psy week 3

Neurotransmitter: Dopamine (1)Involved in (2)Potential Effect on Behavior

(1)Mood, sleep, learning (2)Increased pleasure, suppressed appetite

If the signal exceeds threshold, it is pushed out of the cell body and down the ________ (1) toward the __________ (2) between this neuron and the next one.

(1)axon (2)synapse

Larry and Claire are hiking on a trail in the Rocky Mountains. As they walk, the trail becomes less distinguishable and is overgrown with brush. Suddenly, a man holding an axe jumps in front of them. This scares both of them; their hearts begin to pump faster and their breathing increases. They begin running in the opposite direction to get away from the man. Larry and Claire's response to run away was triggered by the ________ division of the ________ nervous system, which stimulated the ________ gland to produce the hormones ________.

1) Sympathetic 2)autonomic 3)adrenal 4) norepinephrine 5) epinephrine

As Larry and Claire begin to run, they hear the man calling them. He yells, "Wait! I didn't mean to scare you. I am a forest ranger, trying the clear part of this trail. Please don't run away." Larry and Claire stop running and turn around to look at the man. They notice that he is dressed in a typical forest ranger uniform and see his identification badge. Not feeling threatened any longer, both Larry and Claire begin to feel "calmed down" and walk back toward the forest ranger to resume their hike on the trail. Their heart rate and breathing began to return to a natural balance in their bodies. These new feelings were triggered by the ________ division of the ________ nervous system, which communicated with the activated ________ gland to stop secreting the energy-producing hormones. The question has been evaluated. Your choice is correct. Multiple Choice Question

1) parasympathetic 2) autonomic 3)adrenal

Neurotransmitter: Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA (1)Involved in (2)Potential Effect on Behavior

1)Brain function, sleep 2) Decreased anxiety, decreased tension

Neurotransmitter: Glutamate (1)Involved in (2)Potential Effect on Behavior

1)Memory, learning 2)Increased learning, enhanced memory

Neurotransmitter: Beta-endorphin (1)Involved in (2)Potential Effect on Behavior

1)Pain, pleasure 2)Decreased anxiety, decreased tension

The part of the nervous system that prepares the body to respond to threatening events is the ________ division, and the part that helps the body to maintain a normal state of balance is the ________ division.

1)Sympathetic 2) parasympathetic

________, which play a supportive role in the nervous system, vastly outnumber ________.

1.) Glial cells 2.) Neurons

Neurotransmitter: Serotonin (1)Involved in (2)Potential Effect on Behavior

1.) Mood, sleep 2.) Modulated mood, suppressed appetite

When resting, the inside of a cell has a ________ charge. During action potential, the cell briefly has a ________ charge.

1.) Negative 2.) Positive

Neurotransmitter: Norepinephrine (1)Involved in (2)Potential Effect on Behavior

1.)Heart, intestines, alertness 2.)Increased arousal, suppressed appetite

An action potential involves Sodium moving ________ the cell and Potassium moving ________ the cell.

1.)Inside 2.) Outside

Neurotransmitter: Acetylcholine (1)Involved in (2)Potential Effect on Behavior

1.)Muscle action, memory 2.)Increased arousal, enhanced cognition

The site where dendrites receive signals from other neurons is the 1_________ . This information is then processed in the 2__________ , and if the signal is strong enough, the message is pushed through and travels down the 3___________ . The signal travels to the end of the axon to the4_________ where another signal triggers neurotransmitters to be released, passing through the synaptic cleft onto the5 __________ of another neuron.

1.)Synapses 2.)cell body (soma) 3.)axon 4.)terminal buttons 5.)Dendrites

hemisphere

: left or right half of the brain

A(n) ________ facilitates or mimics the activity of a given neurotransmitter system.

Agoinists

Which is primarily responsible for regulating our perceptions of and reactions to aggression and fear?

Amygdala

Cocaine has two effects on synaptic transmission: it impairs reuptake of dopamine and it causes more dopamine to be released into the synapse. Would cocaine be classified as an agonist or antagonist? Why?

As a reuptake inhibitor, cocaine blocks the normal activity of dopamine at the receptor. The function causing more dopamine to be released into the synapse is agonist because it mimics and strengthens the effect of the neurotransmitter. Cocaine would be considered an agonist because by preventing the enzymatic degradation of the neurotransmitters, it increases the potential time that these neurotransmitters might be active in the synapse.

A psychologist who studies the interaction between hormones and behavior is called a

Behavioral endocrinalogist

Chemical messengers are used in both the nervous system and the endocrine system. What properties do these two systems share? What properties are different? Which one would be faster? Which one would result in long-lasting changes?

Both systems involve chemical messengers that must interact with receptors in order to have an effect. The relative proximity of the release site and target tissue varies dramatically between the two systems. In neurotransmission, reuptake and enzymatic breakdown immediately clear the synapse. Metabolism of hormones must occur in the liver. Therefore, while neurotransmission is much more rapid in signaling information, hormonal signaling can persist for quite some time as the concentrations of the hormone in the bloodstream vary gradually over time.

The central nervous system is comprised of the ________.

Brain and spinal cord

The wrinkly surface of the brain is called the ________.

Cerebral cortex

What are the implications of compromised immune function as a result of exposure to chronic stress?

Chronic stress can lead to increased susceptibility to bacterial and viral infections, and potentially an increased risk of cancer. Ultimately, this could be a vicious cycle with stress leading to increased risk of disease, disease states leading to increased stress and so on.

Which of the following is the correct order of events describing the movement of an electrical charge through a neuron?

Dendrite, cell body, axon

A technique that records the electrical activity produced by the brain's neurons through the use of electrodes placed on the surface of the head is called ________.

EEG

Which type of brain imaging is especially helpful in the study of sleep disorders?

EEG

The motor cortex sends messages to specific regions of the body to create movement. In which part of the cerebral cortex is it located?

Frontal lobe

A noninvasive neuroimaging technique that produces very clear and detailed images of the structures and activities in the brain in response to magnetic fields is called ________.

Functional MRI

Grandma had a stroke that damaged her left frontal lobe. We can expect she will ________.

Having troubles controlling movements on the right side of the body

Susan, a college freshman, is taking college algebra. She never liked math and fears she will probably not do well in this first math course. She stays up all night studying for the first exam, and the next morning, she enters the classroom to take the test. As she sits down and takes out her pencils, she feels nervous; she begins to sweat, her stomach is upset, and her heart begins to race. What is happening to Susan?

Her body is preparing to respond to stress

David was hospitalized after a car accident, and due to injury to his ________, he has trouble with newer memories but still retains older memories.

Hippocampus

The pituitary gland, sometimes called the "master gland," carries out instructions from the ________.

Hypothalamus

What is the brain structure that performs a variety of functions, including the regulation of hunger and sexual behavior?

Hypothalmus

A(n) ________ uses magnetic fields to create pictures of a given tissue.

MRI

functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI):

MRI that shows changes in metabolic activity over time

The visual cortex processes visual information. In which part of the cerebral cortex is it located?

Occipital lobe

An invasive imaging technique that provides color-coded images of brain activity by tracking the brain's use of a radioactively tagged compound, such as glucose, oxygen, or a drug, is called ________.

PET

Doctors want to take a closer look at a schizophrenic patient's brain to monitor the activity of neurotransmitters while she experiences hallucinations. First, they will give her an injection of a radioactive substance. Which technique will they use?

PET

As the exam is passed out, Susan takes several deep breaths and closes her eyes. She visualizes herself confidently taking the exam and focuses on her breathing and heart rate. She feels her heart and breathing slow down, and she feels calm and able to focus on answering the questions on the exam. Based on these new physiological responses, what part of Susan's nervous system is now being activated?

Parasympathetic divison

The ________ secretes messenger hormones that direct the function of the rest of the endocrine glands.

Pituitary

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are drugs that

Prevent unused neurotransmitters from being transported back into neuron

Carbon monoxide poisoning often damages the occipital lobe of the brain. What might we expect when this part of the brain is damaged?

Problems visually

Sympathetic activation is associated with ________.

Pupil dilation and increased heart rate

The left hemisphere of the brain controls

Right side of body

One reason smells often evoke memories is that the sense of smell

Routed through limbic system

During action potential, positively charged ________ ions move inside the cell.

Sodium

Conscious and voluntary movements are associated with the ________ nervous system.

Somatic

Our ability to make our legs move as we walk across the room is controlled by the ________ nervous system.

Somatic

The ________ nervous system is involved in the relay of sensory and motor information to the central nervous system.

Somatic

Devin processes the pain of a fresh paper cut on his finger in the

Somatosensory cortex

Which of the following is not a structure of the forebrain?

Substantia nigra

The auditory cortex is responsible for hearing and language. In which part of the cerebral cortex is it located?

Temporal lobe

The ________ is a sensory relay station where all sensory information, except for smell, goes before being sent to other areas of the brain for further processing.

Thalamus

The significance of the lesion study of Phineas Gage's damaged brain is that it provided evidence that ________.

That frontal lobe is involved in controlling personality traits, emotion, inhibitory control, and goal setting abilities

Drugs such as lidocaine and novocaine act as Na+ channel blockers. In other words, they prevent sodium from moving across the neuronal membrane. Why would this particular effect make these drugs such effective local anesthetics?

The action potential is initiated by an influx of Na+ into the neuron. If this process is prevented, then no action potentials in neurons in a given area will occur. Therefore, any painful stimuli would not result in action potentials carrying that information to the brain.

Hormone secretion is often regulated through a negative feedback mechanism, which means that once a hormone is secreted it will cause the hypothalamus and pituitary to shut down the production of signals necessary to secrete the hormone in the first place. Most oral contraceptives are made of small doses of estrogen and/or progesterone. Why would this be an effective means of contraception?

The introduction of relatively low, yet constant, levels of gonadal hormones places the hypothalamus and pituitary under inhibition via negative feedback mechanisms. This prevents the alterations in both estrogen and progesterone concentrations that are necessary for successful ovulation and implantation.

Which of the techniques discussed would be viable options for you to determine how activity in the reticular formation is related to sleep and wakefulness? Why?

The most viable techniques are fMRI and PET because of their ability to provide information about brain activity and structure simultaneously.

Before the advent of modern imaging techniques, scientists and clinicians relied on autopsies of people who suffered brain injury with resultant change in behavior to determine how different areas of the brain were affected. What are some of the limitations associated with this kind of approach?

The same limitations associated with any case study would apply here. In addition, it is possible that the damage caused changes in other areas of the brain, which might contribute to the behavioral deficits. Such changes would not necessarily be obvious to someone performing an autopsy, as they may be functional in nature, rather than structural.

Phineas Gage's accident revealed that

There is a relationship between frontal lobe, limbic system and impulse control

What happens to testosterone levels of those who lose chess tournaments?

They fall

Structures that produce the neurotransmitter dopamine and aid in movement are the substantia nigra and the ________, both found in the midbrain.

Ventral tegmental area

Damage to the ________ disrupts one's ability to comprehend language, but it leaves one's ability to produce words intact.

Wernicke's area

What is the electrical signal that typically moves from the cell body down the axon to the axon terminals?

action potential

fight or flight response:

activation of the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system, allowing access to energy reserves and heightened sensory capacity so that we might fight off a given threat or run away to safety

The ________ gland secretes epinephrine.

adrenal

prefrontal cortex:

area in the frontal lobe responsible for higher-level cognitive functioning

parasympathetic nervous system

associated with routine, day-to-day operations of the body

central nervous system (CNS):

brain and spinal cord

dendrite

branch-like extension of the soma that receives incoming signals from other neurons

gyrus (plural: gyri)

bump or ridge on the cerebral cortex

When a neuron receives a signal, it travels down the dendrite to the _______dendrite cell body neurotransmitter synapse , where it is processed.

cell body

soma

cell body

semipermeable membrane

cell membrane that allows smaller molecules or molecules without an electrical charge to pass through it, while stopping larger or highly charged molecules

neuron

cells in the nervous system that act as interconnected information processors, which are essential for all of the tasks of the nervous system

neuron:

cells in the nervous system that act as interconnected information processors, which are essential for all of the tasks of the nervous system

neurotransmitter

chemical messenger of the nervous system

hormone:

chemical messenger released by endocrine glands

limbic system:

collection of structures involved in processing emotion and memory

lateralization:

concept that each hemisphere of the brain is associated with specialized functions

peripheral nervous system (PNS)

connects the brain and spinal cord to the muscles, organs and senses in the periphery of the body

autonomic nervous system

controls our internal organs and glands

longitudinal fissure:

deep groove in the brain's cortex

The ________ receive(s) incoming signals from other neurons.

dendrites

sulcus (plural: sulci)

depressions or grooves in the cerebral cortex

sulcus (plural: sulci):

depressions or grooves in the cerebral cortex

membrane potential

difference in charge across the neuronal membrane

diabetes:

disease related to insufficient insulin production

hindbrain:

division of the brain containing the medulla, pons, and cerebellum

midbrain:

division of the brain located between the forebrain and the hindbrain; contains the reticular formation

antagonist

drug that blocks or impedes the normal activity of a given neurotransmitter

agonist

drug that mimics or strengthens the effects of a neurotransmitter

psychotropic medication:

drugs that treat psychiatric symptoms by restoring neurotransmitter balance

action potential

electrical signal that moves down the neuron's axon

somatosensory cortex:

essential for processing sensory information from across the body, such as touch, temperature, and pain

Stephen has a tumor in his brain and doctors want to assess what areas are impacted. They want a clear picture of the brain, but also want to see changes in the brain's blood flow. What imaging technique will they use?

fMRI

myelin sheath

fatty substance that insulates axons

As Susan enters the classroom and prepares to take the math exam, her bodily changes represent ________.

fight or flight response

hypothalamus:

forebrain structure that regulates sexual motivation and behavior and a number of homeostatic processes; serves as an interface between the nervous system and the endocrine system

The two major hormones secreted from the pancreas are:

glucagon and insulin

The medulla, pons, and cerebellum are collectively called the

hindbrain

pons:

hindbrain structure that connects the brain and spinal cord; involved in regulating brain activity during sleep

medulla:

hindbrain structure that controls automated processes like breathing, blood pressure, and heart rate

cerebellum:

hindbrain structure that controls our balance, coordination, movement, and motor skills, and it is thought to be important in processing some types of memory

An impairment of eating, drinking, temperature regulation, or sexual behavior suggests possible damage to the ________.

hypothalmus

computerized tomography (CT) scan:

imaging technique in which a computer coordinates and integrates multiple x-rays of a given area

Wernicke's area:

important for speech comprehension

sympathetic nervous system:

involved in stress-related activities and functions

positron emission tomography (PET) scan:

involves injecting individuals with a mildly radioactive substance and monitoring changes in blood flow to different regions of the brain

forebrain:

largest part of the brain, containing the cerebral cortex, the thalamus, and the limbic system, among other structures

magnetic resonance imaging (MRI):

magnetic fields used to produce a picture of the tissue being imaged

axon

major extension of the soma

The substantia nigra, ventral tegmental area, and reticular formation can all be found in the

midbrain

reticular formation:

midbrain structure important in regulating the sleep/wake cycle, arousal, alertness, and motor activity

ventral tegmental area (VTA)

midbrain structure where dopamine is produced: associated with mood, reward, and addiction

Multiple sclerosis involves a breakdown of the ________.

myelin sheath

During resting potential, before the electric charge is sent, the inside of a neuron has a ________ charge.

negative

glial cell:

nervous system cell that provides physical and metabolic support to neurons, including neuronal insulation and communication, and nutrient and waste transport

reuptake

neurotransmitter is pumped back into the neuron that released it

Each hemisphere of the brain controls the______ of the body. This is referred to as ___________ The hemispheres are connected by the __________ which allows the two sides to communicate with each other.

opposite side lateralization. corpus callosum

If your ________ is activated, you will feel relatively at ease.

parasympathetic nervous system

The somatosensory cortex is an area just behind the motor cortex that receives information from the skin's sensory receptors and movements from different body parts. In which part of the cerebral cortex is it located?

parietal lobe

A new animal is discovered that is more sensitive to pain in its toes than its fingers. If we were to examine the brain of this animal we would notice that ________.

parietal lobe of the brain more devoted to toes than fingers

temporal lobe:

part of cerebral cortex associated with hearing, memory, emotion, and some aspects of language; contains primary auditory cortex

occipital lobe:

part of the cerebral cortex associated with visual processing; contains the primary visual cortex

parietal lobe:

part of the cerebral cortex involved in processing various sensory and perceptual information; contains the primary somatosensory cortex

frontal lobe:

part of the cerebral cortex involved in reasoning, motor control, emotion, and language; contains motor cortex

all-or-none:

phenomenon that incoming signal from another neuron is either sufficient or insufficient to reach the threshold of excitation

The ________ secretes hormones that regulate the body's fluid levels.

pituitary

receptor

protein on the cell surface where neurotransmitters attach

Drugs designed to restore neurotransmitter balance in the brain are known as

psychotropic meds

Agonists and antagonists mimic or impede neurotransmitters by binding to ________.

receptors

electroencephalography (EEG):

recording the electrical activity of the brain via electrodes on the scalp

Broca's area:

region in the left hemisphere that is essential for language production

somatic nervous system:

relays sensory and motor information to and from the CNS

The ________ is involved in regulating the sleep/wake cycle and plays an important role in arousal and alertness.

reticular formation

pituitary gland:

secretes a number of key hormones, which regulate fluid levels in the body, and a number of messenger hormones, which direct the activity of other glands in the endocrine system

pancreas:

secretes hormones that regulate blood sugar

thyroid:

secretes hormones that regulate growth, metabolism, and appetite

gonad:

secretes sexual hormones, which are important for successful reproduction, and mediate both sexual motivation and behavior

thalamus:

sensory relay for the brain

The longitudinal fissure

separates brain into two halves

endocrine system:

series of glands that produce chemical substances known as hormones

adrenal gland

sits atop our kidneys and secretes hormones involved in the stress response

synapse

small gap between two neurons where communication occurs

The peripheral nervous system is composed of the

somatic and autonomic systems

homeostasis

state of equilibrium—biological conditions, such as body temperature, are maintained at optimal levels

synaptic vesicle

storage site for neurotransmitters

auditory cortex:

strip of cortex in the temporal lobe that is responsible for processing auditory information

motor cortex:

strip of cortex involved in planning and coordinating movement

amygdala:

structure in the limbic system involved in our experience of emotion and tying emotional meaning to our memories

hippocampus:

structure in the temporal lobe associated with learning and memory

cerebral cortex:

surface of the brain that is associated with our highest mental capabilities

Based on Susan's nervousness and on her physiological responses, what part of Susan's nervous system is being activated?

sympathetic division

The space between a sending and receiving neuron is called a____

synapse

Gretchen recently reported randomly hearing songs, and voices from the past. An MEG (magnetoencephalography) revealed she had a tumor causing neurons in the ________ lobe to occasionally fire at random, triggering these auditory illusions.

temporal

The signal travels to the end of the axon, called the _____,where the signal travels across the synapse to the next neuron.

terminal button

resting potential

the state of readiness of a neuron membrane's potential between signals

corpus callosum:

thick band of neural fibers connecting the brain's two hemispheres

biological perspective

view that psychological disorders like depression and schizophrenia are associated with imbalances in one or more neurotransmitter systems

hyperpolarization

when a cell's charge becomes more negative than its resting potential

depolarization

when a cell's charge becomes positive, or less negative