Biopsych 20300
### Lecture 1: Biological Psychology Overview
Q1: What is unique about biological psychology?
A1: It studies behavior by breaking it into smaller parts at the molecular level, providing insights into neurological disorders.
Q2: What are the levels of analysis in biological psychology?
A2: Reductionism, bottom-up analysis, and top-down analysis.
Q3: Why is reductionism important?
A3: It helps in understanding complex behaviors by studying their smaller components, like molecules or neural circuits.
Q4: What is the significance of Phineas Gage in biological psychology?
A4: His case showed the role of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in personality and behavior through his injury.
Q5: What is the historical significance of Broca’s and Wernicke’s aphasia?
A5: These conditions demonstrated that specific brain regions control language production and comprehension.
Q6: What is phrenology, and why is it important historically?
A6: A theory by Franz Joseph Gall that linked brain areas to personality traits; it was a precursor to modern neuroscience despite being inaccurate.
Q7: What modern methods are used to understand brain function?
A7: Neuroimaging techniques like MRI, PET, CT scans, and neuron visualization with Golgi stains.
Q8: What are the neuron doctrine and reticular theory?
A8: The neuron doctrine states that the nervous system is made up of discrete units (neurons), while the reticular theory suggested it was a continuous network.
Q9: Why is correlation not equal to causation in scientific studies?
A9: Correlation shows relationships but does not prove one variable causes the other; experimental evidence is required.
Q10: What is the value of the comparative approach?
A10: Studying different species helps identify universal principles of brain function and behavior.
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### Lecture 2: Brain and Nervous System Development
Q11: What are the three germ layers formed during embryonic development?
A11: Ectoderm (forms the CNS), mesoderm, and endoderm.
Q12: How does the neural tube form?
A12: Uneven growth of the ectoderm creates a neural groove, which closes to form the neural tube by 3-4 weeks of development.
Q13: What are the seven stages of cellular cortical development?
A13: Proliferation, migration, differentiation, synaptogenesis, cell death (apoptosis), synaptic rearrangement, and myelination.
Q14: What role do radial glia play in development?
A14: They guide the migration of neurons to their destinations in the developing cortex.
Q15: How do astrocytes influence synaptogenesis?
A15: They contribute to forming specific synaptic connections in the tripartite synapse.
Q16: Why is myelination important for the nervous system?
A16: It increases the speed of electrical signal transmission along axons.
Q17: What is epigenetics, and how does it affect brain development?
A17: Epigenetics involves changes in gene expression without altering DNA sequence, like DNA methylation and histone modification, which stabilize cell differentiation.
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### Lecture 3: Brain Function and Experience
Q18: Why can’t we just study all cells to understand behavior?
A18: Challenges include resolution effects, dynamics, early spontaneous activity, and the impact of experience on circuits.
Q19: What is the significance of early experience on brain circuits?
A19: It permanently shapes neural circuits, as seen in the kitten experiment on visual cortex development.
Q20: What defines a critical period?
A20: A peak in neural plasticity when experiences strongly shape brain development and function.
Q21: What is the corpus callosum’s role in brain dynamics?
A21: It enables complex dynamic functions by integrating signals from both hemispheres, as seen in split-brain studies.
Q22: What happens during sensitive periods?
A22: Experiences like sensory input permanently alter brain structure and function, such as the organization of the visual cortex.
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### Lecture 4: Neural Communication
Q23: What are gap junctions, and how do they work?
A23: Channels made of connexin proteins that allow bidirectional flow of ions for electrical signaling between cells.
Q24: What are the phases of an action potential?
A24: Rising phase (Na+ channels open), falling phase (K+ channels open), undershoot (Na+/K+ pumps restore potential).
Q25: Why is resting membrane potential closer to K+ equilibrium potential?
A25: At rest, the membrane is more permeable to K+ than Na+.
Q26: What is saltatory conduction?
A26: Electrical signals jump between nodes of Ranvier in myelinated axons, increasing speed.
Q27: What is the difference between ligand-gated and metabotropic receptors?
A27: Ligand-gated receptors act fast by opening ion channels, while metabotropic receptors are slower and involve intracellular cascades.
Q28: How is neurotransmitter action controlled?
A28: Through release, receptors, reuptake by transporters, and degradation by enzymes.
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### Lecture 5: Genetics and Epigenetics
Q29: What is the difference between genetic predetermination and predisposition?
A29: Predetermination is when traits are fixed by genes, while predisposition depends on gene-environment interactions.
Q30: How does CRISPR-Cas9 work?
A30: A guide RNA directs the Cas9 enzyme to cut specific DNA sequences, allowing gene editing.
Q31: What is X-inactivation?
A31: Random silencing of one X chromosome in females to balance gene expression.
Q32: What are the three types of epigenetic mechanisms?
A32: DNA methylation, histone modification, and RNA-mediated regulation.
Q33: How does DNA methylation regulate gene expression?
A33: It blocks transcription factor proteins, reducing gene transcription.
Q34: What is an example of X-inactivation?
A34: The coat color patterns in calico cats result from random X-inactivation of genes for fur color.
Q35: What is the role of non-coding RNAs in epigenetics?
A35: They regulate gene expression by decreasing mRNA abundance, affecting protein production.
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