Ch. 3 Biopsychology
All of our senses, with the exception of smell, are routed through the ____________before being directed to other areas of the brain for processing
thalamus
medulla, pons, and midbrain together are known as
the brainstem
The hindbrain consists of
the medulla, pons, and cerebellum
theory of evolution by natural selection
the theory states that organisms that are better suited for their environment will survive and reproduce, while those that are poorly suited for their environment will die off.
corpus callosum,
thick band of neural fibers that connects the two hemispheres
Multiple sclerosis
an autoimmune disorder, involves a large-scale loss of the myelin sheath on axons throughout the nervous system. The resulting interference in the electrical signal prevents the quick transmittal of information by neurons
Antipsychotics used to treat schizophrenia are ________ for dopamine
antagonist
Agonists
chemicals that mimic a neurotransmitter at the receptor site and, thus, strengthen its effects.
myelin sheath
coats the axon and acts as an insulator, increasing the speed at which the signal travels
Psychotropic medications
drugs that treat psychiatric symptoms by restoring neurotransmitter balance.
The parietal lobe contains the ________
somatosensory cortex: essential for processing sensory information from across the body, such as touch, temperature, and pain
lateralization
some specialization of function in each hemisphere, mainly regarding differences in language ability
allele
specific version of a gene
epigenetics
studies how the same genotype can be expressed in different ways. In other words, researchers study how the same genotype can lead to very different phenotypes.
cerebral cortex
surface of the brain
The ____________ is involved in preparing the body for stress-related activities
sympathetic nervous system
What are the two parts of the ANS?
sympathetic nervous system parasympathetic nervous system
biological perspective
focus on the physiological causes of behavior assert that psychological disorders like depression and schizophrenia are associated with imbalances in one or more neurotransmitter systems. Use psychotropic drugs
Phineas Gage suffered an injury to his
frontal lobe
nervous system is composed of
glial cells: provide scaffolding on which the nervous system is built, neurons: serve as interconnected information processors that are essential for all of the tasks of the nervous system
sulci
grooves
examples of polygenic traits
height, hair color, skin color, weight
The cerebral cortex is associated with
higher level processes such as consciousness, thought, emotion, reasoning, language, and memory.
The limbic system is made up of three main structures:
hippocampus, the amygdala, and the hypothalamus
reuptake
involves the neurotransmitter being pumped back into the neuron that released it, in order to clear the synapse
Sense of smell projects directly to the ___________ which is associated with memory and and emotion
limbic system
Chromosomes
long strands of DNA
Parkinson's disease is associated with
low levels of dopamine
genetic environmental correlation
our genes influence our environment, and our environment influences the expression of our genes
Range of reaction
our genes set the boundaries within which we can operate, and our environment interacts with the genes to determine where in that range we will fall.
the _____________ is associated with returning the body to routine, day-to-day operations.
parasympathetic nervous system
gyri
pattern of folds or bumps,
The frontal lobe contains the
prefrontal cortex (highe-level cognitive functioning), Broca area (language), and motor cortex (coordinating movements)
The occipital lobe contains the __________
primary visual cortex
longitudinal fissure,
separates the brain into two hemisphere
dendrites
serve as input sites where signals are received from other neurons
Neurons in somatic nervous system
Motor and sensory neurons
Major subdivisions of PNS
Somatic nervous system Autonomous nervous system
phenylketonuria (PKU)
If someone with this condition goes untreated, he or she will experience significant deficits in cognitive function, seizures, and increased risk of various psychiatric disorders. recessive trait.
genes
In each chromosome, genes are sequences of DNA
Serotonin
Involved in: Mood, sleep Effects on behaviors: Modulated mood, suppressed appetite
Dopamine
Involved in: Mood, sleep, learning Effects on behaviors: Increased pleasure, suppressed appetite
Major subdivisions of Nervous System
PNS & CNS
How is epigenetics different from range of reaction?
The epigenetic perspective is very different from range of reaction, because here the genotype is not fixed and limited.
What is the difference between the Wernicke's area and the Broca's area?
Whereas individuals with damage to Broca's area have difficulty producing language, those with damage to Wernicke's area can produce sensible language, but they are unable to understand it
Temporal lobe contains_________
auditory cortex, Wernicke's area
antagonist
blocks or impedes the normal activity of a neurotransmitter at the receptor
Somatic nervous system is associated with what type of activities?
conscious or voluntary
What is the function of the autonomic nervous system?
controls our internal organs and glands and is generally considered to be outside the realm of voluntary control
What is usually treated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
depression