Psychology Chapter 2

The cells that support, protect, and nourish cortical neurons are called _________ ________; also play a role in learning and thinking (think of Albert Einstein example)

glial cells

Sensory neurons

Information arriving in the brain and spinal cord from the body's tissues and sensory receptors travel in these type of neurons

Motor neurons

Instructions from the brain and spinal cord are sent to the body's tissues via these neurons

We must remember, however, that the brain (is/is not) nearly organized into structures that correspond to our categories of behavior. For example, aggressive behavior (does/does not) involve neural activity in many brain levels.

is not; does

Autonomic nervous system

Involuntary, self regulating responses-those of the glands and muscles of internal organs- are controlled by this nervous system

A technique that produces clearer images of the brain (and other body parts) by using magnetic fields and radio waves is known as ____________.

MRI

Which method would be most useful to a researcher attempting to pinpoint the area of the brain that is most critical to speaking aloud? a.) PET b.) MRI c.) EEG

PET

The technique depicting the level of activity of brain areas by measuring the brain's consumption of glucose is called the __________ ____________.

PET scan

corpus callosum

a broad band of nerve fibers joining the two hemispheres of the brain; when severed, the result is referred to as split brain

Electrical stimulation of one side of the ___________ cortex, an arch-shaped region at the back of the _______ lobe, will produce movement on the opposite side of the body. The more precise the control needed, the (smaller/greater) amount of cortical space occupied

motor; frontal; greater

Some of these extensions are insulated by fatty tissue called the _________ __________, which helps speed the neuron's impulses

myelin sheath

Endorphins

natural, opiate-like neurotransmitters that are present in the brain; drugs such as morphine or heroin may stop producing these neurotransmitters

the fluid interior of a resting axon carries mostly (negatively/positively) charged ions, while the fluid outside has mostly (negatively/positively) charged ions. This polarization, called the _______ __________ occurs because the cell membrane is ____________ _____________

negatively; positively; resting potential; selectively permeable

Our body's neural system is built from billions of nerve cells, or ________________

nerves

the brains neurons cluster into work groups called _______________

neural networks

By comparing scans taken less than a second apart, the ____________ _________ detects oxygen-laden bloodflow to the part of the brain thought to control the bodily activity being studied. Using this technique, researchers found that bloodflow to the back of the brain (increase/decrease) when people view a scene because that is where ____________ information is processed.

MRI; increases; visual

The ____________ is an amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain's surface.

EEG

Lolita is feeling depressed for no particular reason. It is possible that she has an undersupply of ________________.

Serotonin

endocrine system

The body's chemical communication network; this system transmits information through chemical messengers called hormones at a much slower pace than the nervous system, and its effects last for a longer time

cerebral cortex

The most complex functions of human behavior are linked to the most developed part of the brain, which is this; this is thin layer of interconnected neural cells that is the body's ultimate control and information processing center

Interneurons

The neurons that enable internal communication within the brain and spinal cord

Several shy neurons send inhibitory message to neighboring neuron Joni. At the same time, a larger group of party-going neurons sends Joni excitatory messages. What will Joni do? A. fire, assuming that her threshold has been reached. B. not fire, even if her threshold has been reached. C. enter a refractory period. D. become hyperpolarized.

a.) fire, assuming that her threshold has been reached

Though there is no "control center" for emotions, their regulation is primarily attributed to the brain region known as... a.) limbic system b.) reticular formation c.) brainstem d.) cerebellum

a.) limbic system

You are able to pull your hand quickly away from hot water before pain is felt because a.) movement of the hand is a reflex that involves intervention of the spinal cord only b.) movement of the hand does not require intervention by the central nervous system c.) the brain reacts quickly to prevent severe injury d.) the autonomic division of the peripheral nervous system intervenes to speed contraction of the muscles of the hand

a.) movement of the hand is a reflex that involves intervention of the spinal cord only

Moruzzi and Magoun caused a cat to lapse into a coma by severing neural connections between the cortex and the A) reticular formation. B) hypothalamus. C) thalamus. D) cerebellum.

a.) reticular formation

I am relatively fast acting chemical messenger that influences muscle action, learning, and memory What am I?

acetylcholine

The neural impulse, or ___________ ____________, is a brief electrical charge that travels down a(n) _________

action potential; axon

Aggression or fear will result from stimulation of different regions of the lima bean-sized neural clusters, the ____________.

amygdala

Areas of the brain that don't receiver sensory information or direct movement but, rather, integrate, interpret, and act on information received by other regions are known as ____________ ___________. Approximately ___________ of the human cortex is of this type. Such areas in the __________ lobe are involved in judging, planning, and processing of new memories and in some aspects of a person's personality. In the ___________ lobe, these areas enable mathematical and spatial reasoning, and an area of the _____________ lobe enables us to recognize faces

associator areas; 3/4; frontal; parietal; temporal

Reflexes

automatic responses to stimuli that illustrate the work of the spinal cord

The extension of a neuron that transmits information to other neurons is the _____________

axon

Which method would be most useful to a neurologist attempting to to locate a tumor in a patient's brain? a.) PET b.) MRI c.) EEG

b.) MRI

Which of the following was a major problem with phrenology? a.) It was "ahead of its time" and no one believed it could be true b.) The brain is not neatly organized into structures that correspond to our categories of behavior c.) The brains of humans and animals are much less similar than the theory implied d.) All of the above

b.) The brain is not neatly organized into structures that correspond to our categories of behavior

Your brother has been taking prescription medicine and experiencing a number of unpleasant side effects, including unusually rapid heartbeat and excessive perspiration. It is likely that the medicine is exaggerating activity in the a.) central nervous system b.) sympathetic nervous system c.) parasympathetic nervous system d.) somatic nervous system

b.) sympathetic nervous system

Researchers who study the links between biology and behavior are working from the _____________ ________________

biological perspective

Nerves from each side of the brain cross over to connect with the body's opposite side in the _____________.

brainstem

The part of the human brain that is most like that of a fish is the a.) cortex b.) amygdala c.) brainstem d.) right hemisphere

c.) brainstem

Following a head injury, a person has ongoing difficulties staying awake. Most likely, the damage occurred to the a.) thalamus b.) corpus callosum c.) reticular formation d.) cerebellum

c.) reticular formation

Charles Sherrington

called the meeting point between neurons a synapse and the gap is called the synaptic gap

At the rear of the brainstem lies the ____________. Along with the _______ _______________, it enables ____________ _______________ and skill memory. It also helps us judge time, modulate our ______________, and discriminate sounds and textures; and (with help from the pons) it coordinate voluntary _________________.

cerebellum; basal ganglia; nonverbal learning; emotions; movement

Neurotransmitters

chemical messengers that convey information across the gaps between neurons. They bind to receptor sites and unlock tiny channels, allowing electrically charged atoms to enter the neuron

The lower brain functions occur without ____________ effort, indicating that our brains process most information (inside/outside) our awareness.

conscious; outside

Jessica experienced difficulty keeping her balance after receiving a blow to the back of her head. It is likely that she injured her a.) medulla b.) thalamus c.) hypothalamus d.) cerebellum

d.) cerebellum

Someone working from the biological perspective would be more likely to study... a.) how you learn to express emotions b.) how to help people overcome emotional disorders c.) life-span changes in the expression of emotion d.) the chemical changes the accompany emotions

d.) the chemical changes the accompany emotions

The extensions of a neuron that receive messages from other neurons are the _______________

dendrites

The brain (does/does not) act as a unified whole

does not

The strength of a stimulus (does not/does) affect the intensity of a neural impulse. A strong stimulus (can/cannot) trigger more neurons to fire and to fire more often

does not; can

Antagonists

drugs that decrease the neurotransmitter's action by occupying their receptor sites

Agonists

drugs that increase the action of a neurotransmitter

To trigger a neural impulse, __________ signals minus ____________ signals must exceed a certain intensity, called the _______________. Increasing a stimulus above this level (will/will not) increase the neural impulse's intensity. This phenomenon is called an ___________ - ___ - __________ response.

excitatory; inhibitory; threshold; will not; all-or-none

Neurotransmitters influence neurons either by ___________ or __________ their readiness to fire.

exciting or inhibiting

in a moment of danger, the autonomic nervous system orders the adrenal glands to release epinephrine and norepinephrine. These hormones increase _______ ___________, ______ ___________, and __________ __________

heart rate, blood sugar, blood pressure

below the thalamus is the __________, which regulates bodily maintenance behaviors such as ____________, _____________, ___________ ___________, and _____________ behavior. This area also regulates behavior by secreting ____________ that enable it to control the ____________ gland. Olds and Milner discovered that this region also contains _________ centers, which animals will work hard to have stimulated.

hypothalamus; hunger; thirst; body temperature; sexual; hormones; master; reward

Say Malcolm has been taking a drug prescribed by his doctor, he has been depressed. His doctor explains that this is because the drug

inhibits release of dopamine

Because damage to the ____________ hemisphere will impair such important functions as reading, writing, speaking, arithmetic reasoning, and understanding, the ________ hemisphere was thought to be a subordinate or minor hemisphere

left; right

When the "two minds" of a split brain are at odds, the ____________ hemisphere tries to rationalize what it doesn't understand. The ____________ hemisphere often acts on autopilot; it acts first then explains itself. This phenomenon demonstrates that the ____________ mind (can/cannot) control our behavior.

left; right; can

researchers sometimes study brain function by producing ___________ or by selectively destroying brain cells. the oldest technique for studying the brain involves ____________ ________________ of patients with brain injuries or diaseases

lesions; clinical observations

Between the brainstem and cerebral hemispheres is the ____________ system. One component of this system that processes memory is the _________.

limbic; hippocampus

Although the left hemisphere is better at making ___________ _____________ of language, the right hemisphere excels in making inferences, modulating our ___________, and orchestrating our ___________-______________________

literal interpretations; speech; self-awareness

peripheral nervous system

made up of neurons that link the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body

Central nervous sytem

made up of the brain and spinal cord

At the base of the brainstem, where the spinal cord enters the skull, lies the ____________, which controls ____________ and ____________. Just above this part is the ____________, which helps coordinate movements and control sleep.

medulla; heart beat; breathing; pons

Acetylcholine

neurotransmitter that enables muscle contraction, learning, and memory

Research has later revealed other reward centers centers, such as the _____________ ____________ in front of the hypothalamus

nucleus accumbers

Visual information is received in the _____________ lobes, whereas auditory information is receiver in the ___________ lobes

occipital; temporal

Brainstem

oldest and innermost brain region

Punjab had lunch at the local Chinese restaurant. Afterward, he suffered a migraine, most likely caused by a(n) ___________ of ________________

oversupply; glutamate

The __________ division of the automatic nervous system produced relaxation. These systems work together to keep us in a steady internal state called _______________

parasympathetic; homeostasis

The most influential gland is the ___________, which, under the control of an adjacent brain area called the _____________, helps regulate __________ and the release of other endocrine glands. The hormone ____________ enables contractions associated with birthing, milk flow during nursing, and orgasm. It also promotes _______ ________ and __________ ________________

pituitary; hypothalamus; growth; oxytocin; pair bonding; social trust

An action potential occurs when the first part of the axon opens its gates and (negatively/positively) charged ions rush in, causing that part of the neuron to become ________________. During the resting pause following an action potential, called the _____________ ______________, the neuron pumps (negatively/positively) charged ions back outside the cell

positively; depolarized; refractory period; positively

A network of neurons, the ___________ ____________, extends from the spinal cord right up through brainstem and into the thalamus and plays an important role in controlling __________. Electrically stimulating this area will produce an __________ animal. Lesioning this area will cause an animal to lapse into a ___________.

reticular formation; arousal; alert; coma

Some researchers believe that substance use disorders, binge eating, and other addictive disorders may stem from a genetic _____________ _____________ ______________ in the natural brain systems for pleasure and well being.

reward deficiency syndrome

In a split-brain patient, only the ____________ hemisphere will be aware of an unseen object held in the left hand. In this case, the person would not be able to ________ the object. When different words are shown in the left and right visual fields, if the patient fixates on a point on the center line between the fields, the patient will be able to say only the word shown on the ___________.

right; name; right

At the front of the parietal lobes lies the ___________ cortex, which, when stimulated, elicits a sensation of _________. The more sensitive a body region, the greater the area of _____________ _____________ devoted to it.

sensory; touch; sensory cortex

We are made up of smaller and smaller __________________; we are also part of larger ________________. Thus, we are ________________ systems.

subsystems; systems; biopsychosocial

The body is made ready for action by the _____________ division of the autonomic nervous system

sympathetic

At the top of the brainstem sits the ____________, which serves as the brain's sensory switchboard, receiving information from all the senses except ____________ and routing it to the regions dealing with those senses. These egg-shaped structures also receive replies from the higher regions, which they direct to the ____________ and to the ____________.

thalamus; smell; medulla; cerebellum

brain plasticity

the ability of other parts of the brain to take over functions of damaged regions; especially apparent in young children

somatic nervous system

the division of the peripheral nervous system that enables voluntary control the body's skeletal muscles

Reuptake

the process in which excess neurotransmitters are reabsorbed by the sending neuron