Unit 2- Biological Bases of Behavior
Agonist
A chemical that mimics the action of a neurotransmitter.
REM rebound
A condition of increased REM sleep caused by REM-sleep deprivation.
limbic system
A doughnut-shaped system of neural structures at the border of the brainstem and cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions such as fear and aggression and drives such as those for food and sex. Includes the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus.
cerebellum
A large structure of the hindbrain that controls fine motor skills.
myelin sheath
A layer of fatty tissue segmentally encasing the fibers of many neurons; enables vastly greater transmission speed of neural impulses as the impulse hops from one node to the next.
natural selection
A process in which individuals that have certain inherited traits tend to survive and reproduce at higher rates than other individuals because of those traits.
temporal lobe
A region of the cerebral cortex responsible for hearing and language.
frontal lobe
A region of the cerebral cortex that has specialized areas for movement, abstract thinking, planning, memory, and judgement
occipital lobe
A region of the cerebral cortex that processes visual information
fMRI
A technique for revealing blood flow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans.
serotonin
Affects mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal.
EEG
An amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain's surface. These waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp.
axons
Carry impulses away from the cell body
Interneurons
Central nervous system neurons that internally communicate and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs
pituitary gland
Controls growth and produces/releases hormones such as oxytocin, which promotes pair bonding and social trust.
Hypothalamus
Controls the pituitary gland and is very significant in our endocrine system. It releases hormones and has a lot to do with the "4 Fs:" Fighting, Fleeing, Feeding, Mating
NREM-2
Deeper into sleep, bursts of brain activity (sleep spindles)
NREM-3
Deepest sleep characterized by deep and slow delta waves.
stimulants
Drugs (such as caffeine, nicotine, and the more powerful amphetamines, cocaine, and Ecstasy) that excite neural activity and speed up body functions.
Acetylcholine
Enables muscle action, learning, and memory.
NREM-1
Falling into unconsciousness, easily awakened.
Norepinephrine
Helps control alertness and arousal
Dopamine
Influences movement, learning, attention, and emotion.
pons
Part of the brainstem that controls movement
pineal gland
Produces melatonin and helps regulate your circadian rhythm
REM sleep
Rapid eye movement sleep, a recurring sleep stage during which vivid dreams commonly occur. Also known as paradoxical sleep, because the muscles are relaxed (except for minor twitches) but other body systems are active.
pancreas
Regulates the level of blood sugar and releases a hormone called insulin. It also helps with digestion!
basil ganglia
Similar to cerebellum - controls movement, balance, implicit memory, and a little bit of emotion.
Cerebral cortex
The intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the cerebral hemispheres; the body's ultimate control and information-processing center.
cell body (soma)
The neuron's support center
adrenal glands
These glands trigger our flight or fight responses. They also release epinephrine and norepinephrine.
Parathyroids
They simply regulate the level of calcium in your blood!
psychoactive drug
a chemical substance that alters perceptions and moods
Antagonist
a chemical substance that blocks or reduces the effects of a neurotransmitter
split brain
a condition resulting from surgery that isolates the brain's two hemispheres by cutting the fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) connecting them
CAT scan
a method of creating static images of the brain through computerized axial tomography
neurons
a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system
reticular formation
a nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal
action potential
a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon
dendrites
a neuron's bushy, branching extensions that receive messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body
all-or-none response
a neuron's reaction of either firing (with a full-strength response) or not firing.
reuptake
a neurotransmitter's reabsorption by the sending neuron
refractory period
a period of inactivity after a neuron has fired
LSD
a powerful hallucinogenic drug; also known as acid (lysergic acid diethylamide)
Methamphetamine
a powerfully addictive drug that stimulates the central nervous system, with speeded-up body functions and associated energy and mood changes; over time, appears to reduce baseline dopamine levels
mutations
a random error in gene replication that leads to a change
reflex
a simple, automatic response to a sensory stimulus, such as the knee-jerk response
sleep apnea
a sleep disorder characterized by temporary cessations of breathing during sleep and repeated momentary awakenings
Nicotine
a stimulating and highly addictive psychoactive drug in tobacco
Ecstasy (MDMA)
a synthetic stimulant and mild hallucinogen. Produces euphoria and social intimacy, but with short-term health risks and longer-term harm to serotonin-producing neurons and to mood and cognition.
MRI
a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images that distinguish among different types of soft tissue; allows us to see structures within the brain
PET
a visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task
night terrors
abrupt awakenings with panic and intense emotional arousal
manifest content
according to Freud, the remembered story line of a dream
latent content
according to Freud, the underlying meaning of a dream
thyroid gland
affects metabolism.
alcohol use disorder
alcohol use marked by tolerance, withdrawal, and a drive to continue problematic use
genome
all of an organism's genetic material
near-death experience
an altered state of consciousness reported after a close brush with death (such as through cardiac arrest); often similar to drug-induced hallucinations
motor cortex
an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements
somatosensory cortex
area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations
association areas
areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions; rather, they are involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking
twin/adoption study
behavioral genetic research strategy that involves comparing the similarities of identical twin pairs adopted into different families, to determine the genetic contribution to a given trait
nerves
bundled axons that form neural "cables" connecting the central nervous system with muscles, glands, and sense organs
glial cells
cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons
Neurotrasmitters
chemical found in the synaptic vesicles that, when released, has an effect on the next cell
hormones
chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands, travel through the bloodstream, and affect other tissues
psychoactive drugs
chemicals that affect the central nervous system and alter activity in the brain
William James
coined the term "stream of consciousness." He is considered the Father of American Psychology.
addiction
compulsive drug craving and use
substance use disorder
continued substance craving and use despite significant life disruption and/or physical risk
Paul Broca
discovered the Broca's area in the brain, which is associated with language and speaking.
depressants
drugs (such as alcohol, barbiturates, and opiates) that reduce neural activity and slow body functions
Barbiturates
drugs that depress the activity of the central nervous system, reducing anxiety but impairing memory and judgment
Amphetamines
drugs that stimulate neural activity, causing speeded-up body functions and associated energy and mood changes
environment
every nongenetic influence, from prenatal nutrition to the people and things around us
Sigmund Freud
father of psychoanalysis and studied many areas of psychology through his psychoanalytic perspective. He came up with three levels of consciousness: the conscious, preconscious, and the unconscious.
Michaek Gazzaniga
helped with the understanding of lateralization. He also worked with split-brain patients to advance his research and began to understand how the two hemispheres of the brain work together.
Charles Darwin
is known for his principle of natural selection and his other contributions to evolution. He established the idea that all species of life come from the same ancestor.
Wernicke's area
language comprehension
endorphins
natural, opiate-like neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure
sensory (afferent) neurons
neurons that carry incoming information from the sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord
motor (efferent) neurons
neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands
Opiates
opium and its derivatives, such as morphine and heroin; they depress neural activity, temporarily lessening pain and anxiety
consciousness
our awareness of ourselves and our environment
hallucinogens
psychedelic drugs, such as LSD, that distort perceptions and evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory input
alpha waves
slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake state
Broca's area
speech production
Carl Wernicke
studied nerve disease and parts of the brain. He discovered Wernicke's area which is essential in understanding language and speech.
medulla
the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing
genes
the biochemical units of heredity that make up the chromosomes; a segment of DNA capable of synthesizing a protein
circadian rhythm
the biological clock; regular bodily rhythms that occur on a 24-hour cycle
endocrine system
the body's "slow" chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream
nervous system
the body's speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems
Plasticity
the brain's ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience
thalamus
the brain's sensory switchboard, located on top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla
tolerance
the diminishing effect with regular use of the same dose of a drug, requiring the user to take larger and larger doses before experiencing the drug's effect
sympathetic nervous system
the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations
parasympathetic nervous system
the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy
somatic nervous system
the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's skeletal muscles
neurogenesis
the formation of new neurons
cognitive neuroscience
the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking, memory, and language)
synapse
the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron
corpus callosum
the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them
delta waves
the large, slow brain waves associated with deep sleep
threshold
the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse
THC
the major active ingredient in marijuana; triggers a variety of effects, including mild hallucinations
brainstem
the oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; the brainstem is responsible for automatic survival functions
autonomic nervous system
the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs (such as the heart). Its sympathetic division arouses; its parasympathetic division calms.
dual processing
the principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks
Testies and ovaries
the study of environmental influences on gene expression that occur without a DNA change
epigenetics
the study of influences on gene expression that occur without a DNA change
chromosomes
threadlike structures made of DNA molecules that contain the genes
lesion
tissue destruction
pariatal lobe
touch
amygdala
two lima bean-sized neural clusters in the limbic system; linked to emotion.
Narcolepsy
uncontrollable sleep attacks
Roger Sperry
was one of the few key neuropsychologists to claim that we have two brain hemispheres and each has its own specialized functions. He studied split-brain patients and conducted experiments to learn more about each half of the brain. He actually won a Nobel Prize for his research.