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MCAT Beh. Sci Ch. 1
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Neuropsychology | Study of the connection between the nervous system and behavior. It most often focuses on the functions of various brain regions. |
| Three Types Of Neurons | Sensory (afferent), motor (efferent), interneurons. |
| Reflex Arcs | Use the ability of interneurons in the spinal cord to relay information to the source of stimuli while simultaneously routing it to the brain. |
| Central Nervous System (CNS) | Includes brain and spinal cord. |
| Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) | Includes cranial and spinal nerves |
| PNS Divisions Include: | Somatic (voluntary) and autonomic (automatic) divisions. |
| Further Divisions Of The Autonomic Nervous System | Parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) and sympathetic (fight-or-flight) branches. |
| Three Subdivisions Of The Brain | Hindbrain, midbrain, and forebrain |
| Hindbrain | Contains the cerebellum, medulla oblongata, and reticular formation |
| Midbrain | Contains the inferior and super colliculi |
| Forebrain | Contains the thalamus, hypothalamus, basal ganglia, limbic system, and cerebral cortex. |
| Methods Of Studying The Brain Include: | Studying humans / animals with lesions, electrical stimulation, and activity recording (ex: electroencephalography EEG, and regional cerebral blood flow) |
| Thalamus | Relay station for sensory information. |
| Hypothalamus | Maintains homeostasis and integrates with the endocrine system through the hypophyseal portal system that connects it to the anterior pituitary. |
| Basal Ganglia | Smoothen movements and help maintain postural stability. |
| Limbic System | Contains the septal nuclei, amygdala, and hippocampus, controls emotion and memory. |
| Septal Nuclei | Involved with feelings of pleasure, pleasure-seeking behavior, and addiction. |
| Amygdala | Controls fear and aggression |
| Hippocampus | Consolidates memories and communicates with other parts of the limbic system through an extension called the fornix. |
| Four Lobes Of The Cerebral Cortex | Frontal, parietal, occipital, and temporal |
| Frontal Lobe | Controls executive function, impulse control, long-term planning, motor function, and speech production |
| Parietal Lobe | Controls sensations of touch, pressure, temperature, and pain, spatial processing, orientation, and manipulation |
| Occipital Lobe | Controls visual processing |
| Temporal Lobe | Controls sound processing, speech perception, memory, and emotion |
| Left Cerebral Hemisphere's Typical Function | Language |
| Neurotransmitters | Chemicals released by neurons to carry a signal to another neuron or effector (a muscle fiber or a gland) |
| Acetylcholine | Used by the somatic nervous system to move muscles, and by the parasympathetic nervous system and the central nervous system for alertness. |
| Dopamine | Maintains smooth movements and steady posture. |
| Endorphins And Enkephalins | Acts as natural painkillers. |
| Epinephrine And Norepinephrine | Maintain wakefulness and alertness, and mediate fight-or-flight responses. |
| Note About How Epinephrine And Norepinephrine Tend To Act | Epinephrine tends to act as a hormone, and norepinephrine tends to act more classically like a neurotransmitter. |
| Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) | Acts as a brain stabilizer. |
| Serotonin | Modulates mood, sleep patterns, eating patterns, and dreaming. |
| How The Endocrine System Is Tied To The Nervous System | Through the hypothalamus, and the anterior pituitary and a few other hormones. |
| Cortisol | Stress hormone released by the adrenal cortex. |
| Testosterone And Estrogen | Mediate libido (testosterone also increases aggressive behavior). Both are released by the adrenal cortex. In males, the testes also produce testosterone. In females, the ovaries also produce estrogen. |
| Epinephrine And Norepinephrine | Released by the adrenal medulla and cause physiological changes associated with the sympathetic nervous system. |
| Nature Vs. Nature | Classic debate regarding the relative contributions of genetics (nature) and environment (nurture) to an individual's traits. |
| Family Studies | Look at the relative frequency of a trait within a family compared to the general population. |
| Twin Studies | Compare concordance rates between monozygotic (identical) and dizygotic (fraternal) twins |
| Adoption Studies | Compare similarities between adopted children and their adoptive parents, relative to similarities with their biological parents. |
| The Nervous Systems Develops Through Nerulation, In Which: | The notochord stimulates overlying ectoderm to fold over, creating a neural tube topped with neural crest cells. |
| Neural Tube Becomes: | The central nervous system (CNS) |
| Neural Crest Cells: | Spread out throughout the body, differentiating into many different tissues. |
| Primitive Reflexes | Exist in infants and should disappear with age. Most of these serve a protection role. |
| Note About Primitive Reflexes That Reappear | This could be due to certain nervous system disorders. |
| Rooting Reflex | The infant turns his or her head toward anything that brushes the cheek. |
| Moro Reflex | The infant extends the arms, then slowly retracts them and cries in response to a sensation of falling. |
| Babinski Reflex | The big toe is extended and the other toes fan in response to the brushing of the sole of the foot |
| Grasping Reflex | Infant grabs anything put into his or her hand. |
| Development Milestones | Gross and fine motor abilities progress head to toe and core to periphery. Social skills shift from parent-oriented to self-oriented to other-oriented. Language skills become increasingly complex. |
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