PSY 210 Exam 3

Zeitgebers - Definition and Examples

• stimulus that sets/resets the biological clock

• examples: light, food/meals, exercise, temperature, wave/tide patterns (for marine animals)

What is the key Zeitgeber for humans and animals?

Light

Sleep trends over time

Age: people that are younger go to bed/wake up later than older people and older people go to bed/wake up earlier than young people.

Sex: Males and females follow the same pattern with age. Females typically go to better earlier than males.

During what developmental stage does sleep shift later (going to bed later at night, waking up later in the morning)?

Adolescence

Superchiasmatic Nucleus (SGN) - General Function

• part of the hypothalamus

• generates and regulates our circadian rhythm

• neurons in the SGN generate their own circadian rhythm

• neurons fire at predictable times and at different levels

• sends axons to other brain regions to keep brain in check/regulate biological and behavioral functions through communication (modulates the pineal gland)

Hypothalamus

• regulation of basic functions

• hormone release

• think about the 4 f’s: fighting, fleeing, feeding, and fornication

• forebrain

Superchiasmatic Nucleus - Hamster Experiment

• had genetic mutations that caused the hamster to have a 20 hour circadian rhythm

• they removed the mutant SCN and put it in a typical genotype (24 hour rhythm) and the typical genotype had a 20 hour rhythm

Superchiasmatic Nucleus - Retinohypothalamic path

• Pathway from the retina to the SCN (hypothalamus)

• Special ganglion cells around periphery of the retina contain melanopsin

• respond directly to light

  • function like a photoreceptor and like a ganglion cell

  • does sensory stuff an can fire action potentials about it

• slow response to the light

• exposure to light late in the day can phase-delay circadian rhythm.

What kinds of light will the Retinohypothalamic path respond strongly to?

• respond mostly to short wavelength (blue)

• explains why looking at screens at night is bad

• when brain responds to this light, it causes activity that makes brain function like it is the day time.

PER Genes

• produces PER proteins

• mutations in PER = shorter circadian rhythm

TIM Genes

• produce TIM proteins

• light activates a chemical that breaks down TIM

• more expressed at night

• TIM expresses that you are sleepy

When expression of PER and TIM genes is high vs low, will that be associated with sleep or wakefulness?

• high = sleepy

• low = wakefulness

Melatonin - Gland

pineal gland releases melatonin

Melatonin - How soon before typical bedtime does it start releasing?

2-3 hours before bedtime

Sleep Stages - EEG wave (what type) and general characteristics (Stage 1)

Sleep Stages - EEG wave (what type) and general characteristics (Stage 2)

Sleep Stages - EEG wave (what type) and general characteristics (Stages 3 & 4/Slow wave sleep)

Sleep Stages - EEG wave (what type) and general characteristics (REM)

Brain regions involved in promoting wakefulness

Neurotransmitters involved in promoting wakefulness

Biological mechanism behind narcolepsy

What is the key neurotransmitter used to promote sleep?

REM Sleep - Brain Regions with Increased Activity during REM

REM Sleep - Brain Regions with Decreased Activity during REM

REM Sleep - PGO Waves

REM Sleep - Other neurotransmitters involved in REM

Why we sleep - Energy Conservation

Why we sleep - Restoration of the brain/body

Why we sleep - Memory

Dream Theory - Activation-Synthesis Hypothesis

Dream Theory - Neurocognitive Hypothesis

Dream Theory - Defensive Activation Theory

What is ERP?

What is the general effect of sleep deprivation on selective attention?

Homeostasis

Allostasis

POA/AH Function

POA/AH - When will it activate most strongly

Compensatory Mechanisms that regulate body temperature

What happens when we’re too hot and need to cool down

What happens when we are too cold and need to warm up

Osmotic Thirst

Cause of Osmotic thirst

What detects changes in osmotic pressure?

Pathways that help relieve osmotic thirst

What is the best thing to drink to relieve osmotic thirst?

Hypovolemic thirst

Cause of hypovolemic thirst

Hypovolemic thirst - what detects changes in overall fluid volume pressure?

Pathways that help relieve hypovolemic thirst

Hunger and Satiety Signals

Digestive System factors (where do these come from in the body)

Digestive System Factors (are they signals for hunger or satiety/when will they have high or low expression)

Insulin - where do these come from in the body

Insulin - are they signals for hunger or satiety (when will they have high or low expression)

Glucagon - where do these come from in the body

Glucagon - are they signals for hunger or satiety (when will they have high or low expression)

GLP-1 where do these come from in the body

GLP-1 are they signals for hunger or satiety (when will they have high or low expression)

Leptin - where do these come from in the body

Leptin - are they signals for hunger or satiety (when will they have a high or low expression)

Ghrelin - where do these come from in the body

Ghrelin - are they signals for huger or satiety (when will they have high or low expression)

Hypothalamus areas involved in hunger and satiety circuit

How hunger and satiety circuit changes during hunger

How hunger and satiety circuit changes during satiety

Neurotransmitters released from arcuate nucleus cell types

Neuropeptides released from arcuate nucleus cell types

Will PVN be excited/inhibited in response

how will LH function change

Arcuate Nucleus

Paraventricular Nucleus (PVN)

Lateral Hypothalamus (LH)

Function of Ventromedial Hypothalamus (VHM)

Prader Willi Syndrome (Symptoms/Differences in biological factors)

Binge eating disorder (Symptoms/Differences in biological factors)

Bulimia nervosa (Symptoms/Differences in biological factors)

Anorexia nervosa (Symptoms/Differences in biological factors)

Female pattern of development (hormones, gene expression, duct systems, SRY gene)

Male pattern of development (hormones, gene expression, duct systems, SRY gene)

SRY Gene

Sex hormones names

Sex hormones categories

What produces sex hormones

3 ways hormones can have effects on cells

Organizing effects

activating effects

Sex differences found in brain structure (generally what has been found about brain volume, white and gray matter)

How alpha-fetoprotein relates to brain feminization and masculinzation in rodents

Sex differences in play behavior (trends seen across species)

Sex differences in play behavior (what are some of the general mechanisms shown to be involved in rodents)

What hormones are released by the Hypothalamus in males?

What hormones are released by the hypothalamus in females?

What hormones are released by the pituitary in males?

What hormones are released by the pituitary in females?

What hormones are released by the gonad axis in males?

What hormones are released by the gonad axis in females?

Male hormone cycle

Female hormone cycle

Hormones and brain areas involved in parenting behaviors in females