Bio Basics of behavior

Bring me ice cream.

Evolutionary Perspective

proposes that our personalities and individual differences have evolved, in part, to provide us with some form of adaptive advantage in the context of survival and reproduction.

Eugenics

the study of how to arrange reproduction within a human population to increase the occurrence of heritable characteristics regarded as desirable. Developed largely by Sir Francis Galton

Natural Selection

the process by which organisms with heritable traits better adapted to their environment are more likely to survive, reproduce, and pass those advantageous traits to their offspring.

Twin Studies

a special type of epidemiological studies designed to measure the contribution of genetics as opposed to the environment, to a given trait.

Central Nervous System

the body's primary control and processing center, composed of the brain and spinal cord.

Autonomic Nervous System

a component of the peripheral nervous system that regulates involuntary physiologic processes, including heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, digestion, and sexual arousal

Sympathetic Nervous System

a division of the autonomic nervous system that acts as the body's rapid involuntary response mechanism to stress, commonly known as the "fight-or-flight" response

Peripheral Nervous System

the division of the nervous system containing all the nerves and ganglia (clusters of nerve cells) that lie outside the central nervous system (CNS), which consists of the brain and spinal cord

Somatic Nervous System

a component of the peripheral nervous system (PNS) that is responsible for transmitting sensory information to the central nervous system (CNS) and controlling voluntary movements of skeletal muscles.

Parasympathetic Nervous System

one of the two main divisions of the autonomic nervous system, responsible for regulating bodily functions when a person is at rest, relaxed, or digesting food

Neuron

a specialized cell transmitting nerve impulses; a nerve cell.

Sensory Neurons

the nerve cells that are activated by sensory input from the environment

All-or-Nothing Principle

a neuron or muscle fiber responds to a stimulus completely or not at all, with no partial or intermediate intensity responses

Resting Potential

the relatively stable, negative electrical charge difference across the plasma membrane of a cell (typically neurons or muscle cells) when it is not actively sending a signal or stimulated

Multiple Sclerosis

a chronic, often disabling autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves)

Inhibitory Neurotransmitter

a type of chemical messenger in the nervous system that prevents or reduces the likelihood of a postsynaptic neuron from firing an action potential

Norepinephrine

a chemical created in your nerve endings that helps you stay focused and alert, fight or flight chemical

Substance P

an 11-amino acid-long neuropeptide that acts as a neurotransmitter and neuromodulator in both the central and peripheral nervous systems

Glial Cells

non-neuronal cells in the central and peripheral nervous systems that provide critical support, nourishment, and insulation for neurons

Motor Neurons

specialized nerve cells located in the central nervous system (brainstem and spinal cord) that transmit electrical signals to effector organs, primarily muscles and glands, to initiate voluntary and involuntary movements

Depolarization

a physiological process where a cell's membrane potential becomes less negative (more positive) inside, reducing the difference in charge across the membrane

Reuptake

the absorption by a presynaptic nerve ending of a neurotransmitter that it has secreted.

Myasthenia Gravis

a chronic neuromuscular disease that causes weakness in the voluntary muscles

Dopamine

a neurotransmitter and hormone produced in the brain that acts as a chemical messenger, transmitting signals between nerve cells to regulate pleasure, motivation, memory, movement, and mood

Glutamate

the most abundant excitatory neurotransmitter in the human central nervous system, crucial for brain function, learning, and memory

Endorphins

any of a group of hormones secreted within the brain and nervous system and having a number of physiological functions. They are peptides which activate the body's opiate receptors, causing an analgesic effect.

Acetylcholine

a vital neurotransmitter—a chemical messenger—that enables communication between neurons, muscle cells, and glands

Hormones

chemical messengers produced by glands and tissues (like the thyroid, pancreas, or ovaries) that travel through the bloodstream to regulate vital bodily processes

Adrenaline

a hormone secreted by the adrenal glands that increases rates of blood circulation, breathing, and carbohydrate metabolism and prepares muscles for exertion.

Reflex Arc

the neural pathway that controls an involuntary, rapid, and automatic response to a specific stimulus

Interneurons

a neuron which transmits impulses between other neurons, especially as part of a reflex arc.

Refractory Period

a recovery time following a stimulus or event during which a cell, organ, or person is incapable of repeating an action or responding to further stimulation

Threshold

the minimum point of intensity or magnitude at which a stimulus—such as light, sound, touch, or taste—is just barely detectable or causes a change in sensation or behavior

Excitatory Neurotransmitter

a type of chemical messenger in the nervous system that stimulates the postsynaptic neuron, increasing the likelihood that it will fire an electrical signal, known as an action potential

Serotonin

a neurotransmitter and neuromodulator that acts as a key chemical messenger in the brain, playing a critical role in regulating mood, emotion, sleep, appetite, and social behavior.

GABA

the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), acting as the brain's main "brake" signal to reduce neuronal excitability and prevent overstimulation

Acetylcholine

a primary neurotransmitter—a chemical messenger—that plays a critical role in both the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and the peripheral nervous system (muscles and glands).

Leptin

a protein hormone—often referred to as the "satiety hormone"—produced by adipose tissue (fat cells) that acts as a key signal to the brain, specifically the hypothalamus, to regulate long-term food intake and energy expenditure

Ghrelin

a hormone your stomach makes, hunger hormone

Agonist Drugs

a drug or chemical substance that binds to a specific receptor in the brain and activates it to produce a biological response

Stimulants

a class of drugs that speed up messages travelling between the brain and body

Depressants

They slow down communication between the brain and the body, leading to feelings of sedation, relaxation, and reduced anxiety.

Marijuana

a mix of dried flowers, stems, seeds, and leaves from the cannabis plant. smoke this.

Addiction

a chronic, relapsing disorder characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use despite adverse consequences

Melatonin

a hormone produced by the pineal gland in the brain that acts as the primary chemical messenger for signaling darkness and regulating the circadian rhythm

Antagonist Drugs

chemical substances that bind to synaptic receptors in the brain but do not activate them

Caffeine

powerful psychoactive drug and a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant of the methylxanthine class. very extra way to say coffee.

Opioids

a class of psychoactive drugs, both natural (derived from the poppy plant) and synthetic (laboratory-made), that act on opioid receptors in the brain and nervous system to alter pain perception, reduce pain, and produce feelings of intense pleasure (euphoria)

Withdrawal

A term used to describe the physical and mental symptoms that a person has when they suddenly stop or cut back the use of an addictive substance,

Oxytocin

a hormone and neurotransmitter produced in the hypothalamus and released by the pituitary gland, essential for social bonding, reproduction, childbirth, and lactation.

Reuptake

the absorption by a presynaptic nerve ending of a neurotransmitter that it has secreted

Hallucinogens

a group of drugs that alter a person's perception of reality

Brain Stem

the central trunk of the mammalian brain, consisting of the medulla oblongata, pons, and midbrain, and continuing downwards to form the spinal cord.

Brain’s Reward Center

a collection of brain structures and neural pathways responsible for mediating the physiological and cognitive processing of rewards

Hemispheres (2)

the two distinct halves of the cerebral cortex—the left hemisphere and the right hemisphere

Hypothalamus

part of the diencephalon of the brain, lying ventral to the thalamus, that contains nuclei with primary control of the autonomic (involuntary) functions of the body.

Hippocampus

a seahorse-shaped part of the forebrain, in the basal medial region of the temporal lobe, that is important for declarative memory and learning.

Split Brain Research

the study of patients who have undergone a surgical procedure known as a corpus callosotomy, where the corpus callosum—the main bundle of nerve fibers connecting the left and right cerebral hemispheres—is severed

Split Brain Patient

an individual who has undergone a surgical procedure called a corpus callosotomy—a severing of the corpus callosum—which disconnects the left and right cerebral hemispheres of the brain

Frontal Lobe

The front part of each cerebral hemisphere, located behind the forehead; it is the largest lobe and is involved in voluntary movement, planning, decision‑making, personality, and aspects of speech and behavior

Parietal Lobe

The lobe located behind the frontal lobe and above the temporal lobe, toward the upper back part of the head; it mainly processes touch and other bodily sensations (such as temperature, pain, and proprioception) and helps integrate sensory information and aspects of spatial awareness and language

Temporal Lobe

The lobe on the side of the brain near the temples and above the ears; it lies in front of the occipital lobe and is important for hearing and auditory processing, language understanding, memory, and recognition of objects and faces.

Occipital Lobe

The back lobe of each cerebral hemisphere, corresponding to the region near the back of the skull; it contains the primary visual cortex and is the main center for processing visual information from the eyes.

Medulla

the central or innermost region of an organ, such as the adrenal medulla, the central portion of the adrenal gland. Compare cortex.

Cerebellum

a portion of the hindbrain dorsal to the rest of the brainstem, to which it is connected by the cerebellar peduncles.

Limbic System

a loosely defined, widespread group of brain nuclei that innervate each other to form a network that is involved in autonomic and visceral processes and mechanisms of emotion, memory, and learning.

Hypothalamus

part of the diencephalon of the brain, lying ventral to the thalamus, that contains nuclei with primary control of the autonomic (involuntary) functions of the body.

Amygdala

an almond-shaped structure in the temporal lobe that is a component of the limbic system and considered part of the basal ganglia.

Somatosensory Cortex

a specialized region of the brain, located in the parietal lobe, responsible for receiving and processing sensory information from the entire body, such as touch, pain, temperature, and proprioception (body position

Broca’s Area

a region of the posterior portion of the inferior frontal convolution of a cerebral hemisphere that is associated with the production of speech

Aphasia

an acquired language impairment that results from brain damage typically in the left hemisphere. Common causes of damage include stroke, brain tumors, and cortical degenerative disorders

Lesioning

the intentional, precise destruction or removal of specific, localized areas of brain tissue

Reticular Activating System

a part of the reticular formation thought to be particularly involved in the regulation of arousal, alertness, and sleep–wake cycles.

Cerebral Cortex

the layer of gray matter that covers the outside of the cerebral hemispheres in the brain and is associated with higher cognitive functions, such as language, learning, perception, and planning

Thalamus

a mass of gray matter, forming part of the diencephalon of the brain, whose two lobes form the walls of the third ventricle.

Pituitary Gland

a gland, pea-sized in humans, that lies at the base of the brain and is connected by a stalk (the infundibulum) to the hypothalamus.

Corpus callosum

a large tract of nerve fibers running across the longitudinal fissure of the brain and connecting the cerebral hemispheres: It is the principal connection between the two sides of the brain.

Motor Cortex

the region of the frontal lobe of the brain responsible for the control of voluntary movement.

Wernicke’s Area

a region toward the back of the superior temporal gyrus of the left hemisphere of the cerebrum containing nerve tissue associated with the interpretation of sounds.

Brain Plasticity

the capacity of the brain to compensate for losses in brain tissue caused by injury or disease. See also recovery of function.

Consciousness

an organism’s awareness of something either internal or external to itself.

Disruptions to Circadian Rhythm

refer to a misalignment between a person's internal, biological 24-hour clock (endogenous rhythm) and external environmental cues, such as the light-dark cycle, meal times, or social obligations

Hypnogogic sensations

describing or relating to the drowsy state that occurs in the transition from wakefulness to sleep

REM Rebound

the increased occurrence of REM sleep following REM-sleep deprivation. It is an example of a rebound phenomenon.

Insomnia

difficulty in initiating or maintaining a restorative sleep, which results in fatigue, the severity or persistence of which causes clinically significant distress or impairment in functioning

Sleep Apnea

the temporary cessation of breathing while asleep, which occurs when the upper airway briefly becomes blocked or when the respiratory centers in the brain fail to stimulate respiration

Circadian Rhythm

any periodic variation in physiological or behavioral activity that repeats at approximately 24-hour intervals, such as the sleep–wake cycle.

Sleep Stages

the stages of nocturnal sleep as distinguished by physiological measures, mainly scalp electroencephalography

REM Sleep

rapid-eye-movement sleep: the stage of sleep, formerly called desynchronized sleep, in which most dreaming tends to occur during which electroencephalograms show activity that resembles wakefulness

Activation Synthesis dream theory

a neurobiological theory of dreaming proposed by psychiatrists John Allan Hobson and Robert McCarley in 1977

Sleep Disruption effects

the fragmentation, reduction, or interruption of the normal sleep cycle, including frequent awakenings, inability to fall asleep, or premature awakening

Narcolepsy

a disorder consisting of excessive daytime sleepiness accompanied by brief “attacks” of sleep during waking hours.

Somnambulism

a sleep disorder characterized by persistent incidents of complex motor activity during slow-wave NREM sleep. sleepwalking

REM Sleep Behavior Disorder

a parasomnia characterized by the loss of the normal muscle atonia that occurs during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, resulting in dream enactment behaviors such as talking, shouting, punching, kicking, or other complex movements.

Sleep Disorders

conditions that disturb normal sleep patterns, affecting the quality, timing, and amount of sleep, which subsequently result in daytime distress and impairment in functioning

Consolidation dream Theory

dreaming is influenced by the consolidation of memory during sleep

Dreaming

a series of involuntary, primarily visual imagery, thoughts, emotions, and sensations that occur in the mind during sleep

ice cream.

bring me ice cream.