ap ch3

what do biological psycholigsts do?

Study the links between biological (genetic, neural) and psychological processes. Discoveries between biology, behavior, and mind.

Neuron

A nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system. Works+ communicates for thoughts, actions, memories, moods.

Cell body (soma)

cells life support center

Dentrite

Receives messages from other cells

busy, branching extensions

conduct impulses toward cell body

Axon

passes messages away from to cell-body to other neurons, muslces, glands

neural extension

Myelin sheatth

covers axon of neurons and helps speed of neural impulses

fatty, tissue layer

how neural impulses are generated

transmit messages when stimulated by signals from senses or when triggered by chemical signals from neighboring neurons

action potential

brief electric charge that travels down axon

neural impulse

resting potential

positive- outside

negative-inside

depolarization

axon opens its gate, and positively charged sodium ions flood through cell membrane

refractory period

period of inactivity/rest after a neuron has fired

during so, neuron pumps positively charged sodium ions back outside

threshold

level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse

minimum intensity

as result, signals trigger in action potential

all or nothing response

neurons reaction of either firing (w/ full strength response) or not firing at all

excitatory vs inhibitory

excitatory is like pushing a neurons accelerator

inhibitory is like pushing its brake

synapse

meeting point between neurons

synaptic gap/cleft

tiny gap at the junction (synapse)

neurotransmitters

chemical messegers triggered by action potential

influence whether neuron will generate neural impulse

reuptake

process in which: the sending neuron reabsorbs EXCESS neurotransmitters

Acetycholine (ACH)

enables muscle action, learning, and memory

With alzeihmers disease, ______ producing neurons deteriorate

Dopamine

influences movement, learning, attention, and emotion

oversupply- schizophrenia

undersupply- tremors, parkingsons desease (decreased movement)

serotonin

affects mood, hunger, sleep, arousal

oversupply- depression

some antidepressent drugs raise ____ levels

norepinephrine

helps control alertness and arousal

• undersupply can depress mood

GABA

get a break adjustment

major inhibitory neurotransmitter

undersupply-seizures, tremors, insomnia

glumate

a major excitatory neurotransmitter, involved in memory

• oversupply- overstimulates brain, producing migranes/seizures.

agonist

Stimulates or mimics its effect

antagonist

inhibits or blocks a response

function of nervous system

transmit signals between the brain and the rest of the body

3 types of neurons

sensory, motor, interneurons

peripheral Nervous system

connects CNS to rest of the body by nerves. also gathers info and transmits CNS decisions to the rest of the body.

• 2 components: somatic and autonomic NS

somatic nervous system

enables voluntary control of skeletal muscles

autonomic nervous system (ANS) (2 parts)

sympathetic NS

• arouses and expans energy. makes you alert and ready for action ( taking a test, etc.)

parasympathic NS

• produces opposite effects, conserving energy and calms you

Central nervous system

nervous system’s decision maker. brain to spinal cord

components of cns (brain and neural networks)

brain enables humanity (thinking, feeling, acting)

nueral networks are the brain’s neuron cluster into work groups

component of cns (spinal cord)

2 way info highway connecting peripheral nervous system and the brain.

• reflexes (automatic responses)

• interneurons (communicate between brain and spianl cord)

endocrtrine system

set of glands that discharge hormones into the blood stream, where they travel through the body and affects other issues, including brain

hormones

chemical messengers that are manufactured by endoctrine glands, travel through the blood stream and affect other tissues. when they act on the brain, they influence interest in food, agression, and more

hypothalamus

brain region controlling the pituitary gland

pituitary gland

secrestes many different hormones, some of which affect other glands

adrenal gland

inner part hels trigger the “fight/flight” response

thyroid

affects metabolism

paratyroid

help regulate the level of calcium in the blood

pancreas

regulates the level of sugar in the blood

testis/ovaries

secretes male/female hormones

endocrine system interacts with the NS

through hypothalamus

how neuroscientists study tha brains connections to behavior and mind

case studies, lessioning, effects of brain damage revealed

EEG

amplified recording of the waves of electrical actiivuty sweeping across brain’s surface

ct

x rays photographs taken from dif angles and combined by computer into composite representation of brains structure

PET

visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task

MRI

uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer genereated images of a soft tissue. ____ scans show brain atonomy

fMRI

reveals bloddflow, and therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. fMRI scans show brain function and structure

oldest strucure in brain

brainsem

medulla, pons, reticular formation

brainstem make up

automatic survicval functions (heartbeet, breathing, coordination)

brainstem function

thalamus

sits above brainstem and acts as brains senory control center. directs messages

reticular formation

affects arrousal. nerve network that travels through brainstem and thalamus

cerebellum

attatched to rear of brain stem

• coordination, balance

limbic

linked to emtions, memory, and drives

• includes, hippocmaus, amygdala, hypothalumus

amygdala

2 lima bean size nerual clusters in limbic system, linked to emotion

hypothalums

neural structure below (hypo) the thalamus; directs maintnence activities, helps govern the endocrine sytem, emotion and reward

hypocampus

process conscious memories

cerebral cortex

thinking crown, information processing center

glial cells

cells that support, nourish, and protect neurons.

smarter=more

frontal lobes

involved in speaking and muscle movements in making plans and judgement

parietal loves

receives sensory input for touch and body position

occipital lobes

includes area that receives information from visual fields

temporal lov

motor cortex ( of cerebral cortex)

area at rear of frontal loves that controls voluntary movements

sensory cortex ( of cerebral cortex)

somoatosenory cortex- touch

visual cortex- see

auditory cortex- hear

association areas

of cerebral cortex. not involved in primary rotor or sensory funtions; rather they are involved in higher mental function, such as learning, remmebering, thinking, speaking

prefrontal cortex

in forward part of frontal lobes, enables judgement, procesing of new memories

phineas gage

after his incident, although his mental abilities were intact, his personality was not

parietal lobe association areas

enable math and spacial reasoning

right temporal lobe

allow to recognize faces

brocas area

speaking

wernickes area

understanding

plasticity

brains ability to change, by reorganizing after damge or by building new pathways based on experience

nuerogenesis

the formation of new neurons

split brains reveal

2 hems do not need to be connected for the brain to function

lateralization

limitation of a bodily function to one side of the brain

corpus collosum

communication

sperry and gazzinga

found that 2 hems are differnent

dual processing

principle that the info is often simultaneously processed on conscious and unconscious trades

behavior geneticists

study relative power and limits of genertic + environmental influences on behavior

chromosomes

threadlike structures made of DNA molecules that contains genes

DNA

compkex molecule containing the genetic info that makes up chromosomes

genes

biochemical units of heredity that make up the chromosomes

genome

complete instructions for making an organism

twin studies

monozygotic (identical)- split in 2

diygotic- fraternal- develop from seperate

heritability

proportion of variation among indiviuals that we can attribute to genes

hindbrain

bottom and base

• medulla

• pons

• cerebellum

• reticular formation

medulla (hindbrain)

autonomic functions necessary for survival - respiration, bllod flow

pons (hindbrain)

above medulla- sleep cycles, bladder control

cerebellum (hindbrain)

back and base of brain

• “little brain”

helps balance, coordiantion, posture

reticulary formation (hindbrain)

attention and arrousal

works w pons for sleep cycle

Midbrain

hidden visually

• thalamus

• hypothalamus

• amygdala

• hippocampus

limbix sytem

emotional brain

thalamus

routes incoming sensory signals

hypothalamus

heomeostasis, temperature, hunger, hormones

amygdala

emotions reactions (fear and agression)

hipppocmapus

memory formation, learning, emotion regulation