MCAT Behavioral Sciences - Biology and Behavior

Biology and Behavior

Franz Gall

Phrenology, if a trait was well developed the part of the brain responsible for that will expand

Pierre Flourens

Extirpation/ablation, parts of brain removed and behavioral consequences observed. Specific parts of brain had specific functions

William James

Functionalism

John Dewey

Functionalism - Study organism as a whole

Paul Broca

Specific functional impairments could be linked with specific brain lesions

Herman Von Helmholtz

Speed of nerve impulse, related to reaction time

Charles Sherrington

Existance of synapses

Functionalism

A theoretical framework that explains how pars of society fit together to create a cohesive whole

Sensory/afferent neurons

Transmit sensory info from receptors to spinal cord and brain

Motor/efferent neurons

transmit motor information from brain and spinal cord to muscles and glands

Interneurons

most numerous type of neuron found between other neurons

What are interneurons linked to

Reflexive behavior

Reflex Arcs

neural circuits that control reflexive behavior

Central Nervous System

Brain and spinal cord

Periphreal Nervous System

Nerve tissue and fibers outside the CNS

How many pairs of spinal nerves in Periphreal nervous system

31

Somatic Nervous system

sensory and motor neurons distributed in skin, joint and muscles

Autonomic Nervous system

Involuntary movements, such as heartbeat, respiration, digestion

Parasympathetic Nervous System

Conserve energy, associted with resting and sleep

What is the Neurotransmiter for parasympathetic responses

Acetylcholine

Parasympathetic or Sympathetic: Constricts pupil

Parasympatheti

Parasympathetic or Sympathetic: Inhibit salvation

Sympathetic

Parasympathetic or Sympathetic: Relaxes bronchi

Sympathetic

Parasympathetic or Sympathetic: Slower heartbeat

Parasympathetic

Parasympathetic or Sympathetic: Inhibit release of glucose

parasympathetic

Parasympathetic or Sympathetic: Inhibit peristalsion and secretion

sympathetic

Parasympathetic or Sympathetic: Secrete adrenaline and noradrenaline

sympathetic

Parasympathetic or Sympathetic: Contract bladder

Parasympathetic

Parasympathetic or Sympathetic: Promote erection of genitals

Parasympathetic

Meninges

Thick three layer sheath of connective tissue covering the brain

Dura mater

outer layer connecting to the skull

Arachnoid mater

middle layer, fibrous

Pia mater

Innerconnecting to brain

Cerebrospinal fluid

Aqueous solution that nourishes brain and spinal cord and provide protective cushion

Hindbrain

balance motor coordination, breathing, digestion, general arousal processes

Myetencephalon

medulla oblongata

Metacephalon

pon and cerebellum

Forebrain

complex perceptual, cognitive and behavioral processes, emotion and memory

Telencephalon

crebral cortex, basal ganglia, limbic system

Diencephalon

Thalamus, hypothalamus, post pituitary gland, pineal gland

Midbrain

sensory and motor information

Superior colliculus

Recieves visual sensory input

Inferior colliculus

Recieves sensory info from auditory system

Cerebral cortex

Complex perceptual cognitive and behavioral process

Basal ganglia

movement

Limbic system

emotion and memory

Thalamus

sensory relay station

Hypothalamus

hunger, thirst, emotion

Cerebellum

refined motor movement

medulla oblongata

heart, vital reflexes

Reticular formation

arousal and alterness

Pons

communication within the brain, breathing

Neuropsychology

Study of function and behaviors associted with specific regions of brain

Cortical map

paitent awake and alert using electrical stimulation

Electroencephalogram

several electrodes placed on scalp and pattern of electrical activity detected and recorded

Regional cerebral blood flow

detects broad pattern of neural activtiy based on increased blood flow to different parts of the brain

CT or CAT scan

multiple x rays taken at different angles and processed by computor to produce cross sectional images of tissue

PET Positron emmision tomography

Radioactive sugar injected and absorbed in the body, and its dispersion and uptake through target tissue is imaged

MRI Magnetic resonance imaging

Magnetic filed interact with H atom used to map H dense region of body

fMRI

same base technique of MRI, measure change associated with blood flow

Thalamus Function

Relay station for incoming sensory info (except smell) sort and transmits to appropriate area of cerebral cortex

Hypothalamus Function

Homeostatic functions hunger, thirst, sexual behavior

Lateral Hypothalamus Function

Eating and Drinking

Ventromedial Hypothalamus

Signal Stop eating

Anterior Hypothalamus Function

Sexual behavior

Posterior Pituitary Function

Release antidiuretic hormone and oxytocin

Pineal Gland Function

Release mealtonin

Basal Ganglia Function

Coordinate muscle movement as they recieve information from cortex and relay this information to brain and spinal cord

Limbic system Function

Emotion and memory

Septal Nuclei Function

Primary pleasure center of brain

Amygdala Function

defensive and agressive behaviors

Hippocampus Function

Learning and memory process

Anterior Cingulate Cortex Function

Higher order cognitive process, regulation of impulse control and decision making

Extrapyramidal system

Gather info on body position and carries info to CNS

Anterograde amnesia

Not able to establish new long term memories

Retrograde amnesia

Memory loss events that transpire before brain injury

Frontal Lobe

Executive function, impulse control, long term planning (prefrontal cortex), motor function (primary motor cortex) speech production (broca’s area)

Parietal Lobe

Sensation of touch, pressure, temperature, pain (somatosensory cortex) spatial processing, orientation manipulation

Occipital Lobe

Visual Processing

Temporal Lobe

Sound processing (auditory cortex) speech perception (wenrnicke’s area) memory and emotion (limbic system)

Association area

Area that integrates input from diverse regions of the brain

Projection area

perform rudimentary perceptual and motor tasks

Ipsilaterally

Communicates same side of body

Dominant hemisphere

Primarily analytical in function, language, logic and math

Non dominant hemisphere

Associated intuition, creativity, musical cognition, spacial

Neurotransmitter

A chemical used by neurons to send signal to other neurons

Agonist

mimics action of neurotransmitter

Antagonist

block action neurotransmitter

Acetylcholine

voluntary muscle control, parastympathetic nervous system, attention, altertness

Epinephrine and norepinephrine

Fight or flight responses, wakefulness, alertness

Dopamine

Smooth movement, postural stability

Serotonin

mood, sleep, eating, dreaming

GABA and Glycine

Brain stabilization

Glutamate

Brain excitation

Endorphines

Natural painkillers

Pituitary gland

Secrete various hormone into blood stream that travel to other endocrine glands located everywhere else in the body to activate them

Adrenal Medulla

releases epinephrine and norepinephrine as part of sympathetic nervous system

Adrenal Cortex

produces many hormone called corticosteroids. Produce sex hormone testosterone and estrogen

Innate behavior

Genetically programmed as result of evolution and seen in all individuals regardless environment or experience

Learned Behavior

Not hereditary based but instead based on experience and environment