer’s disease
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Dopamine
* A neurotransmitter involved in motor movement and alertness
* Lack of dopamine is associated with Parkinson’s disease
* An overabundance of dopamine is associated with schizophrenia
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Endorphins
A neurotransmitter involved in pain control and addictions
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Serotonin
* A neurotransmitter involved in mood control
* Lack of serotonin is associated with clinical depression
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GABA
* An important inhibitory neurotransmitter
* Involved in seizures and sleep problems
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Glutamate
* Excitatory neurotransmitter
* Involved in memory, migraines, and seizures
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Norepinephrine
A neurotransmitter involved in alertness/arousal, can cause depression
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Afferent Neurons (Sensory)
Take information from senses to brain
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Interneurons
Once info reaches the brain or spinal cord, interneurons take the messages and send them elsewhere in the brain or onto efferent neurons
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Efferent Neurons (Motor)
Take information from the brain to the rest of the body
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Central Nervous System (CNS)
Consists of brain + spinal cord (all nerves encased in bones)
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Peripheral Nervous System
* All nerves not encased in bone
* Somatic and autonomic nervous systems
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Somatic Nervous System
Controls voluntary muscle movements
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Autonomic Nervous System
* Controls automatic functions of our body
* Controls response to stress
* Contains parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems
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Sympathetic Nervous System
* Mobilizes body to respond to stress
* Alert system - accelerates some functions (e.g. heartbeat) but conserves resources needed for a quick response by slowing down other functions (e.g. digestion)
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Parasympathetic Nervous System
Causes body to slow down AFTER a stress response (break pedal)
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Reflexes
Reactions that occur the moment sensory impulses reach the spinal cord
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Accidents
By observing the brain damage and behaviour after an accident, researchers can determine the functions the damaged part played in behaviour.
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Lesions
* The removal or destruction of part of the brain
* Observe behaviour afterwards to determine function of that part of the brain
* **Frontal Lobotomy** (In the past, lesioning of frontal lobe was used to make the patients calm and relieve symptoms)
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Electroencephalogram (EEG)
* Detects brain waves
* Examine what type of waves the brain produces during different stages of consciousness and use this information to generalize about brain function.
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Computerized Axial Tomography Scan (CAT or CT)
* Several X-ray cameras that rotate around the brain and combine all the pictures into a detailed 3D picture
* Only show structure, not the functions or activity
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Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
* Uses magnetic fields to measure the density and location of brain material.
* Only show structure, not functions or activity
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Positron Emission Tomography (PET)
* Shows what areas of the brain are most active during certain tasks
* Measures how much of a certain chemical parts of the brain are using
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Functional MRI (fMRI)
* Combines elements of MRI and PET scans
* Show details of brain structures with information about blood flow in the brain
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Hindbrain
* Controls basic biological functions that keep us alive
* Contains medulla, pons, and cerebellum
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Medulla
Part of hindbrain that controls blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing
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Pons
Part of hindbrain that controls facial expressions
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Cerebellum
Part of hindbrain that coordinates habitual muscle movements
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Midbrain
Coordinates simple movements with sensory information
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Reticular Formation
A netlike connection of cells throughout the midbrain that controls general body arousal and the ability to focus our attention
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Forebrain
* Controls thought and reason (what makes us human)
* Contains thalamus, hypothalamus, amygdala, and hippocampus
* Controls thought and reason (what makes us human) 
* Contains thalamus, hypothalamus, amygdala, and hippocampus
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Thalamus
Receives the sensory signals coming up the spinal cord and sends them to the appropriate areas in the rest of the forebrain
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Hypothalamus
* Metabolic functions
* e.g. body temperature, sexual arousal (libido), hunger, thirst, and the endocrine system
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Amygdala
Vital to experiences of emotion
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Hippocampus
Processes memory to be permanently stored in other areas of the cerebral cortex
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Cerebral Cortex
* Grey wrinkled surface of the brain (layer of densely packed neurons)
* Contains 8 lobes, 4 in each hemisphere (frontal, parietal, occipital, temporal)
* Overtime, the dendrites of the neurons grow and connect with other neurons to form the complex neural web
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Fissures
Wrinkled surface of the cerebral cortex to increase surface area
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Hemispheres
* The two halves of the brain (right and left)
* Theories: Left = logic and sequential tasks, Right = spatial and creative tasks
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Contralateral Control
* LEFT hemisphere: sensory and motor functions of RIGHT half of body
* RIGHT hemisphere: sensory and motor functions of LEFT half of body
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Brain Lateralization
* Specialization of function in each hemisphere
* Research is done by examining split-brain patients
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Split-brain
* Corpus callosum is cut to treat severe epilepsy
* Operation pioneered by **Roger Sperry** and **Michael Gazzaniga**
* Cannot orally report info only in the right hemisphere since spoken language is in the left hemisphere
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Association Area
Any area of the cerebral cortex that is not associated with receiving sensory information or controlling muscle movements
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Frontal Lobes
Large areas of the cerebral cortex located at the top front part of the brain behind the eyes
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Prefrontal Cortex
* Anterior / front of frontal lobe
* Critical role in thought directing process
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Broca’s Area (Paul Broca)
* Frontal lobe
* Responsible for controlling muscles involved in producing speech
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Wernicke’s Area (Carl Wernicke)
* Temporal lobe


* Responsible for understanding of spoken and written language
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Motor Cortex
* Thin, vertical strip at the back of the frontal lobe
* Sends signals to our muscles, controlling our voluntary movements
* Top of the body is controlled by neurons at the bottom of this cortex, progressing down the body as you go up the cortex
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Parietal Lobes
* Located behind the frontal lobe but still on the top of the brain
* Contains the sensory cortex
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Sensory Cortex
* A thin, vertical strip that receives incoming touch sensations from the rest of our body
* Top of sensory cortex receives sensations from the body of the body and vice versa
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Occipital Lobes
* At the very back of our brain, farthest from our eyes
* Interpret messages from our eyes in our **visual cortex**
* Impulses from right half of each retina are processed in the visual cortex in the right occipital lobe
* Impulses from left half of each retina are processed in the visual cortex in the left occipital lobe
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Temporal Lobes
* Process sound sensed by our ears (**auditory cortex**)
* Sound received by either ear is processed in both auditory cortices
* Damage to this area affects ability to interpret spoken language (Wernicke’s area)
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Brain Plasticity
The ability of the nervous system to change its activity in response to intrinsic or extrinsic stimuli by reorganizing its structure, functions, or connections.
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Endocrine System
* A system of glands that secrete hormones that affect many different biological processes in our bodies
* Controlled by hypothalamus
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Adrenal Glands
* Produce adrenaline
* Signals body to prepare for fight or flight (autonomic nervous system - involuntary responses)
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Ovaries and Testes
* Produce sex hormones
* Levels of estrogen and testosterone may explain gender differences (Developmental Psychology)
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Monozygotic Twins
Identical twins (same genetic material)
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Thomas Bouchard
* Studied monozygotic twins raised in different families to see if traits were nature or nurture
* Criticized because twins share the same physical characteristics, thus causing others to treat them in similar ways (effective psychological environment).
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Turner’s Syndrome
Single X chromosome instead of a 23rd pair
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Klinefelter’s Syndrome
Extra X chromosome, thus XXY pattern
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Down Syndrome
Extra chromosome on 21st pair