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Psychology
The Biology Behind Behavior
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is the theory of cerebral dominance? | It states that one hemisphere plays a dominant role in controlling behavior and cognitive functions, while the other play a minor role |
| What is the Broca's area? | -It is the inferior prefrontal cortex on the left cerebral hemisphere -Damage to this area results in expressive aphasia (normal language comprehension takes place, yet the production of language becomes disrupted and impaired) |
| What happens if your Wernicke's area is damaged? | It would result in deficits to language comprehension and is referred to as receptive aphasia |
| What lies between the Broca's and Wernicke's area? | The Sylvian fissure |
| What is the lesion method? | It allows one to compare the subject's behavior pre-lesion and post-lesion to try & elucidate the functions of the targeted structures |
| What does an electro encephalogram (EEG) do? | It measures the electrical activity emitted from the brain's billions of neurons& produce an amplified readout |
| What does a positron emission tomography (PET) scan do? | It is an imaging tool used to to track each brain area's energy consumption |
| What does a computed tomography (CT) scan do? | It uses computer processing to integrate a series of X-rays taken from different angles to create a cross-sectional images of the brain & other body structures |
| What does a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans do? | It measures the signals that relaxing hydrogen atoms emit after being temporarily realigned by radio waves w/in a magnetic field |
| What are the similarities between MRI's and CT scans> | Same= will make a cross=sectional images of the brain Diff= MRI will provide a much higher spatial resolution & is widely used as both brain-mapping and diagnostic tools |
| What does a functional MRI (fMRI) do? | It produces images of active brain areas by tracking the flow of oxygenated blood to these area's |
| Why has fMRI become the predominant tool for cognitive neuroscience and medical diagnosis | 1) it provides high spatial resolution 2) nothing needs to be injected into the patient 3) it generates both structural and functional info in the same 3-D image |
| What are the major endocrine organs? | Pineal gland, hypothalamus, pituitary gland, thyroid gland, parathyroid glands, thymus, adrenal glands, pancreas, ovaries, & testes |
| Define genes | They are small segments of DNA molecules that code for proteins and are located on chromosomes |
| What are the 3 stages of parental development? | 1) Germinal 2) Embryonic 3) Fetal |
| How long does the germinal stage last? | about 2 weeks |
| Define a blastocye | It is when a zygote has accumulated about 200- 300 cells |
| What are the different layers of a blastocyst? | -Outer layer = trophoblast: ends up forming the placenta -Inner layer = inner cell mass: ends up forming the embryo and three other distinct germ layers |
| What are the germ layers called that are formed from the inner cell mass? | 1) Ectoderm (most outer layer): makes up skin & nervous system 2) Mesoderm ( middle layer): makes up respiratory digestive systems 3) Endoderm (inner most layer): makes up epithelial lining of multiple systems |
| What happens during the embryonic stage? | The embryo divides into the 3 germ layers and differentiate into important systems |
| What are embryonic stem cells and which cells are classified as such? | -They are pluripotent cells w/a relatively unlimited capacity for self-renewal under proper conditions - Neural crest & neural plate cells |
| What happens during the fetal stage? | -There is a lot of growth, mostly in bones and muscle formation,, and many organ systems reaching functional maturity -Stage lasts from 9th week until birth |
| Define teratogens | It is any agent that can disrupt or halt the development of an embryo or fetus, from a mother's blood supply |
| Explain moro reflex | It is the outstretching of limbs in response to a sudden loss of support |
| Explain the sucking reflex | sucking that begins when an object touches the lips |
| Explain the grasping reflex | It is a firm grasping triggered when an object touches the palm |
| Explain the Babinski reflex | It is the flexing and fanning out of the toes in response to stroking the sole of a foot |
| What does developing in a cephalocaudal direction mean? | It means that the head and upper body develop before the lower body and limbs |
| Define gross motor skills | It involves lager muscles such as arms and legs which are necessary for balance, coordination, and walking |
| Define fine motor skills | t involves smaller muscles such as moving eyes and fingers, which are necessary for intricate movements and hand-eye coordination |
| Which develops first, gross or fine motor skills? | Gross motor skills |
| What is it called when a girl gets her first period and a male their first ejaculation? | -Girl = menarche -Boy = spermarche |
| What are nuclei and tracts? What are they called in the peripheral nervous system? | -Central nervous system: Nuclei= groups of cell bodies ; Tracts = groups of axons -Peripheral nervous system: Nuclei = ganglia ; Tracts = nerves |
| What are the different types of neurons in the nervous system? | -Sensory Neurons -Motor Neurons -Interneurons |
| What are sensory neurons? | -They send info to sensory receptors (eyes, nose, & ears) and body tissues toward the CNS for processing -Sensory Neurons = afferent neurons |
| What are motor neurons? | -They send info away from the CNS to glands or muscles -Motor neurons = efferent neurons |
| What are interneurons? | They send info between motor and sensory neurons and primarily located w/in the CNS |
| What is myelin & how is it produced? | -It is a lipid membrane that helps increase signal transmission - They're produced by schwann cells |
| What do glial cells do? | Glia provide protection and support for neurons, maintain homeostasis, and form myelin |
| What are the main types of glia? | - Oligodendrocytes - Schwann cells -Microglia -Astrocytes |
| What are oligodendrocytes and schwann cells? | -Oligodendrocytes wrap myelin extensions around the axons of neurons in the CNS -Schwann cells do the same thing, but in the PNS |
| What are the differences between oligodendrocytes and schwann cells? | -Oligodendrocytes: can provide myelin to multiple axon segments on multiple neurons ; they cannot regenerate after damage - Schwann cells: can provide myelin to only one segment of a single neuron ; can direct axonal regeneration after damage |
| What does microglia do? | They react to damage or disease as a macrophage would |
| What are astrocytes? | -They are the largest type of glia -Helps regulate the passage or prevention of certain chemicals between the blood and CNS neurons |
| What happens when the postsynaptic depolarization increases? | -It ↑ the neurons chances of firing excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) -Depolarizes EX: -70 to -68 mV |
| What happens when the postsynaptic hyperpolarization decreases? | -It ↑ the neurons chances of firing inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs) -Hyperpolarization EX: -70 to -72 mV |
| What does it mean when it's said that EPSPs and IPSPs are both graded responses? | It means that their amplitudes are proportional to the intensity of the original signals that created them |
| What is spatial summaation? | It adds incoming EPSPs or IPSPs that are received simultaneously |
| What is temporal summation? | It occurs when high-frequency postsynaptic potentials overlap w/one another and summate to create a more intense signal |
| Where does summation occur? | It occurs @the axon hillock |
| Are action potentials a graded response? | No |
| Explain what the somatic nervous system is | -It is part of the PNS -It is your voluntary movement -Info is relayed to and from the skin and skeletal muscles |
| Explain what the autonomic nervous system is | -Is part of the PNS -Is involuntary movement -Info is relayed to organs of the body -Two important roles: 1) arouse body & 2) calm it |
| Define meninges | It is the 3 layers of connective tissue that protect the brain and spinal cord |
| What are the different meningeal layers from exterior to inferior? | -Dura mater -Arachnoid membrane -Pia mater |
| Where can cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) be found ? | It is found between the arachnoid membrane and the pia mater |
| What does afferent nerves do? | They carry sensory info to the brain and can always be found on the dorsal (back) side of the spinal cord |
| What does efferent nerves do? | They carry motor function info to skeletal muscles via the somatic nervous system or to smooth muscle via autonomic nervous system. They can always be found on the ventral (front) side of the spinal cord |
| How do afferent and efferent nerves enter the spinal cord? | Afferent = dorsal horn Efferent = ventral horn |
| What does the forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain break off into later in gestation? | -Forebrain = telencephalon and diencephalon -Midbrain = mesencephalon -Hindbrain = metencephalon (pons and cerebellum) and myelencephalon (also called medulla) (medulla oblongata) |
| What is the reticular formation? | -It is a complex neural network of nuclei extending from the myelencephalon to the mesencephalon -Important role in: regulating sleep, movement, attention, alertness, heart rate, blood pressure, vomiting, coughing, and sneezing |
| Define heredity | The passing of traits from parents to offspring in the form of genes |
| Define fitness | An organisms ability to survive and propagate its genes, are selected for in the population and passed to the next generation |
| Define adaptive value | A positive influence on an animal's evolutionary fitness |
| What is phenylketonuria (PKU)? | It is a neurological disorder. People w/PKU lack the normal gene coding for the enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH), and instead posses two recessive, nonfunctional alleles |
| What is the nature vs. nurture debate? | Whether or not certain behaviors are acquired genetically or through learning |
| Define Epigenetics | It studies the mechanisms of inheritance aside from the genetic code and changes to DNA sequence |
| What is chromatin remodeling? | It occurs when the proteins around which DNA winds, called histones, change conformations either to expose or hide DNA segments |
| What is DNA methylation? | It occurs when a methyl group is covalently added to the 5-carbon of cytosine bases in vertebrates |
| What does the ectoderm form? | It forms the epidermis and associated structures, nervous system, and sensory organs |
| What does the mesoderm form? | It forms the bones, cartilage, circulatory system, dermis, excretory system, muscles, and reproductive system |
| What does he endoderm form? | It forms the endothelium, lining of digestive tract, and lining of respiratory system |
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Gabbgabb04
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