PSYCH 230 exam 1

Behavioral Neuroscience

The scientific study of the biological bases of psychological processes and behavior.

Neuroscience

The study of the nervous system.

Neurons

Basic unit of the nervous system.

Synapses

Areas where neurons make contacts and communicate with each other.

Axons and Dendrites

Specialized extensions of neurons that send and receive information respectively from neurons.

Describing Behavior

Different criteria:

Acts or processes.

Results or functions.

Continuity

Behavior and biological processes because of common ancestry.

Differences

Behavior and biology have evolved as adaptations.

Conserved trait

a trait that is passed on from a common ancestor.

Developmental Behavior

Behavior and it's biological characteristics over the lifespan.

Ontogeny

The process by which an individual changed throughout the lifespan.

Mechanisms of Behavior

How the nervous system contributes to behavior.

Applications of Behavior

how research can be applied to humans.

Somatic Intervention

Alteration of a structure or function, see how behavior is altered. Change the Brain, check behavior.

independent variable

The factor being manipulated.

Dependent variable

what is measured in response to changes in the independent variable.

Behavioral Intervention

Intervention in a behavior, see how structure or function is altered. Change Behavior, check brain.

Coorelation

examines how much a body measure varied with a behavioral measure.

negative correlation

If one measure goes up and the other goes down.

positive correlation

if both measures increase and decrease together.

Control group

Do not experience alteration or treatment.

Within-subjects experiment

Same set of subjects undergoes every condition.

Between-subjects experiment

Separate control group is compared to experimental group.

Experimental

Manipulate independent variable to observe changes to establish cause and effect.

Non-experimental

No manipulated variables, no cause and effect. Observe and describe.

correlational

observe relationships, make predictions

survey (poll)

observe and describe attitudes, opinions, behaviors (can be self-observation)

Case Study

in-depth study of one case

longitudinal research

observe same subjects over long period of time.

Historical (Archival)

Examine existing data to test hypothesis.

Naturalistic Observation

OBSERVING BEHAVIOR IN REAL-WORLD SETTING

Neuroplasticity

ability of the brain to be changed by environment and by experience. Dendrites can change in seconds.

cingulate cortex

brain region involved with processing emotion. Affected by expectation of stimulus intensity.

Reductionism

breaks a system down into its smaller parts in order to understand it

Glial Cells

provide support for and contribute to information processing neurons.

Neuron Doctrine

The brain is composed of independent cells. Information is transmitted from cell to cell across synapses.

Mitochondria

Produce energy

Cell Nucleus

Contains genetic instructions.

Ribosomes

translate genetic instructions into proteins.

Motor neurons

Stimulate muscles or glands.

Sensory neurons

respond to environmental stimuli such as light, odor or touch.

Interneurons

receive input from and send input to other neurons.

Histology

Selective staining of parts in the brain

Nissl Stains

outline all cell bodies because the dyes are attracted to RNA which encircles the nucleus - good for counting

Glial stain

fills whole cells revealing details but stain only a small proportion of neurons.

Autoradiography

shows distribution of radioactive chemicals in tissues.

Immunohistochemistry

detects protein in in tissue. antibody binds to protein. chemical treatments make antibody visible. Reveals that cells have a common protein.

In situ hybridization

uses radioactive nucleic acid probes to label only neurons in which a gene of interest has been turned on.

tract tracers

Substances taken up by neurons and transported through their axons

anterograde labeling

reveals axonal targets of cell bodies in a particular region.

Retrograde label

reveals axons terminating in a region.

arborization

branching of dendrites to facilitate contacts.

Astrocytes

Star-shaped glial cells that receive neuronal input and regulate blood flow

Microglia

Small cells that remove debris from injured cells. House cleaning and immune function.

myelination

the process in which glial cells wrap axons with a fatty sheath to insulate and speed conduction.

Nodes of Ranvier

gaps between sections of myelin where axon is exposed.

oligodendrocytes

form myelin sheath in brain and spinal cord.

Schwann cells

provide myelin to cells outside the brain/spinal cord.

MS

A demyelinating disease.

Gross neuroanatomy

Features of the nervous system visible to the naked eye.

Central nervous system

consisted of brain and spinal cord

Peripheral nervous system

all parts of the nervous system found outside of skull and spinal cord. Consists of nerves or bundles of axons.

Motor nerves

Transmit information from the CNS to the muscles, organs and glands.

Sensory nerves

Convey information from the body to the CNS

Somatic nervous system

Part of the Peripheral nervous system where nerves interconnect the brain and major muscles and sensory systems

Autonomic Nervous system

Part of the Peripheral nervous system where nerves primarily control the visceral organs

Dorsal root

carries sensory information FROM the body TO the spinal cord

Ventral root

Carries motor information FROM the spinal cord TO the muscles.

Cervical

Spinal nerves in neck.

Thoracic

Spinal Nerves in trunk

Lumbar

Spinal nerves in the lower back.

Sacral

Spinal Nerves in the pelvic region

Coccygeal

Spinal nerves in the bottom of the back.

Sympathetic nervous system

Prepares body for action; part of autonomic nervous system

Parasympathetic nervous system

returns body to homeostasis; part of autonomic nervous system

Enteric nervous system

governs gut functions; part of autonomic nervous system

norepinephrine

"Noradrenaline" accelerates activity. produced by sympathetic neurons

Acetylcholine

produced by parasympathetic neurons

cerebral cortex

a thick outer sheet of the cerebral hemisphere comprised mostly of neuronal cell bodies, dendrites and axons.

nucleus

within the CNS, a collection of neurons

Tract

within the CNS, a bundle of axons.

Contralateral

"opposite" each side of the brain control and receives info from the other side.

Cortical layers

six distinct layers in the cortex differentiated by type of neurons and pattern of dendrites/axons.

cortical columns

perpendicular units that process information and help cortical regions communicate with one another via axon tracts.

Cerebellum

involved in motor coordination and learning.

Purkinje cell layer

middle layer of the cerebellum; its large cells form a single row.

Granule cell layer

third layer of cerebellum composed of small neurons.

Parallel fibers

the outermost layer of the cerebellum.

postsynaptic membrane

on the dendrite or cell of the postsynaptic neuron.

The blood brain barrier

higher resistance in brain capillaries that restricts passage of large molecules.

Stroke

caused by the rupture or blockage of blood vessels leading to insufficient blood supply.

Presynaptic membrane

on the axon terminal of the presynaptic neuron

synaptic cleft

a gap that separates the membranes.

Synaptic vesicles

small spheres in presynaptic axon terminals that contain neurotransmitters.

receptors

specialized proteins in the postsynaptic membrane that are specialized to react to neurotransmitter.

axon hillock

a cone-shaped area of the cell body that gives rise to the axon.

Axonal transport

movement of materials within an axon via motor proteins.

neurotransmitter

a chemical messenger