AP Psychology Unit 2
Adrenaline
Hormonal equivalent to epinephrine
angular gyrus
I can't read aloud to the class because I have damage to my...
norepinephrine
Imbalance to this transmitter affects my mood and memory
Could say "comb"
In a split brain patient, if a comb is flashed in the right visual field and a saw is flashed in the left visual field then one could.....
somatosensory cortex
My fingers are more sensitive than my elbow so they must have more cortical tissue in "this" area
Somatic Nervous System
Needing to walk across the room to pick up papers, this branch makes you get out of your desk & move.
Internally-made....Ingested
Neurotransmitters are(blank) while Agonist/Antagonists are (blank)
pineal gland
Night to day, takes melatonin away
Low heritability
Students come from all over the world to attend UCLA. Would heritability of intelligence be?
Cortical tissue
The more sensitive the area, the more (blank) it has in the somatosensory strip.
axon terminals
bulb like structures at the end of an axon, which contains neurotransmitters that carry the neuron's message into the synapse (j)
agonist
blocks re-uptake, excites, mimics
glial cells
- "other" cells of Nervous System - cleans, feeds, and supports neurons - a.k.a. astrocytes - outnumber neurons 3 to 1
parietal lobe
- above temporal lobe, behind frontal lobe - receives and processes sensory information ( pain, touch, pressure), spatial attention - if damaged - difficulty reading, recognizing people; objects; or pain, lack of coordination
Central NS
- central nervous system - brain and spinal cord
neurotransmitter
- chemicals in terminal buttons that travel in the synaptic gap between neurons
Functional MRI
- combines MRI and PET scan - shows details of brain structure with information about book flow in brain
CAT
- computerized axial tomography - 3D picture - X-Ray - look for tumor - would not get any information about how active parts of the brain are
EEG
- electroencephalogram - detects brain waives - generalize brain function - widely used in sleep and dreaming research
glutamate
- excitatory neurotransmitter - memory
cerebral cortex
- gray wrinkled surface of a thin layer packed of neurons; divides into 4 lobes/2 hemispheres
visual cortex
- in occipital lobe, above cerebellum - receives visual input from retinas - if damaged - loss of vision, partial/ complete blindness
auditory cortex
- in the temporal lobe, beside ears - process auditory information - if damaged - loss of hearing
limbic system
- includes amygdala, hippocampus, hypothalamus - emotional control center of the brain - if damaged - sense of smell impairments, uncontrolled emotions
brain stem
- includes pons; medulla; midbrain - alertness, sleep, balance, startle response, basic vital life functions - if damaged - organ failure, difficulties balancing and moving
association areas
- integrates information from different receptors/ sensory areas that relay information to past experiences - if damaged - process of information slows down
Broca's area
- left frontal lobe, directly above temporal cortex - language production, comprehension of syntax - if damaged - broca's aphasia, repetitive speech
MRI
- magnetic resonance imaging - similar to CAT scan - more detailed picture - uses magnetic field to measure the density and location of brain material - gives information about the structure of the brain
efferent neurons
- motor - sends information to body parts for movement
PET
- position emission tomography - see what areas of the brain are most active during certain task - how much of a certain chemical parts of the brain are using
afferent neurons
- sensory - information to CNS from body parts
cranium
- skull - protects brain - if damaged - head injury, skull fracture
Curare
Ach antagonist to prevent squirrels from running away
reticular formation
After falling through the ice on a local pond little Johnny was trapped under the icy water for 10 minutes before the rescuers finally got him out. They were able to resuscitate his pulse and breathing but he did not regain consciousness for days. Disturbance of what specific part of Johnny's brain might have resulted in coma???
pons
All his life Ron had been a good sleeper. He often napped in the library and, yes, even in class. Playing football this fall however he received a exceptionally hard blow to the back of his head and neck. Now he suffers insomnia regularly - even sleeping pills don't seem to work. What part of the brain related to sleep may have been damaged?
thalamus
Allie was having a really bad week. On Monday while she was studying her vision got blurrier & blurrier until she could no longer see at all. On Tuesday she found she couldn't hear. On Wednesday her sense of taste went. On Thursday she lost her sense of touch. Her CAT scan revealed a single brain tumor was probably producing all of these deficits. What part of the lower brain is involved in all of these sensory processes?
Evolutionary Perspective
Although it contains hindsight bias, it does look at selective breeding & historically universal mating preferences
occipital lobe
Astronaut Buzz Aldrin reported seeing bright flashes of light during his mission. Scientists concluded that high energy cosmic waves must have stimulated his primary visual cortex. Where is this located?
Critical periods
Because Oxana was raised by dogs from age 3 to 6, she acts just like them. This occurred during her...
Homeostasis
Body's self-regulating systemS to create / maintain balance - i.e. axon firing, sympathetic/parasympathetic
NS/ES feedback loop
Brain - pituitary gland - others glands - hormones - BACK to brain
Dual processing
Brains ability to work simultaneously in the conscious & unconscious realm (i.e. fast thinking & slow thinking)
frontal lobe
Brett was a superior student and had a full scholarship, but following a head injury he can no longer plan, organize or follow through with tasks necessary for school. Where was his injury?
Interaction
Do I love a happy baby or is the baby happy because I love it?
High heritability
Drew recently adopted 2 infants who are only a few month apart in age, but not biologically related. He raises them as if they are twins, treating them almost identically. Would intellectual differences be estimated as having low or high heritability?
temporal lobe
Extensive damage here impacts my hearing, comprehension & possibly facial recognition - this is going to make school a real struggle
dopamine
Gary the gambler releases "this" to his reward centers in the limbic system - too much: agitation ,anxiety, feelings of pleasure, high energy and libido, reward seeking, linked with schizophrenia too little: depression, muscle rigidity
corpus callosum
Gwen's brain has a congenital anomaly (a difference in brain anatomy that she was born with) - it lacks the main connection between the right and left hemispheres. What was Gwen born without
Cerebral Lateralization
It is difficult to swing your leg 1 direction & write in cursive at the same time/side due
hypothalamus
Jan suffered a concussion in an auto accident. Since that day she has noticed a dramatic decrease in her sexual libido, a lack of appetite, and an absence of thirst. What part of her brain might have been affected by the accident?
amygdala
Jeanette suffers from focal epilepsy (seizures localized in just 1 part of brain). Her seizures trigger extreme emotions - most often extreme fear followed by a rage response. When she is not having seizures Jeanette has trouble recognizing emotions in other people. What part of the limbic is being affected?
Wernicke's area
Leon's car was broadsided by a semi causing Leon's head to smash against the driver's side window damaging his temporal lobe cortex. Now he can't understand what people say to him.
glutamate
Major excitatory transmitter, thank goodness this glutton helps with memory
GABA
Major inhibitory transmitter that is associated with anxiety
Left hand
Marci is a split brain patient. When her eyes are closed and an object is placed in one of her hands, she cannot name the object. Which hand is the object in?
cerebellum
On Justin's 21st birthday and he and his buddies celebrated a bit too much. When the police stopped Justin's car, he couldn't walk a straight line or balance on 1 foot. He nearly missed his face altogether when asked to touch his nose while his eyes were closed. What part of the brain has been impaired?
hippocampus
Paul suffered a case of encephalitis (a brain infection) while in college. He received good medical attention but still the infection damaged certain parts of his brain. He has been unable to store new long-term memories since his illness. What part of the brain did the encephalitis damage?
Adoption studies
Research that shows the role of environment (i.e. attitude, values, manners, faith, etc...)
Twin Studies
Research that shows the role of genetic predisposition (i.e. personality traits, agression, etc...)
serotonin
SSRIs act as an agonist for "this" transmitter thanks to blocking reuptake
Reuptake
SSRIs are agonists because they block "this" process & leave more serotonin in the synapse
Hormones
The slower, chemical "siblings" to neurotransmitters that are released into the bloodstream
Autonomic Nervous System
This branch controls automatic / unconscious body functions - including both arousal and calming
motor cortex
Uncle Ed suffered a stroke which damaged a portion of his cortex. He shows some weakness and partial paralysis of his right leg. What area of his cortex was affected by the stroke?
medulla
Walking down a dark N.Y. street late at night you suddenly feel the metal barrel of a pistol press against your head and hear the instructions "Don't move a muscle while I slip your wallet out of your pocket". Unfortunately you do move, the gun is fired and the bullet enters the brain. Breathing and heart beat stop almost immediately.
Aphasia
What is the name of the condition that has impaired use of language due to damage of the cortex?
pituitary gland
Yikes! I've stopped growing AND can't get messages to my other glands.
acetylcholine (ACh)
You're a contestant in a Survivor game and must use a blow-dart to kill small animals to eat for dinner. The poison on the blow-dart paralyzes the animal's muscles by interfering with the neurotransmitter than normally causes muscles to contract. Which transmitter is this?
Peripheral NS
You're taking a short cut thru a back yard to get to your car and encounter 2 unrestrained pit bulls that catch sight of you & begin pursuit. You run faster than you have ever run before, & dive into your car just in the nick of time. It takes 10 minutes for your pulse & breathing to slow down to normal. What part of the nervous system calms down your body in this situation?
dendrites
a branched fiber that extends outward from the main cell body and carries information into the neuron
nodes of ranvier
allows an action potential to propagate quickly down an axon, small gaps form on axons between myelin sheath
cell body
contains nucleus, connected to dendrites and axon
major fissures
deep wrinkles that separate the lobes of the cerebrum
neural impulse
electrical signal traveling along an axon
axon
extended fiber that conducts information from the cell body to the terminal buttons; travels in the form of an electric charge (action potential)
synapse
gap that serves as a communications link between neurons
myelin sheath
insulating covering that surrounds an axon with multiple spiral layer of myelin
lesion
natural or man made destruction of brain tissue
all or none principle
neuron either fires completely or doesn't fire at all
resting potential
neuron ready to fire
inhibitory neurotransmitter
neurotransmitters makes the receiving neuron LESS likely to generate an action potential
excitatory neurotransmitter
neurotransmitters makes the receiving neuron MORE likely to generate an action potential
antagonist
prevents release, blocks, inhibits
endocrine system
system of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream ( controlled by hypothalamus)
plasticity
the ability for a brain hemisphere to adapt and do functions the other side did