U1 Biological Bases of Behavior

Key Terms & Theories

Hindbrain

controls basic biological functions that keep us alive

Brainstem

medulla oblongata + pons

Medulla Oblongata

in charge of involuntary actions (breathing, blood pressure, heart rate)

Pons

(passing neural information from one region to another) connects hindbrain with midbrain and forebrain

Cerebellum

controls muscle tones, balance, coordination and procedural learning

Midbrain

reticular arousal system + reward system

Reticular arousal system

controls arousal, alertness, exciteness

Forebrain

controls what we think of us (thoughts/regions)

Limbic system

emotional and memory center

Thalamus

receiving sensory signals coming up the spinal cord & sending them to the appropriate areas in the rest of the forebrain

Hypothalamus

controls biological rhythms and metabolic functions (controls temperature & water balance / hunger & sex drive / activates SNS & endocrine system)

Amygdala

in charge of emotional expression, especially negative feelings (anger, frustration, fear)

Hippocampus

involved in processing & integrating memories (where new information forms)

Cerebral Cortex

wrinkled surface of the brain

Left hemisphere

specialized for language processing

Right hemisphere

visual & spatial information

Broca’s area

in charge of ability to speak

Wernicke’s area

ability to comprehend speech

Expressive aphasia

inability to speak

Receptive aphasia

inability to comprehend speech

Contralateral hemisphere organization

idea that each side of the brain controls the opposite side of the body

Hemisphere specialization (brain lateralization)

specialization of function in each hemisphere

Corpus callosum

nerve bundle that connects the two hemispheres

Split brain patient

patients who have corpus callosum severed to control their epileptic seizures

Contralateral processing

ability of nonsplit brains to use both hemispheres and integrate information between them via the corpus callosum

Frontal lobes

responsible for higher level thought and reasoning

Prefrontal cortex

anterior/front of the frontal lobe

Motor cortex

send signals to muscles and controls body movements

Central executive

control center for higher order cognitive processes (working memory, planning, decision making)

Parietal lobe

handles somatosensory information

Somatosensory cortex

receives incoming information about temperature, pressure, texture, and pain

Phantom limb syndrome

any individual who lost a part of their body may still perceive sensation from that lost limb b/c part of their somatosensory cortex is still “mapped” to our missing body part

Occipital lobe

processes visual outputs

Temporal lobe

handles auditory input and critical for processing speech/appreciating music

Linguistic processing

cognitive process involved in understanding and producing language

Association areas

any area of cerebral cortex that is not associated with receiving sensory information or controlling muscle movements

apraxia

inability to organize movements

agnosia

difficulty processing sensory input

alexia

inability to read

agraphia

inability to write

Neuroplasticity

brain’s ability to compensate for injury/disease in order to continue responding adaptably to the environment

Traits

distinctive characteristic or behavior patterns that are determined by genetics

Environmentality

degree to which a trait's expression is caused by the environment in which an organism lives

Nature vs. nurture

concerning relative influence of genetics and environments

Heritability

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

Down syndrome

3 copies of 21st chromosome causes some degree of intellectual disability

huntington’s cholera

genetic disorder that result in muscle impairment due to degeneration of the basal ganglia (part of the brain)

Glial cells

nonneural cells that provide support both physically and chemically

Neurons

individual nerve cells (ex. myelin cells)

Dendrite

receive input from other neurons through receptors on surface

Soma

nucleated cell body

Myelin sheath

fatty insulated coating around axon that speeds up neural transaction

Nodes of Ranvier

small gaps btw myelin sheaths

Terminal button

knobs on the branched end of axon that release neurotransmitters

Synapse

small gap btw neurons

Neurotransmitter

chemical messengers that enable neurons to communicate

Depressants (+ Depressant 종류)

slows down the same body system that stimulants speed up (ex. Valium, alcohol, barbiturates, tranquilizers)

Hallucinogens / Psychedelics (+ hallucinogen 종류)

cause change in perceptions of reality (ex. LSD, fentanyl, codeine, methadone)

Opiates (+ opiates 종류)

agonist for endorphins (powerful painkillers and mood elevators) (ex. morphine, heron, fentanyl, codeine. m)

Stimulants (+ stimulants 종류)

speed up body process (including Autonomic nervous system) (ex. caffeine, cocaine, amphetamine, nicotine)

Psychoactive drugs

chemicals that change the chemistry of the brain and induce altered state of consciousness

Agonist

mimic neurotransmitter

Antagonist

blocks neurotransmitters

SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor)

prevents serotonin being reabsorbed back into the neuron

Tolerance

physiological change that produces a need for more of the same drug in order to achieve the same effect

Withdrawal symptom

process of weaning off a drug one has become dependent upon

Resting membrane potential

-70mv; the interior of the cell is negatively charged with respect to the exterior of the cell

Action potential (nerve impulse)

disturbance in membrane potential

Threshold

level in which enough neurotransmitters are received to fire an impulse

All-or-none principle

a neuron fires completely or does not fire

Depolarization

process of neural firing

Inhibitory neuron

inhibits neuron firing

Excitatory neuron; excite neuron firing

Acetylcholine

muscle contraction, motor movement, memory function

Dopamine

motor movement, alertness/attention. reward

GABA

inhibitory neurotransmitter

Glutamate

excitatory neurotransmitter (involved in memory)

Endorphin

natural pain killer

Norepinephrine

alertness, arousal

Serotonin

mood control

Substance P

pain perception

Sensory neurons (afferent)

take information from the senses to brain

Inter neuron

take the message and send them elsewhere in the brain or to efferent neurons

Motor neurons (efferent)

take information to the rest of the body

Central Nervous System (CNS)

brain and the spinal cord

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

comprising all other nerves

Somatic Nervous system

controls voluntary muscle movement

Autonomic nervous system

controls involuntary actions of the body

Sympathetic NS

body response to stress (burn energy)

Parasympathetic NS

cause body activities to slow down and return to homeostasis (conserve energy)

Reflexes

quick and involuntary response to environmental stimuli

Reflex arc

occur the moment sensory receptors reach the spinal cord

Endocrine system

system of glands that secrete hormones that affect many different biological process in our body

Hormones

chemical messengers sacred by glands

Adrenaline (epinephrine)

fight or flight response (speeds up body processes)

Leptin

involved in weight regulation (suppresses hunger)

Ghrelin

motivates eating/increases hunger

Melatonin

triggers sleep and wakefulness response in the brain

ACTH

stimulate adrenal glands

Oxytocin

promotes sexual arousal, romantic attachment, and parental bonding