Bio-psychology

• What does the central nervous system consist of?

  The brain and spinal cord
• What is the role of the peripheral nervous system?

  Controls everything else in the body
• What are the two main parts of the autonomic nervous system?

  Sympathetic and parasympathetic systems
• What does the sympathetic nervous system do?

  Prepares the body for fight or flight
• What is the function of the parasympathetic nervous system?

  Relaxes the body to rest and digest
• What are neurotransmitters?

  Chemicals that relay information across synapses
• How do neurotransmitters affect neuron firing?

  Exciting neurotransmitters increase likelihood to fire
• What is Broca's area responsible for?

  Speech production
• What is Broca's aphasia?

  Understanding language but unable to speak
• What is Wernicke's area important for?

  Comprehension of language
• What is Wernicke's aphasia?

  Can speak but cannot understand language
• What does the motor cortex control?

  Voluntary motor movements
• What does the somatosensory cortex process?

  Input from sensory receptors sensitive to touch
• What did Tavares reveal about memories?

  Episodic and semantic memories reside in different areas
• What does Lashley state about brain damage?

  Extent of damage impacts effects, not location
• What is plasticity in the brain?

  The brain's ability to change and adapt
• What did Maguire find about taxi drivers?

  They have larger gray matter volume in the hippocampus
• What is functional recovery?

  Brain reallocates functions to undamaged areas
• What are dormant neurons?

  Neurons that are inactive until needed
• What are stem cells?

  Base cells that can differentiate into other cells
• What is negative plasticity?

  Unwanted changes in brain function due to damage
• What is hemispheric lateralization?

  Two hemispheres of the brain have different functions
• What happens when the corpus callosum is cut?

  Each hemisphere cannot communicate electrically
• What did Sperry's split-brain studies conclude?

  Language resides in the left hemisphere
• What is the strength of Sperry's procedures?

  They provide insights into brain lateralization
• What is a limitation of split-brain studies?

  Hard to generalize findings from patients
• What does fMRI measure?

  Changes in brain activity during tasks
• What is a limitation of EEG?

  Cannot specify which brain regions are active
• What are event-related potentials used for?

  Studying effects of specific stimuli on brain activity
• What is postmortem examination?

  Studying the brain after a person has died
• What are circadian rhythms?

  Biological rhythms lasting about 24 hours
• What are endogenous pacemakers?

  Internal mechanisms regulating biological rhythms
• What is the suprachiasmatic nucleus?

  Master clock in the hypothalamus
• What do environmental cues do?

  Help regulate the biological clock
• What did the animal study with hamsters demonstrate?

  Effects of removing the suprachiasmatic nucleus
• How can daylight help avoid jet lag?

  Spending time in bright light helps reset rhythms
• What ethical concern is raised by animal studies?

  Fairness of removing brain structures from animals
• What is the role of the endocrine system?

  Releases hormones that target specific organs
• What does the adrenal medulla do in the sympathetic system?

  Releases adrenaline during stress responses
• How does adrenaline affect the body during stress?

  Increases heart rate and dilates pupils