psychology chapter 4

the subdivision of the peripheral nervous system that connects to sensory receptors and to skeletal muscles; sometimes called the skeletal nervous system

somatic nervous system

The limbic system was traditionally linked to:

emotional reactions.

Picking up the vibrations in the nuclei of atoms making up the organs is the way in which the _____________ can map the structures of the brain.

MRI.

Which of the following has actually been found to support men's superior spatial ability (rotating mental objects and reading maps)?

more cortical neurons in men.

summarize the functions of the brain's two hemispheres, and explain the relationship between the two hemispheres

In most people, language is processed in the left hemisphere and the left specializes in logic, symbolic, and sequential tasks. The right hemisphere handles spatial-visual tasks, facial recognition, and the creation and appreciation of art and music. In most cases, the two hemispheres work as partners.

list and describe techniques that psychologists use to study brain functions

Researchers study the brain using transcranial magnetic stimulations (TMS), transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), electroencephalograms (EEGs), positrons emission tomography (PET scans), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and functioning magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). TMS stimulates or temporarily disrupts specific neural circuits by delivering a large current through a wire coil on a person's head. PET scans record biochemical changes in the brain as they are happening. EEGs is when devices are taped on the scalp to detect electrical activity in particular parts of the brain. MRI's use powerful magnetic fields and radio frequencies to take very detailed pictures of bodily organs.

which of the following neurotransmitters affect neurons involved in voluntary movement, learning, memory, emotion, and possibly, response to novelty?

dopamine

A patient with epilepsy had successful split-brain surgery. In a laboratory study where the left half of a picture was a girl and the right half was a boy, what did the patient verbally answer when asked to say what they saw?

a boy because the left hemisphere contains the language center.

describe the structure of a neuron and explain how the impulses are transmitted from one neuron to another

a neuron is structured with three main parts: dendrites, cell body, and axon. The dendrites receive messages from as many as 10,000 other nerve cells and transmitting those messages towards the cell body. The cell body contains genetic info and controls the cell's growth and reproduction. The axon transmits messages away from the cell body to other neurons or to muscle or gland cells. Chemical neurotransmitters help the impulse to "jump" across the space between the cells.

The sympathetic nervous system acts like the _______________ of a car, whereas the parasympathetic nervous system acts more like a(n) _______________.

accelerator, brake

Which of the following neurotransmitters has been associated with the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease?

acetylcholine.

The extending fiber that conducts impulses away from the cell body and towards other neurons:

axon.

Which of the following neurotransmitters has been associated with the symptoms of Parkinson's disease?

dopamine.

summarize the evidence for sex differences in the brain, and explain how any differences might affect behavior

brain differences for both sexes do not account for the fact that behavioral differences depend on the situation. Findings on the brain differences have been accepted, but fail to replicate. The biological differences do not explain behavioral differences. Experiences in sex differences could account for brain organization and function, but not the other way around.

The part of the brain at the top of the spinal cord is called the

brain stem

this portion of the nervous system consisting of the brain and spinal cord

central nervous system

Damage to this area would make one look clumsy and uncoordinated:

cerebellum.

The central nervous system:

consists of the brain and spinal cord.

The peripheral nervous system:

consists of the somatic and autonomic nervous systems.

The role of the somatic nervous system is to:

control the skeletal nervous system associated with voluntary action.

The split brain experiments relied on severing what bundle of fibers that connects the two hemispheres?

corpus callosum.

The role of the parasympathetic nervous system is to:

deactivate or turn down the arousal of the sympathetic nervous system.

The ________ receives messages from the other nerve cells, and the ___________transmits messages to other neurons:

dendrite; axon.

a neuron's branches that receive information from other neurons and transmit it towards the cell body

dendrites

a recording of neural activity detected by electrodes

electrocephalogram

Although John was injured while attempting to save a child from a burning house, he was not aware of the pain of his injury. This reduction of pain was likely due to:

endorphins which are endogenous morphine like substances.

Which of the following lobes are involved in the ability to do a series of tasks in proper sequence and then to stop doing these tasks at the proper time?

frontal lobes

cells that support, nurture, and insulate neurons, remove debris when neurons die, enhance the formation and maintenance of neural connections, and modify neuronal functioning

glia

describe the expanded roles of glial cells and know about neurogenesis and stem research

glial cells provide neurons with nutrients, insulate them, help them grow, protect the brain from toxic agents, and remove cellular debris when neurons die. neurogenesis is the production of new neurons from immature stem cells. stem-cell research is a very hot area in biology and neuroscience.

Fred suffered brain damage to an area that resulted in the inability to store new information into memory (although he could recall memories stored before his injury). The structure that was damaged is most likely the:

hippocampus

Which structure is sometimes called the "gateway to memory"?

hippocampus

Your ability to remember what you have previously learned for this test is due to the action of the ______.

hippocampus.

chemical substances, secreted by organs called glands, that affect the functioning of other organs

hormones

describe the role of hormones

hormones have a lot of jobs including anything from promoting bodily growth to aiding digestion to regulating metabolism.

The action potential

is a brief change in electrical voltage that produces an impulse.

The myelin sheath

is a fatty substance protecting the dendrites

If Hiroshi's brain is like that of most people, then language will be handled by this

left hemisphere

Execution by hanging works because the pathways in the ____________ are severed and breathing stops.

medulla.

Which of the following is responsible for basic bodily functions like breathing:

medulla.

describe the role of neuromodulators like endorphins

neuromodulators like endorphins reduce pain in situations in order for endorphins to give a species an evolutionary advantage. neuromodulators are neurochemicals that modulate the functioning of neurons and neurotransmitters

a cell that conducts electrochemical signals; the basic unit of the nervous system (nerve cell)

neuron

When a neural impulse reaches the end of an axon, it causes the tiny oval sacs at the end of the axon to release chemicals called

neurotransmitters

describe the role of neurotransmitters

neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that carry, boost, and balance a signal that is sent between neurons and target cells throughout the body.

the subdivision of the autonomic nervous system, that operates during relaxed states and that conserve energy

parasympathetic nervous system

Which of the following is most likely associated with a relaxed state?

parasympathetic nervous system.

Information about pressure, pain, and touch are received in which of the following?

parietal lobe.

all portions of the nervous system outside the brain and spinal cord; it includes sensory and motor nerves

peripheral nervous system

the brain's ability to change and adapt in response to experience, by reorganizing or growing new neural connections

plasticity

explain how plasticity is expressed in development, as well as dealing with brain impairments and injuries

plasticity is the brain's ability to change in response to new situations and is most profound in infancy and childhood, but continues throughout your life. Plasticity has caused people with brain damage to have remarkable recoveries and the brains rewire themselves to adapt to the damage.

The ability of blind people to use the occipital lobe to enhance the ability to localize sounds:

plasticity.

a structure in the brain stem involved in, among other things, sleeping, waking, and dreaming

pons

Concerning the Phineas Gage accident, the iron bar was shot through his _________, which is involved in ___________:

prefrontal lobe; social judgment and rational thinking.

The temporal lobe of the cerebral cortex is responsible for:

processing sounds and language comprehension.

The PET Scan (Positron-Emission Tomography) works by:

recording biochemical activity in the brain via radioactive glucose.

an EEG

shows different activity associated with sleep, relaxation, and mental concentration

what is the somatic nervous system

somatic nervous system (skeletal nervous system) consists of nerves that are connected to sensory receptors (cells that enable you to sense the world) and also to the skeletal muscles that permit voluntary action (ex. when you feel a bug on your arm).

Although it has been learned that the two hemispheres work cooperatively with each other to produce our behavior, the right hemisphere is superior in:

spatial-visual ability like reading a map.

Cameron touches a hot iron and immediately pulls his hand away. His quick response occurs because

spinal reflexes are automatic, requiring no conscious effort.

the site where transmission of a nerve impulse from one nerve to another occurs; it includes the axon terminal, the synaptic cleft, and receptor sites in the membrane of the receiving cell

synapse

what is the autonomic nervous system

the anatomic nervous system regulates the functioning of blood vessels, glands, and internal (visceral) organs such as bladder, stomach, and heart (ex. when you see someone that you have a crush on and your heart pounds). the autonomic nervous system is divided into two parts: sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system.

describe the main features and functions of the central nervous system

the central nervous system includes the brain and spinal cord which receives, processes, interprets, and stores incoming sensory information which is info about taste, sound, smells, color, pressure on skin, state of internal organs, and so forth.

what is the parasympathetic nervous system

the parasympathetic system is more like a brake and tends to slow things down and keep them running smoothly in order to enable the body to conserve and store energy

describe the main features and functions of the peripheral nervous systems

the peripheral nervous system handles the input and output of the central nervous system. The peripheral nervous system contains all portions of the nervous system outside of the brain and spinal cord, right down to nerves in the tips of fingers and toes. In the peripheral nervous system, sensory nerves carry messages from special receptors in the skin, muscles, and other internal and external sense organs to the spinal cord, which sends them along to the brain.

Broca's area refers to:

the region in the frontal lobe that handles speech production.

The synapse is best described as:

the site where the transmission of a nerve impulse from one nerve cell to another occurs.

Lateralization refers to:

the specializations of the two hemispheres.

what is the sympathetic nervous system

the sympathetic system acts like a car's accelerator, unit mobilizes the body for action and an output of energy (makes you blush, sweat, increased heart rate).

list and describe the location and function of each of the major portions of the brain

the three main parts of the brain are the cerebrum, cerebellum, and the brain stem. The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain located at the top of the head and it is in charge of most sensory, motor, and cognitive processes. The cerebellum is located at the bottom back of the head and it regulates movement and balance and is involved in some cognitive tasks. The brain stem is at the top of the the spinal cord and contains the medulla (responsible for certain automatic functions, such as breathing and heart rate) and the pons (involved in sleeping, waking, and dreaming).