Brain And Behaviour

Front 1

What is the general idea behind dualism?

Back 1

"Are humans merely physical things, physical things?"

However there are things that humans do that no machine could ever do. Secondly, the way to test something is to use doubt.

Front 2

Sum up Francis Crick's Astonishing Hypothesis.

Back 2

Our minds would not exist without neurones, their interactions and the chemicals that bind them together. Therefore our consciousness can not exist outside of our brain or in another brain.

Front 3

What is a neurone?

Back 3

The functional building blocks of the nervous system. They are cells which transmit the electrical activity which underlies psychological processes.

Front 4

What are glial cells?

Back 4

Glial meaning "glue", they are the surrounding neurones, holding them in place and providing nutrients needed and isolating toxins that would possibly harm the neurone.

Front 5

What are the functions of the three main types of neurones in the body?

Back 5

Sensory neurones - carry input messages from the sense organs to the spinal cord and brain.

Motor neurones - transmit output impulses from the brain and spinal cord to muscles and organs.

Interneurones - link input and output functions.

Front 6

Describe the peripheral nervous system.

Back 6

It contains all the neural structures that lie outside of the brain and spinal cord. It has two major divisions - somatic and autonomic.

Front 7

Describe the somatic and autonomic divisions of the peripheral nervous system.

Back 7

Somatic division - a system of sensory and motor neurones that allows us to sense and respond to our environment.

Autonomic division - a system that senses the body's internal functions and controls many glands and muscles. It is split into the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions.

Front 8

Describe the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions of the autonomic division of the peripheral nervous system.

Back 8

Sympathetic - has an activation or arousal function and it tends to act as a total unit (fight or flight).

Parasympathetic - more specific in its opposing actions, affecting one or a few organs at a time. It slows body processes, allowing a state of tranquility.

Front 9

What is homeostasis?

Back 9

A delicately balanced or constant internal state.

Front 10

Describe the central nervous system.

Back 10

The central nervous system contains the brain and the spinal cord, which connects most parts of the peripheral nervous system with the brain.

Front 11

Describe the major divisions of the brain.

Back 11

Hindbrain - includes the brain stem and the cerebellum. Coordinates the vital functions of life and movement.

Midbrain - attention and eye movements.

Forebrain - includes the thalamus, hypothalamus, amygdala, cerebral hemispheres and cerebral cortex. This is where thought happens.

Front 12

Describe the three main parts of the neurone.

Back 12

Soma - the cell body.

Dendrites - receives information and turns it into codes that the brain understands.

Axon- passes information onto the next cells through electrical impulses.

Front 13

Describe the effect of myelinated neurones.

Back 13

White matter - whitish appearing patches and paths in the brain composed of myelinated axons. Myelin is what makes it white.

Grey matter - the grey colour reflects the absence of myelination as it is the cell bodies, dendrites and un-myelinated axons.

Front 14

Describe both resting and action potential.

Back 14

Resting - when the axon membrane is stable, an excess of positively charged ions is on the outside, resulting in negative voltage difference.

Action - when ion movement leads to an excess of positively charged particles inside the membrane, producing a positive voltage swing.

Front 15

What is the refractory period?

Back 15

When potassium ion channels open for longer, causing hyperpolarisation - more negatively charged ions charged inside than the resting potential. The cell is less sensitive to stimulation.

Front 16

What is a synapse?

Back 16

The juncture of two neurones, consisting of the presynaptic and postsynaptic membranes and the synaptic cleft between them.

Front 17

Describe the lock and key model.

Back 17

The lock and key model proposes that transmitter molecules will affect post synaptic membrane only if the molecule's shape fits into a certain synaptic receptor molecules.

Depending on the type of receptor activated, the attachment of the neurotransmitter will either excite or inhibit the generation of action potential in the postsynaptic cell.

Front 18

What are neurotransmitters?

Back 18

Chemical substances that carry messages across the synaptic cleft to other neurones, muscles or glands.

Front 19

Describe the effect of drugs on transmitters. Use alcohol as an example.

Back 19

Drugs alter neurotransmitters. Drugs called agonists can enhance effect where as antagonists impede the effect.

Alcohol alters neurone membranes, ion channels, enzymes and receptors. It binds directly to receptors for acetylcholine, serotonin, GABA and glutamate.

Front 20

Describe the brain's various kinds of plasticity.

Back 20

- Neurones can compensate for injury or disease or to adjust their activity in response to change.

- The brain can rearrange connections between neurones (dendritic branching).

- Learning can in/decrease neurotransmission between specific neurones (LTP).

- The brain can generate new neurones throughout life (neurogenesis).

Front 21

What three sources support that the brain is more plastic in early development?

Back 21

1. Neural growth in infancy and early childhood.

2. The effect of the environment on brain growth.

3. Recovery from brain damage in infancy and early childhood.

Furthermore, babies sleep a lot in order to focus their energy on brain development.

Front 22

Describe brain spurts.

Back 22

- Last around two years and occur at the ages of 2, 6, 10 and 14.

- Adds about 10% of weight to the brain.

- Neurones establish new and withdraw old connections.

Front 23

Describe plasticity and brain damage.

Back 23

- Full recovery is more likely in early childhood.

- Up to 7 years old a child can recover normal function after hemispherectomy.

- Earlier is better for language.

- Adults can also survive but are likely to suffer issues with mobility and, if on the left side, would lose language communication.

Front 24

What is a genome, chromosome and gene?

Back 24

Genome - the master blueprint for making an entire organism. It provides the option and the environment determines which option is taken.

Chromosomes - structures within the cell body that are made up of DNA, segments of which comprise individual genes.

Genes - the units of heredity that help to determine the characteristics of an organism.

Front 25

Define both homozygous and heterozygous.

Back 25

Homozygous - a person with an identical pair of genes on the two chromosomes.

Heterozygous - a person with an unmatched pair of genes on the two chromosomes.

Front 26

What are dominant and recessive genes?

Back 26

Dominant - shows a strong effect in either the homozygous or heterozygous condition.

Recessive - shows its effect only in the homozygous condition.

Front 27

Describe a mutation and microduplication/microdeletion.

Back 27

Mutation - a heritable change in a DNA molecule.

Microduplication/deletion - part of a chromosome that might appear once, twice or not at all.

Front 28

What is epigenetics?

Back 28

A field that is concerned with changes in gene expression without the modification of the DNA sequence.