Psych BIO

• localization


  refers to the idea that the brain is made up of specialized modules, and that each module has a certain function
• prefrontal cortex


  the outermost layer of the frontal lobe and is responsible for many of the executive functions in the brain

  
• Broca's area


  localization - suggests that speech articulation is controlled by the left frontal lobe
• amygdala


  emotional center of the brain and is part of the limbic system. It activates our stress response and our ability to experience emotions such as fear.

  
• localization criticisms


  some functions may be focused in a specific module while others are widely distributed - demonstrated in Lashley
• neuroplasticity


  refers to the brain's ability to adapt by forming new connections as a result of experience, learning, or following an injury. Reasons for change are both genetic and environmental - as a result of experience
• dendritic branching


  the process by which the part of one neuron establishes a connection with other neurons

  
• neural network


  sum total of all your brain's neurons, and the connections between them. The stronger the pathway becomes, the more likely this pathway will become activated in the future.
• synaptic plasticity


  the ability of one neuron to form new connections and break up the old ones
• corticial remapping


  when brain area X assumes the functions of brain area Y due to injury
• Rosenzweig and Bennet (1972)


  neuroplasticity - the study suggests that being in a more stimulating environment causes new connections to form in the brain, altering brain structure
• Maguire et al. (2000)


  neuroplasticity - London cab drivers showed an increase in the posterior of the hippocampus as a result of their day to day lives

  
• Neurons


  a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system
• excitatory neurotransmitters


  allows the impulse to cross the synapse and produce a stimulating effect on the brain
• inhibitory neurotransmitters


  stops the impulse, preventing it from crossing and produces a calming effect on the brain
• agonists


  chemical substances that mimic or enhance the effects of a neurotransmitter on the receptor sites of the next cell, increasing or decreasing the activity of that cell
• antagonists


  drugs that block the function of a neurotransmitter
• limitations of neurotransmitters


  reductionist explanation for behaviour. There could be many other things affecting behaviour.
• pheromones


  Chemical signals released by an animal that communicate information and affect the behavior of other animals of the same species. Inconclusive evidence that they exist in humans.
• pheromones and animals


  are processed in a different part of the brain than ordinary smells. It is processed in the vomeronasal organ (VNO) and is connected to a special region called the accessory olfactory bulb.
• pheromones and humans


  don't have a functional VNO or the accessory olfactory bulb so the effect of pheromones is debatable
• Lundstrom and Olsson (2005)


  pheromones - the study suggests that the androstadienone found in sweat may serve the function of signaling sexual attractiveness

  
• criticisms of human pheromones


  research is inconclusive, contradictory findings, biased because of backing by commercial interests, and limitations in methodology
• hormones


  chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands, travel through the bloodstream, and affect other tissues
• endocrine glands


  release hormones. Parts include adrenal gland, pineal gland, thyroid, thymus, etc.

  
• target cells


  receptors for a particular hormone
• gene activation


  when a hormone binds to a receptor and launches a sequence of changes
• examples of hormones


  adrenaline, insulin, oxytocin, testosterone, cortisol, etc.
• impacts of testosterone


  deepened voice, muscle development, increased competitiveness and violence
• Effects of Cortisol (glucocorticoid)


  1. longer-term stress response, 2. increases blood [glucose], 3. increases protein degradation, 4. decreases inflammation & immunity
• Albert et al. (1986)


  hormones - the study suggests that testosterone plays an important role in aggression and status seeking in rats

  
• Kiecolt-Glaser


  stress of caring for someone with a chronic illness delays wound recovery due to chronic stress - increase in cortisol (glucocorticoids) in bloodstream

  
• genetics


  The scientific study of heredity. DNA can be found in the nucleus of each cell and is organized into tiny units called genes
• genotype


  the genetic structure an organism inherits from its parents

  
• phenotype


  the observable characteristics of an organism resulting from the interaction between the organism's genotype and its environment

  
• genes and behaviour


  contain the instruction for the production of proteins which regulate the body's processes and the expression of the phenotypic traits such as intelligence
• chromosomes


  humans have 46 and each one contains thousands of genes and are located in the nucleus of every human cell
• epigenetics


  the study of environmental influences on gene expression that occur without a DNA change
• genetic similarities


  a quantitive measure of the relative contribution of genetic factors into a trait/behaviour. Methods include twin studies, family studies, and adoption studies.
• concordance rate


  The degree to which a condition or traits shared two or more individuals or groups