Ch. 3 Biological Aspects Of Psychology

Front 1

Ch. 3 Biological Aspects of Psychology
-Biological Aspects of Psychology (8%-10%)

Back 1

.

Front 2

biological psychology

Back 2

study of the cells and organs of the body and the physical and chemical changes involved in behavior and mental processes

Front 3

nervous system

Back 3

complex combination of cells that allows you to gain information about what is going on inside and outside your body and to respond appropriately

Front 4

input

Back 4

received in the form of sensory signals from the world

Front 5

processing

Back 5

integrate the information with past experiences and decide what to do about it

Front 6

output

Back 6

occurs as your brain activates your muscles to act on the information

Front 7

Alzheimer's disease

Back 7

disease of the cells in the brain that usually occurs among older people; it causes a progressive and dramatic deterioration in reasoning and a broad range of other cognitive abilities

Front 8

outer membrane of nervous system

Back 8

lets substances pass in and out while blocking others

Front 9

cell body of nervous system

Back 9

contains a nucleus; the nucleus carries the genetic information that determines how a cell will function

Front 10

mitochondria of the nervous system

Back 10

structures that turn oxygen and glucose into energy

Front 11

neurons

Back 11

cells that are specialized to rapidly respond to signals and quickly send signals of their own

Front 12

glial cells

Back 12

"glue"; hold neurons together and help neurons communicate by directing their growth, keeping their chemical environment stable, secreting chemicals to help restore damage and even responding to signals from neurons

Front 13

axons

Back 13

fibers that carry signals AWAY from the cell body, out to where communication occurs with other neurons
dendrites-can be very short or several feet long; each neuron generally has one axon leaving the cell body, but has many branches

Front 14

dendrites

Back 14

fibers that RECEIVE signals from the axons of other neurons and carry those signals to the cell body
-neuron can have many dendrites; dendrites usually have many branches as well and purpose is to DETECT

Front 15

synapse

Back 15

minute gap between neurons

Front 16

selectively permeable

Back 16

cell membrane; lets some molecules pass through, while excludes others

Front 17

ions

Back 17

molecules that carry either a positive or negative electrochemical charge

Front 18

polarized

Back 18

the membrane is considered this when the inside of a cell is slightly more negative than the outside

Front 19

electrochemical potential

Back 19

drives positively charged molecules toward the inside of a cell where it is negative because the positive charge is attracted to the opposite

Front 20

depolarize

Back 20

when the area inside the membrane becomes less negative

Front 21

action potential

Back 21

abrupt change in the potential of an axon and its "contagious" nature is referred to as its self-propagating property; can also occur in dendrites

Front 22

fired

Back 22

when an action potential shoots down an axon

Front 23

all or none communication

Back 23

when the cell either fires at full strength or not at all

Front 24

myelin

Back 24

fatty substance that wraps around some axons and SPEEDS action potentials

Front 25

refractory period

Back 25

the short rest between firing periods

Front 26

neurotransmitters

Back 26

chemicals that transfer information at the synapse between the neurons

Front 27

vesicles

Back 27

numerous little "bags" that store the neurotransmitters at the tips of the axons

Front 28

receptors

Back 28

at the membrane of the postsynaptic cell (the next cell after neurotransmitters release to the synapse), it is the protein that neurotransmitters attach to; fits or binds to its own receptor like a puzzle piece; each neurotransmitter can bind to different receptors, but receptors only takes one known type

Front 29

postsynaptic potential

Back 29

change in the membrane potential of the dendrite or cell body of the postsynaptic cell; can make cell more or less likely to fire

Front 30

excitatory postsynaptic potential

Back 30

EPSP; depolarizing postsynaptic potential that can lead to the neuron to FIRE an action potential

Front 31

hyperpolarized

Back 31

when positively charged ions flow out of the neuron or negatively charged ions flow in; the neuron becomes more polarized and LESS LIKELY that the neuron will fire an action potential

Front 32

inhibitory postsynaptic potential

Back 32

IPSP; the term for a hyperpolarizing postsynaptic potential

Front 33

neural networks

Back 33

the organization of neurons in the brain and spinal cord

Front 34

sensory systems

Back 34

the groups of neurons in the nervous system that provide INPUT about the environment; vision, smell, hearing, taste and touch

Front 35

motor systems

Back 35

the OUTPUT system; parts of the nervous system that influence muscles and other organs to respond to the environment

Front 36

peripheral nervous system

Back 36

PNS, first division of the nervous system; includes all of the nervous that is not housed in bone, carries out all SENSORY and MOTOR functions

Front 37

central nervous system

Back 37

CNS; second division of the nervous system; the part encased in bone; includes the BRAIN (inside the skull) and the SPINAL CORD (inside the backbone/spinal column). It is the "central executive" of the body, information is usually sent to the CNS to be processed and acted on

Front 38

somatic nervous system

Back 38

PNS; transmits information from the senses to the CNS and carries signals from the CNS to the muscles that MOVE the skeleton; involved in every move you make

Front 39

autonomic nervous system

Back 39

PNS; carries messages back and forth between the CNS and the heart, lungs and other organs and glands; messages increase or decrease the activity of the organs and glands to meet varying demands placed on the body; suggests independent or "autonomous" operation because activities usually OUTSIDE OF CONSCIOUS CONTROL

Front 40

sympathetic nervous system

Back 40

division of the ANS; mobilizes the body for action in the face of stress, responses are known as the "FIGHT OR FLIGHT" response

Front 41

parasympathetic nervous system

Back 41

division of the ANS; REGULAYES the body's functions to conserve energy

-two divisions are OPPOSTITES

Front 42

parallel distributed processing

Back 42

input simultaneously activates several paths in the network, so that information is processed at various places at the same time; CNS

Front 43

nuclei

Back 43

CNS; collections of neuronal cell bodies

Front 44

fibers tracts or pathways

Back 44

CNS; axons that travel together in bundles

Front 45

spinal cord

Back 45

CNS; RECEIVES signals from peripheral senses, including pain and touch from the fingertips, and RELAYS those signals to the brain through fibers within the cord; neurons in the spinal cord also carry signals downward, from the brain to the muscles.

Front 46

reflexes

Back 46

simple behaviors without instructions from the brain; response to incoming signals is directly "reflected" back out

Front 47

afferent

Back 47

sensory neurons in the spinal cord, "coming toward" APPROACH

Front 48

efferent

Back 48

motor neurons, "going away" EXIT

Front 49

brain

Back 49

3 major subdivisions: hindbrain, midbrain and forebrain

Front 50

hindbrain

Back 50

incoming signals first reach here, continuation of the spinal cord;

Front 51

medulla

Back 51

hindbrain; controls blood pressure, heart rate, breathing and other vital AUTONOMIC functions

Front 52

reticular formation

Back 52

"netlike", threading throughout the hindbrain and into the midbrain that is a collection of cells not arranged in any well-defined nucleus. It is important for ALTERING the activity of the rest of the brain and if fibers are disconnected then a permanent coma will occur

Front 53

locus coeruleus

Back 53

hindbrain; "blue spot", small nucleus within the reticular formation; involved in directing ATTENTION and abnormalities in it have been linked to depression

Front 54

cerebellum

Back 54

also part of the hindbrain; allows eyes to track moving targets, storehouse for rehearsed movements; controls finely coordinated MOVEMENTS and language and symbolic thought

Front 55

midbrain

Back 55

above the hindbrain; certain types of autonomic behavior that integrate simple movements with sensory input are controlled here such as moving your head as your eyes are looking in the opposite at the same time

Front 56

substantia nigra

Back 56

"black substance", small vital nucleus in the midbrain

Front 57

striatum

Back 57

"striped appearance", in the forebrain; ^^^these two connections are necessary for smooth INITIATION of movement

Front 58

forebrain

Back 58

responsible for the most complex aspects of behavior and mental life; contains the structures known as diencephalon and cerebrum and the latter is covered by the cerebral cortex

Front 59

thalamus

Back 59

in the forebrain, part of the diencephalon, RELAYS PAIN signals from the spinal cord as well as signals from the eyes and most other sense organs to the upper levels of the brain; plays an important role in PROCESSING and making sense out of this information

Front 60

hypothalamus

Back 60

in the forebrain, part of the diencephalon, "under", involved in REGULATING hunger, thirst, and sex drives; has many connections to the autonomic nervous system and the endocrine system, as well to other parts of the brain.

Front 61

suprachiasmatic nuclei

Back 61

in the forebrain, part of the hypothalamus, keeps an 24 hour CLOCK that determines your biological rhythms

Front 62

cerebrum

Back 62

largest part of forebrain

Front 63

amygdala

Back 63

in the forebrain, structure within cerebrum that in important for memory and emotion; associates features of stimuli from two different SENSES and is involved in fear and other EMOTIONS.

Front 64

hippocampus

Back 64

in the forebrain, structure within cerebrum that in important for MEMORY and emotion; damage to this part can result in an inability to form new memories,

Front 65

limbic system

Back 65

parts include hippocampus, amygdala, hypothalamus and the septum; plays an important role in REGULATING memory and emotion;

Front 66

dementia

Back 66

deterioration of cognitive capabilities often associated with aging; major cause of Alzheimer's disease

Front 67

cerebral cortex

Back 67

forebrain, outermost part of the cerebrum and has right and left halves that are similar in appearance

Front 68

cerebral hemispheres

Back 68

halves of the brain, the outer part is the cerebral cortex that has a surface area or 1-2 square feet

Front 69

cerebral cortex

Back 69

associated with the analysis of information from all the SENSES, control of VOLUNTARY movements, higher order THOUGHT and other complex processes

Front 70

gyri

Back 70

RIDGES of the brain

Front 71

sulci or fissures

Back 71

VALLEYS of the brain

Front 72

four areas of the cortex

Back 72

FRONTAL, PARIETAL, OCCIPITAL and TEMPORAL

Front 73

sensory cortex

Back 73

lies in the PARIETAL, OCCIPITAL and TEMPORAL lobes

Front 74

visual cortex

Back 74

receives visual information and is located in the OCCIPITAL lobe

Front 75

auditory cortex

Back 75

receives auditory information and is located in the TEMPORAL lobe

Front 76

somatosensory cortex

Back 76

information from the SKIN about TOUCH, PAIN and TEMPERATURE is received here and is located in the PARIETAL lobe

Front 77

homunculus

Back 77

pattern of the "little man" that determinates where the information is located in the brain when upside down

Front 78

motor cortex

Back 78

in the FRONTAL lobe, initiates VOLUNTARY movements in specific parts of the body

Front 79

association cortex

Back 79

part of the cerebral cortex that is NOT involved in either receiving specific sensory information or initiating movement; perform complex tasks such as associating words with images

Front 80

aphasia

Back 80

creates DIFFICULTY in understanding or producing SPEECH and can involve all functions of the cerebral cortex

Front 81

broca's area

Back 81

Paul Broca described the difficulties associated with damage to the association cortex in the FRONTAL lobe near the MOTOR areas that control facial muscles; when damage to this area is done, the mental organization of speech suffers

Front 82

Wernicke's area

Back 82

Carl Wernicke described this area that is located in the TEMPORAL lobe near an area of the cortex that receives information from the ears and eyes. It is involved in the INTERPRETATION of both speech and written words; damage to this area can leave fluency intact but disrupt the ability to understand meaning of works or speak comprehensibly

Front 83

divided brain, but unified

Back 83

the LEFT hemisphere receives information from and controls movements of the RIGHT side of the body, whereas the RIGHT hemisphere receives input from and controls the LEFT side of the body

Front 84

Roger Sperry

Back 84

studied SPLIT BRAIN patients which are people who had undergone a radical surgical procedure in an attempt to control severe epilepsy; resulted in severing the corpus callosum; he concluded that each separate hemisphere when severed had a mind own its own

Front 85

corpus callosum

Back 85

massive bundle of more than a million fibers that CONNECTS the two HEMISPHERES

Front 86

lateralized

Back 86

a task that is performed MOREefficiently by one hemisphere than another

Front 87

synaptic plasticity

Back 87

property of the brain that is the ability to STRENGHTHEN neural connections at synapses as well as to ESTABLISH new synapses; provides the basis for the capacity to learn from experiences and form new memories. This occurs throughout the whole nervous system and the brains is limited when repairing damage

Front 88

Parkinson's disease

Back 88

disorder characterized by tremors, rigidity of the arms and legs, difficulty in initiating movements and poor balance; most common in elderly, treated by drugs that enable neurons to make more dopamine or that stimulate dopamine receptors

Front 89

neurotrophic factors

Back 89

naturally occurring proteins called GROWTH factors which promote the survival of neurons

Front 90

epidermal growth factor

Back 90

a growth factor that causes some brain cells to divide and produce new neurons and glial cells

Front 91

neurotransmitter system

Back 91

group of neurons that communicates using the SAME neurotransmitter

Front 92

acetylcholine

Back 92

neurotransmitter; used by neurons in both PERIPHERAL and CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEMS. In PNS, cholinergic neurons control the contraction of MUSCLES by releasing acetylcholine onto muscle tissues. Also used by the neurons of the parasympathetic nervous system to SLOW the heartbeat and ACTIVATE the gastrointestinal system. In the brain, cholinergic neurons plentiful in striatum where they occur in circuits that are important for movement.
-axons of neurons make up pathways in limbic system
-drugs that interfere with neurotransmitter prevents the formation of new memories
-Alzheimer's disease- loss of cholinergic neurons in forebrain
-HIPPOCAMPUS AND CEREBRUM MEMORY AREAS

Front 93

norepinephrine

Back 93

called "adrenergic" because they are also called NONADRENALINES; occurs in both PNS and CNS, contributes to AROUSAL. It is used by the SYMPATHETIC nervous system to ACTIVATE you and PREPARE you for action. About 1/2 of the transmitters in brain is in the cells in the locus coeruleus which is near the reticular formation in the hindbrain. It is involved in WAKEFULNESS and SLEEP, in LEARNING and regulation of MOOD

Front 94

serotonin

Back 94

most use is along the midline of the HINDBRAIN; region is the RAPHE NUCLEI. Serotonergic axons send branches throughout the forebrain and affects SLEEP and MOOD. Can get one of the substances from which it is made, TRYPTOPHAN, directly from food (from high carbs). A part of AGGRESSION and IMPULSE CONTROL. Low serotonin levels= depression, self-directed aggression and impulsivity more likely
-HYPOCAMPUS, HYPOTHALAMUS AND CEREBRAL CORTEX

Front 95

dopamine

Back 95

used in the SUBSTANTIA NIGRA and STRIATUM that is important for MOVEMENT; malfunctions in this system causing movement disorders such as Parkinson's. Other dopamine systems SENDS axons from the midbrain to the forebrain including the cerebral cortex. Some of these neurons important in experience of REWARD, or PLEASURE which is vital in motivating and shaping BEHAVIOR. Cocaine's rewarding feeling is due to dopamine; malfunctioning of other dopaminergic neurons that go to cortex may be partly responsible for schizophrenia

Front 96

schizophrenia

Back 96

psychological disorder in which perceptions, emotional expression and THOUGHT are severely DISTORTED

Front 97

GABA

Back 97

REDUCES the likelihood that postsynaptic neurons will FIRE an action potential, it is the major INHIBITORY neurotransmitter in the CNS. Malfunctioning of the gaba system has been implicated in severe anxiety and Huntington's disease; gaba systems most likely contribute to epilepsy because drugs that block gaba receptors causes seizures

Front 98

Huntington's disease

Back 98

inherited and incurable disorder in which the victim is plagued by uncontrollable