Unit 1 - Biological Bases of Behavior

Nature

The idea that human behavior is built off of genes, biology, and evolution

Nurture

the idea that human behavior is built off of learning, culture, and the environment

Environment

external influences that individuals experience

Heredity

characteristics that influence someone’s traits and processes

Natural Selection

the process in which individuals survive for long enough to pass genes on

Eugenics

the process in which individuals with ‘undesired’ characteristics lose the ability to pass their genes on

Twin Studies

Research that studies identical twins that were raised apart, identical twins that were raised together, and fraternal twins raised together

Evolutionary Perspective

explains behavior as a function of the survival for the next generation

Nervous System

the part of the body that includes all of the nerves in the body

Central Nervous System

a subsystem of the nervous system that controls the main functions of the body

Peripheral Nervous System

a subsystem of the nervous system that relays information between the body and the brain

Somatic Nervous System

a subsystem of the peripheral nervous system that controls voluntary actions

Autonomic Nervous System

a subsystem of the peripheral nervous system that deals with involuntary actions

Sympathetic Nervous System

a subsystem of the autonomic nervous system that deals with your fight or flight response

Parasympathetic Nervous System

a subsystem of the autonomic nervous system that deals with calming the body down after a response

Neurons

a specialized cell in the body designed to receive process and transmit information throughout the body through electrical and chemical signals

Glial Cells

cells that provide nutrition, protection, insulation, and waste transport to neurons

Reflex Arc

when signals sometimes skip going to the brain and go through the spinal cord instead

Sensory Neurons

neurons that get signals from sensory receptors

Motor Neurons

neurons that send signals to muscles to make them move

Interneurons

neurons that transmit and receive messages from other neurons to other neurons

Multiple Sclerosis

a disease where the immune system of the victim attacks the myelin sheath

Myasthenia Gravis

a disease where the victim’s immune system disrupts the process where neurons meet muscle/tissue

All or Nothing Principle

the idea that a neuron cannot ‘partially fire’ and that it can only fire or not fire

Threshold

the amount of neurotransmitter that a neuron must receive to fire a signal

Reuptake

when a neuron sends most of the neurotransmitters that it receives back across the synaptic gap so the neuron that sent them can use them again

Refractory Period

the small pause that a neuron takes to ensure that a signal has passed through the neuron before another one enters the neuron

Depolarization

when a neuron passes neurotransmitters across the synaptic gap

Neurotransmitters

small molecules that neurons use to talk to each other

Excitatory Neurotransmitters

neurotransmitters that increase the chance that the next neuron fires and ‘excites’ the system

Inhibitory Neurotransmitters

neurotransmitters that reduce the chance that the next neuron fires and calms down the system

Modulatory Neurotransmitters

neurotransmitters that adjust the chance of firing and that can increase AND decrease that chance

Acetylcholine

an excitatory neurotransmitter that helps control memory and activates muscles

Serotonin

an inhibitory neurotransmitter that invokes calm and impacts feelings of happiness and self worth

GABA

an inhibitory neurotransmitter that decreases levels of anxiety and worry

Dopamine

a modulatory neurotransmitter that acts as the body’s reward system and motivation/reinforcement

Substance P

an excitatory neurotransmitter that is responsible for sending pain signals throughout the body

Norepinephrine

an excitatory neurotransmitter that helps with mental focus and attention and is also released in the endocrine system

Glutamate

an excitatory neurotransmitter that links between neurons and is essential for learning

Endorphins

excitatory neurotransmitters that work as natural opioids that provide pain relief and pleasure

Oxytocin

the cuddle hormone; builds social bonds

Adrenaline

a hormone that gets the body ready for an emergency, or the fight or flight response

Ghrelin

the hungry hormone; released when brain decides that you need food

Leptin

the ‘full’ hormone; released when brain decides that you should stop eating

Melatonin

the sleep hormone; cues sleep and wake up, regulates circadian rhythm

Agonist

a type of psychoactive drug that helps substances fit tighter into receptors

Antagonist

a type of psychoactive drug that blocks receptors from neurotransmitters

Stimulants

a type of psychoactive drug that speeds up body functions

Caffeine

a type of stimulant that blocks adenosine receptors, increasing alertness and stopping sleep

Cocaine

a stimulant that’s a reuptake inhibitor that turns reabsorbed neurotransmitters into agonists

Tolerance

an affect that creates the need for more of a drug that develops after repeated use of it

Withdrawal

an affect that causes symptoms that occur after discontinuing a drug

Addiction

compulsive drug seeking and dependance

Opioids

a type of psychoactive drug that reduces neurotransmission, slows dopamine release, and temporarily lessens pain and anxiety

Depressants

a type of psychoactive drug that lowers neural activity and slows down bodily functions

Alcohol

a depressant that slows neural processing while impairing motor coordination and reducing anxiety

Hallucinogens

a type of psychoactive drug that distorts someone’s perception and causes hallucinations

Marijuana

a hallucinogen that gives the user sensations of mild euphoria while interfering with memory, mood, pain, and appetite

Heroin

an opioid that provides the user with intense euphoria, preventing reuptake of dopamine which allows it to stay for longer and more intensely

Brain Stem/Medulla Oblongata

a part of the brain that controls heart rate and breathing

Reticular Activating Formation

a system in the brain the connects your conscious to your subconscious; it filters unnecessary information out of your conscious mind and controls its alertness so it doesn’t overload

Limbic System

a system of glands in the brain so it doesnt overload

Thalamus

directs sensory (except smell) and motor information to the correct cortexes

Hippocampus

creates new memories, helps store memories and transfer them from short term to long term, and deals with spatial navigation and depth perception

Amygdala

gets information from the sensory cortex and uses that information to decide if you should be fearful or aggressive

Hypothalamus

maintains homeostasis in the body and talks to the pituitary gland

Cerebellum

a part of the brain that deals with coordination and balance

Cerebral Cortex

the outside layer of the brain that deals with higher cognitive functions and has folds so more neurons can fit in it

Frontal Lobe

a part of the cerebral cortex that deals with someone’s personality, their decision making, movement, speech, smell, planning, etc.

Occipital Lobe

a part of the cerebral cortex that deals with vision

Temporal Lobe

a part of the cerebral cortex that deals with memory, emotion, and hearing

Parietal Lobe

a part of the cerebral cortex that deals with touch and taste

Motor Cortex

a part of the cerebral cortex that deals with sending signals for muscle movement

Somatosensory Cortex

a part of the cerebral cortex that deals with receiving signals from different senses

Corpus Callosum

a part of the brain that joins the left and right hemispheres and allows them to communicate with each other

Split Brain

a condition that occurs when the corpus callosum is severed and the brain’s hemispheres work independantly

Contralateral Hemispheric Organization

the idea that the left side of the brain controls the right side of the body and vice versa

fMRI

a method of observing the brain that shows a live video of brain activity

EEG

a method of observing the brain that monitors the brain’s electrical activity

Broca’s Area

an association area in the left frontal lobe that allows the creation of verbal speech

Wernicke’s Area

an association area at the junction of the occipital, parietal, and temporal lobes that allows someone to make sense of words

Aphasia

an impairment of understanding or verbalizing words; comes from damage to brocas area or wernickes area

Consciousness

a state of awareness, can be wakeful, preconscious, hypnosis, or unconscious

REM

rapid eye movement; the most important stage of sleep where the majority of dreaming occurs and where you are most bodily active

Circadian Rhythm

the body’s biological clock

REM Rebound

a phenomenon where someone will get REM sleep to compensate for the night before if they didn’t get enough sleep the night before

NREM Stages

stages of wakefulness that relate to brain waves

Beta Stage

an NREM stage where the body is the most awake

Alpha Stage

an NREM stage where the body is transitioning from awake to asleep

Theta Stage

an NREM stage where the body is relaxing deeper into sleep

Delta Stage

an NREM stage where the body is the most relaxed

Hypnagogic Sensations

sensations that you see, feel, and hear when the body is transitioning from the beta stage to the alpha stage

Activation Synthesis Theory

a dream theory that says that dreams are a by-product of random brain activity during sleep where the cerebral cortex tries to understand incoming sensory data

Consolidation Theory

a dream theory that says that dreams are the brain’s effort to merge new and old knowledge

Insomnia

a sleep disorder where you can’t sleep

Narcolepsy

a sleep disorder where you randomly enter REM sleep

Sleep Apnea

a sleep disorder where breathing stops and starts randomly during sleep

Somnambulism

a sleep disorder where its just sleepwalking

REM Sleep Behavior

when your body isn’t paralyzed during REM sleep and movements that are influenced by dreams occur

Sensation

the process of detecting information from the environment