PSYCH Intro to Neuroscience Exam 1

neuroscience

the study of the nervous system

biological psychology

the study of biological bases of psychological processes and behavior

The emergence of biopsychology

"The Organization of Behavior" - D.O. Hebb

Branches of Biopsychology

Neuroanatomy, neuroendocrinology, neurochemistry, neuropathology, neuropharmacology, neurophysiology

experiments

study causation

quasiexperiments

subjects exposed to independent variable in the real world

pure research

solely for knowledge

applied research

direct benefit to mankind

translational research

applied pure research to studies that are beneficial to mankind

between-subjects

independent variable is manipulated between subjects

within-subjects

each participant receives each level of the independent variable

somatic intervention

alteration of a structure or function to see how behavior is altered, ex) administer a hormone, stimulate brain region electrically, cut connections between parts of nervous system

behavioral intervention

intervention in a behavior to see how structure or function is altered, ex) put male in presence of female, present a visual stimulus, give training

operational definition

How do scientists define a construct in a way that allows for manipulation or data collection?

physiological psychology

study of the neural mechanisms of behavior by manipulating the nervous systems of nonhuman animals in controlled experiments

Psychopharmacology

study of the effects of drugs on the brain and behavior

Neuropsychology

study of the psychological effects of brain damage in human patients

Psychophysiology

study of the relation between physiological activity and psychological processes in human volunteers by non invasive physiological recording

Cognitive neuroscience

study of the neural mechanisms of human cognition, largely through the use of functional brain imaging

Comparative psychology

study of the evolution, genetics, and adaptiveness of behavior, largely through the use of the comparative method

converging operations

scientists research the same problem in such a way where the strengths of one approach cover weaknesses of others

Lester and Gorzalka

Scientists with a creative approach of the Coolidge effect on females

medial

towards the middle

lateral

towards the side

proximal

near the center

distal

towards the periphery

ipsilateral

same side

contralateral

opposite side

afferent

caries information into a region of interest

efferent

carries information away from a region of interest

Central nervous system (CNS)

located in the skull and spine

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

located outside skull and spine, somatic and autonomic NS

Somatic Nervous System

part of the PNS that interacts with external environment, afferent and efferent nerves

Autonomic Nervous System

PNS that regulates body's internal environment

Sympathetic nervous system

prepares the body for action (fight or flight)

Parasympathetic nervous system

Helps maintain homeostasis, often in opposition to sympathetic activity

Ventral Horns

carry motor information from the spinal cord to the muscles

Dorsal Horn

Carries sensory information from the body to the spinal cord

Basal Ganglia

voluntary motions & decision making

Limbic System

four F's: feeding, fleeing, fighting, and ****ing

Pineal gland

sleep and melatonin

Cerebellum

critical for coordinated movement

Pituitary gland

secretes hormones

Corpus callosum

major fibers connecting the two hemispheres

Hypothalamus

Regulates internal bodily functions, including autonomic nervous system

Thalamus

major relay station for senses (except smell)

Frontal lobe

motor control and higher cognitive function

Parietal lobe

somatosensation

Occipital lobe

vision

Temporal lobe

audition

Meninges

membranes covering the brain, outer meninx, archnoid, piamater

Ventricles

fluid filled areas that help support and cushion the brain

Gray matter

mainly neuron cell bodies

White matter

mainly myelinated axons

Golgi stains

fill the whole cell, including details, but only stain a small proportion of neurons

Nissl Stain

outline all cell bodies because the dyes are attracted to RNA, which encircles the nucleus

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

multipolar neuron

2+ processes extending from cell body

unipolar neuron

1 process extending from the cell body

dendritic spikes

studded on the dendrites and increase surface area

glial cells

support neuronal activity

astrocytes

star-shaped cells with many processes that receive neuronal input and monitor activity, include oligodendrocyes, Schwann cells, microglia, and astrocytes

microglial cells

small cells that remove debris from injured cells

5 swellings of the brain

telencephalon, diencephalon, mesencephalon, metencephalon, myelencephalon

Ions

electrically charged molecules, anions are negatively charged and cations are positively charged

Ion channels

proteins that span the membrane and allow ions to pass

Gated ion channels

Open and close in response to voltage changes, chemicals, or mechanical action

selective permeability

The neuron shows __________________ to K+ it can enter or leave the cell freely

Electrostatic pressure

causes ions to flow towards oppositely charged areas

move into the cell because of electrostatic pressure

At rest K+ ions,

Hyperpolarization

an increase in membrane potential- the interior of the membrane becomes even more negative, relative to the outside, IPSPs

Depolarization

a decrease in membrane potential- the interior of the cell becomes less negative, EPSPs

Action potentials

all-or-none, the neuron fires at full amplitude or not at al

Absolute refractory phase

time when no action potentials are produced

Relative refractory phase

time when only strong stimulation can produce an action potential

Ligands

fit receptors exactly and activate or block them

Endogenous ligands

neurotransmitters and hormones

Exogenous ligands

drugs and toxins from outside the body

Agonist

substance that enhances neurotransmitter function

Antagonist

substance that reduces neurotransmitter function

gap junctions

the axon potential can jump directly to the postsynaptic region without first being transformed into a chemical synapse

Reticular formation

plays role in arousal, sleep, attention, movement, muscle tone, various reflexes

Thalamus

the brain's sensory switchboard, located on top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla

Immunochemistry

labels target proteins or antigen by introducing a labelled antibody

In situ hybridization

uses complementary radioactive probes to find neurons with a specific mRNA sequence

Immediate early genes (IEGs)

expressed first when cells become active- measure of which cells have been active recently

Anterograde labeling

uses radioactive molecules taken up by the cell and the transported to the axon tips

Retrograde labeling

uses horseradish peroxidase (HRP)- it is taken up in the axon terminals and transported to the cell bodies, then visualized through chemical reactions

Manipulating Animal Brains

through stimulation, chemical interventions, lesions, or manipulating genes

Optogenetics

using light to turn on and off neurons, light sensitive ion channels

Membrane potential

difference in electrical charge between the inside and the outside of a cell

Voltage-activated ion channels

open and close in response to changes in the level of the membrane potential

salatory conduction

transmission of action potentials in myelinated axons

CT

measure of x-ray absorption at several positions around the head, maps tissue density (structure)

MRI

high resolution images, measures density of tissue (how much water is present)

fMRI

detects small changes in brain metabolism, such as oxygen use, in active brain areas, functional scans are aligned with prior MRI

Amino acids

GABA, Glutamate