psych quiz chaps 3+4

• biopsych - relationship between biological systems and behavior
• the levels of biopsych are neurological/physiological, neurochemical, and molecular
• some things that biopsych looks at:

  • how neurons are organized that affect learning and memory
  • how neurotransmitters and hormones affect behavior
  • how genes affect behavior, how behavior and environment affect genes
  • what different parts of the brain do
• neurons are composed of axons, dendrite, cell body, myelin sheaths, axon terminals, and synapses
• neurons are designed to become activated in response to a stimulus, activated neurons will communicate to other neurons
• neuron communication is electrical and it always goes from cell body to axon terminal
• action potential is all or nothing
• electrical signals reach the end of the axon and trigger the release of neurotransmitters into the synapse
• neurotransmitters are like enzymes, they bind to specific receptor sites
• neurotransmitters are halted by reuptake
• psychoactive drugs work by interacting with neurotransmitter systems
• neural plasticity - nervous system can change during development, learning, or injury
• neurogenesis - creation of new neurons
• pruning - trimming of unused neural connections
• central nervous system - brain and spinal cord
• peripheral nervous system - nerves in system that extend outside of brain and spinal cord
• somatic nervous system - nervous system involved in voluntary movement
• automatic nervous system - system involved in involuntary movement
• sympathetic nervous system - nervous system that is active during arousal (excitement)
• parasympathetic nervous system - nervous system that is active during rest
• enteric nervous system - nervous system involved in coordinating gastrointestinal tract
• hormones - bloodborne chemical messengers created by glands in endocrine system
• neurotransmitters - chemical messengers that transmit signals between neurons
• in group - people who are similar to you
• out group - people who are different from you
• CT scan - computed topographic scan, used to view internal organs, more detailed than X-rays
• MRI - magnetic resonance imaging, uses magnets and radio waves to create images of soft tissues
• EEG scan - electroencephalography, maps electrical activity
• brain function image - uses scans of brain activity linked with behavior to start to localize the function to a specific part of the brain
• PET scan - positron emission tomography, measures glucose consumption
• fMRI scan - scan that measures blood flow
• we can localize a function in the brain by observing how damage or stimulation affects behavior
• deep brain stimulation - electrodes provide electrical stimulation to localize functions
• transcranial magnetic stimulation - external magnetic stimulation activates or inhibits a brain tissue temporarily to localize function
• the forebrain is composed of the cerebral cortex, limbic system, and basal ganglia
• there are three major parts of the brain: the forebrain, the cerebellum, and the brain stem
• cerebral cortex - outer layer of forebrain with two central hemispheres, connected by the corpus callosum. it is involved in memory, thinking, learning, etc
• both cerebral hemispheres have frontal, parietal, occipital, and temporal lobes
• frontal lobe - lobe responsible for motor function, language, memory, planning. has the motor cortex and Broca's area
• parietal lobe - lobe responsible touch and perception