Psychology Chapter 2 Exam Review

- Describe the structure, function, and location of the hypothalamus and pituitary gland.

Hypothalamus is right above the brainstem in the lower region of brain. Pituitary gland is attached to bottom of hypothalamus. Hypothalamus controls autonomic nervous system and is involved in drives vital to survival. Pituitary gland releases hormones and regulates other endocrine glands

Describe why the two hemispheres of the brain are allies rather than opposites.

Because they both have a role to play in the processing of info and sharing it with the other side of the brain

Describe each of the three main parts of a neuron and explain their functions.

Dendrites, cell body, and axon. Dendrites recieve info from other neurons + transmit message toward cell body. Cell Body keeps neurons alive + determines whether it should fire. Axons transmit messages away from the cell body to other neurons or to muscles or glands.

Summarize the effects of some of the main neurotransmitters in the brain, and list four hormones that influence behavior.

Dopamine affects neurons that are involved in voluntary movement, learning, memory, emotion, and pleasure or reward. Serotonin affects neurons involved in stabilizing mood, emotions, eating, and digesting. It sends messages between nerve cells. GABA is a major neurotransmitter in the brain and helps control depression and anxiety. It blocks or inhibits certain brain signals. Four hormones that influence behavior are oxytocin, melatonin, sex hormones, and endorphins.

Describe three techniques researchers use for manipulating the brain and observing the behavior that results.

Electroencephalogram - a recording of neural activity detected by electrodes. Lesion Behavior - removal or disabling of a brain structure to gain better understanding of its function, only used in nonhuman animals. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation - manipulate brain cells using powerful magnetic field produced by a wire coil placed on a person's head.

Explain how stem cells contribute to the process of neurogenesis.

Neurogenesis is the process by which neurons are produced by neural stem cells. Stem cells can renew themselves indefinitely and form neural stem cells to produce neurons through the process of neurogenesis.

Compare the functions of neurons and glial cells.

Neurons are the brains communication specialists. They transmit info to, from, and withing the central nervous system while glial cells provide the neurons with nutrients, insulate them, protect the brain from toxic agents, and remove cellular debris when neurons die. Neurons and glial cells communicate with eachother chemically.

Outline the process by which neurons communicate with each other, and explain the basic functions of the synapse, action potential, synaptic vesicles, and neurotransmitters.

Neurons communicate with each other through changes in electrical voltage in the action potential that alerts the neurotransmitters to chemically send messages. Synapse site where transmission of a nerve impulse from one nerve cell to another occurs. Action potential is a brief change in electrical voltage that occurs between the inside+outside of an axon when a neuron is stimulated. Synaptic vessels store neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters alter the activity of a receiving neuron through a chemical release.

Describe five techniques researchers use for manipulating behavior and observing the effects on the brain.

Pet Scan - method for analyzing biochemical activity in the brain. MRI - form of medical imaging that that uses magnetic fields and special radio receivers to turn them into an image of the brain through a computer. Functional MRI - produces an image of the brain just like an MRI but at a much higher rate. Event Related Potentials - technique that isolates neural activity associated with a specific stimulus.

List and describe three main structures in the brain stem, explain the primary functions each structure performs, and discuss the processes controlled by the cerebellum.

Pons, medulla, and reticular activating system (RAS). Pons are involved in sleeping, waking, and dreaming. Medulla responsible for certain autonomic functions such as breathing and heart rate. RAS is a dense network of neurons found in the core of the brain stem arouses cortex, and screens incoming info. Cerebellum processes info from the brain for balance and movement.

Describe the primary functions of the central nervous system and name its two main structures.

The central nervous system receives, processes, interprets, and stores incoming sensory information. The two main structures are the brain and the spinal cord.

Define neural plasticity and summarize some of the main evidence that the brain has the ability to change in response to new experiences.

brains ability to change and adapt in response to experience by reorganizing or growing new neural connections. Most pronounced in infancy because it makes new connections and adjustments in the brain.

Discuss the relationship between cultural forces and brain function.

cultural forces create different patterns of behavior, perception, and cognition like in bilingual people who use different parts of the brain for each language

Describe the structure of the cerebrum and explain the function of the corpus callosum.

largest and uppermost portion of the brain consists of cerebral cortex (two hemispheres), corpus callosum - bundle of nerve fibers in charge of our higher forms of thinking.

Describe the structure, function, and location of the hippocampus.

located in medial temporal lobe of the brain, curled structure. Responsible for storage of new info in memory, comparing sensory info with what the brain expects of the world. enabling us to form special memories for navigating the environment.

Split Brain Experiment

patients were presented with info to one or the other sides of their brain. Resulted in revealing that the left and right hemispheres in the brain are good at different things.

List the major structures and major divisions of the peripheral nervous system and describe their primary functions.

peripheral nervous system is divided into two parts the somatic and autonomic. Autonomic nervous system can be divided into the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system. The somatic nervous system is responsible for carrying motor and sensory information both to and from the central nervous system. The autonomic nervous system is responsible for involuntary functions that are critical for survival like heart rate and digestion. The sympathetic prepares the body to expend energy and the parasympathetic restores and conserves energy.

amygdala

responsible for regulating emotion, arousal, and emotional response to sensory information. Almond shaped located deep in the temporal lobes of the brain

Summarize cautions surrounding the conclusion that sex differences in the brain are linked to sex differences in behavior.

some male-female differences in the brain can be the result of behavior difference not the cause. Does not necessarily produce a difference in behavior or performance.

Describe the structure, function, and location of the thalamus.

structure of gray matter near front of the brain. relays sensory messages to cerebral cortex.