ap psych u11 - biopsych

herditity

genetic transmission of characteristics from biological parents to their offspring.

environment

non-genetic influence, from prenatal nutrition to social experiences, that affects development and behavior.

evolutionary perspective

natural selection, survial and reproducive sucess

eugenics

now-discredited movement that aimed to improve the genetic composition of the human population through selective breeding

twin studies

A research method that compares the behavior of identical (monozygotic) and fraternal (dizygotic) twins to determine the relative influence of heredity and environment on traits.

family studies

Research that looks at patterns of traits and behaviors across family members to assess hereditary influence.

adoption studies

method that compares adopted children to their biological and adoptive parents to evaluate the effects of heredity and environment on behavior and traits.

central nervous system

brain + spinal cord - main control center to rocess and interpret sensory information + send out

brain

part of CNS, responsible for cognition, emotions, and movement

no pain recepters

spinal cord

: bundle of neurons that run down the back and trasmit msg between brain and rest of body, reflexes

Peripheral nervous system

All neurons/nerves outside CNS​

• Afferent fibers = sensory (body → CNS)

• Efferent fibers = motor (CNS → body)

two - somatic nervous system, automomic nervous system

autonomic nervous system

controls involuntary functions (heartbeat, digestion)

• no conscious effort

two -

• parasyspathic nervous sytem (relax body after stress of danger)

• sympatheic nervous sytem (fight or flight)

Parasympathetic nervous systems

Nerves that relax your body after periods of stress or danger

Run life sustaining processes like digestion

• In danger - bladder relaxes

Sympathetic nervous systems

Activate fight or flight

• Pupils dilate, stop being hungry etc.

Somatic nervous systems

voluntary control of body (skeletal muscles)

• sensory motor pathways

Neural cells

specialized cells in the nervous system, including neurons (which send messages) and glial cells (which support neurons).

neurons

basic functional unit of nervous system

• dendrites

• axons

• myelin sheath

three factors that infl singal speed in neurons

distance (furthur, longer)

neuron characteristics (wider = faster, myelinations - faster if more myelin)

complexity - (reflexes super fast bc bypass brain, but decisons involving emotions, memory hv more step = take longer)

dendrites

Branch like extensions at the start of the neuron, receives msg from other neurons

axons

tail like part of neuron, tramits msg away from cell body to other neurons, muscles, or glands

myelin sheath

covers axons, speeds up transmission

gilial cells

in PNS, makes myelin

speeds up neuron transitions

reflex arc

automatic pathway involving sensory neuron —> interneuron —> motor neuron

sensory neuron

carry info from sensory recepters to CNS

motor neurons

carries info from CNS to muscles/glands

interneurons

neurons in CNS that connects sensory to motor neurons

sensory —> inter —> motor

Sensory neurons carry information towards the CNS. Motor neurons carry information from the CNS. Interneurons carry information between sensory and motor neurons

Neural transmission

Communication of neurons via electrical impulse and chemical neurotransmitters

All-or-nothing principle

Either the neuron fires or doesnt

There is no such thing as “strength of the stimulus”

Depolarization

Sodium rushes in, making inside of neuron less negative → change allows electric signals to move down axon

refractory period

Time after a neuron fires when it can't fire again immediately

resting potential

Negative charge inside neuron when not firing​

Reuptake

Neurotransmitters reabsorbed into neuron after firing​

Threshold

Minimum stimulus needed to trigger a neural impulse

Multiple sclerosis (MS)

immune system attacks the myelin sheath

==> slower neural transmission, muscle weakness

Myasthenia gravis

affecting the communication between nerves and muscles​

muscles may become temporarily paralyzed

Neurotransmitter

Chemical messengers between neurons

Excitatory messages

Increase likelihood neuron will fire (e.g., norepinephrine, glutamate)​

• leave vesicle and attach to reception on dendrite

action potential

 Brief electrical charge that travels down an axon

Inhibitory messages

eg: GABA and endorphins

less likely to fire

dopamine

movement, learning, attention, motion

• Too much = schizophrenia

• Too little = parkinsons

serotonin

affects mood, hunger, sleep

• Too little = depression

• SSRI block serotonin  reuptake 

norepinephrine

controls alertness and arousal

• Flight or fight

Glutamate

excitatory neurotransmitter (inc likelihood of neuron firing)

• Oversupply: seizures

GABA

inibitory neurotransmitter

too little: anxiety/insomnia

endorphins

pain control, pleasure

eg: runners high

substance p

pain transmission, inflammatory response

acetylcholine

muscle action, learning, memory

• alzhiemers

Hormones

Chemical messengers released into the bloodstream by glands​

• Slower, longer lasting than neurotrasmitters

Adrenaline

Hormone secreted during stress 

• Fight or flight

leptin/ghreln

leptin - decrease appetite

ghrelin - increase appetite

melatonin

sleep/wake cycle

oxytocin

bonding, trust, social behavior

psychoactive drugs

Any drug that has significant effects on psychological processes

Agonists

drugs that mimic/enhance neurotransmitter

Antagonists

drugs that blocks effect of neurotransmitter (binds to receptor)

• dopamine antaginist

neural firing

electrical impulse that travels down the axon when a neuron is triggered.

Reuptake inhibitors

SSRI - block reabsorption

stumulants

inc neural activity to speed up body functions - caffeine, cocaine

depressants

Group of drugs that depress the inhibitory centers of the brain, eg: alcohol

Hallucinogens

Cause distorted perceptions and sensory experiences​ (eg: weed)

Opioids

Drugs that relieve pain, create euphoria; highly addictive eg: heroin

Brain Stem

oldest and most basic part of the brain

automatic survival functions, ie: breathing, heart rate, blood pressure

(+ medulla)

medulla

bottom part of brain stem, carries impulses between spinal cords

controls heartbeat, breathing, swallowing

Reticular activating system and brain’s reward center

• voluntary movement, eye movement, some types of learning, cognition, and emotion

Cerebellum

Little brain” - responsible for most of motor movement and balance 

• coordination of muscle movement, balance, and some forms of procedural learning

Cerebral cortex

outer layer of cerebrum 

• High level thinking/sensory processing

Cerebrum

 Largest part of the brain, two cerebral hemispheres 

• Layer of Gray matter covering each hemisphere 

• Each independent of each other 

Limbic System

Enchange of emotion, motivation, memory, and behavior 

• Key survival instincts, emotional reactions, forming meaningful memory

Thalamus

Processes all sensory info besides for smell

• Sight, sound, touch, taste

• Routed thru thalamus before being distributed elsewhere

Hypothalamus

Produces hormones 

• Ghrelin and leptin 

• Sleep management - melatonin

• Manages mood

Pituitary gland

make essential hormones (endocrine system)

Hippocampus

seahorse-shaped structure located in the temporal lobe

• Memory formation, converts ST memory to LT memory 

• Spatial navigation

Amygdala

Almond shaped structure in temporal lobe - considered part of the basal ganglia

• Process emotions (esp fear, aggression, threats)

• Help you rmb - if smth is scary - u rmb to respond to the threat

Lobes of the cortex

• Frontal, parietal, temporal, occipital

Occipital

visual information, back of brain

temporal lobe

hearing, language, memory; side of brain

parietal lobe

touch, pain, temp, understanding env and state of your body; top rear brain

• association area, somatosensory cortex

association area, somatosensory cortex

a) Part of cortex involved in higher mental functions (thinking, learning, memor)

b) Process touch and body sensations

frontal lobe

Decision making, personality, movement control

• Linguistic processing, higher order thinking (problem solving/ abstract ideas), executive functioning (organization, planning)

• prefrontal/mortex

Prefrontal Cortex

Frontal part of lobes

• Judgement, impulses, decision making

Mortex cortex

rear of frontal lobe

• voluntary muscle movement

Corpus callosum

Connection between left and right brain (left and right can function individually, but connected by corpus callosum)

Epilepsy

chronic brain disorder associated w disturbances ine electrical discharges of brain cells

Cause recurrent seizures

Split brain research

understanding how the two hemispheres of the brain work independently and together

Right hemisphere specialization

In most ppl, right hemisphere greater responsibility for spatial attention

Left hemisphere specialization (+2 areas)

Left hemisphere greater responsibility for speech

• broca’s

• wernickes

broca’s area

produce speech

wernicke’s area

comprehend speech

aphasia

Damage to brain parts related to speak (broca, wernicke’s)

Visual field

Extent of visual space over which vision is possible

Left eye - processed in right brain

Contralateral hemispheric organization

Left hand controlled by right hemisphere (motor cortex)

laternaliation

Process by which some functions such as manual control or speech are controlled more by one cerebral hemisphere

Brain plasticity

Ability to change in response to experience or env stimulation

• Learn smth, and rewire your brain

• Good: learn new things

• Bad: once you learn, difficult to change (bad habits)

EEG

Using electrodes on the head to measure brain waves/ neuron activity

• Cheap, easy, noninvasive

• Can tell WHEN brain activity occurring

fMRI

Looks at where blood flow and oxygen is occuring in the brain

• Can tell WHERE brain activity occurring

Lesioning

Cut some part of the brain out to disrupt normal brain function