Biological Basis
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Biological Basis
Study 151 flashcards by ADMIN_. Use the interactive review above or scan this static preview for quick reference.
This flashcard set provides an overview of key concepts related to the nervous system, neurotransmitters, and behaviors influenced by genetics and environment. Learners will practice essential terminology and understand the roles of various brain structures, neurotransmitters, and psychological principles such as evolutionary psychology. Additionally, the set covers topics related to sleep, perception, and neurological disorders, enhancing comprehension of how biological and environmental factors interact in shaping behavior.
Card 1
NT
neurotransmitter
Card 2
AP
action potential
Card 3
NS
nervous system
Card 4
Evolutionary psychology
study of how natural selection influences behavior
Card 5
Heredity (nature)
how genes influence behavior
Card 6
Environment (nurture)
how outside situations influence behavior
Card 7
Twin/adoption studies
used to compare genetic vs environmental influence
Card 8
Genetics
identical twins have higher chance of same disease
Card 9
Environment
identical twins raised differently show differences
Card 10
Central NS
brain and spinal cord
Card 11
Peripheral NS
rest of nervous system that relays info
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Somatic NS
voluntary movement, sensory & motor neurons
Card 13
Autonomic NS
involuntary organs (heart, lungs, etc.)
Card 14
Sympathetic NS
fight or flight, activates body (except digestion)
Card 15
Parasympathetic NS
rest and digest, calms body (except digestion)
Card 16
Neuron
basic cell of nervous system
Card 17
Dendrites
receive incoming signals
Card 18
Axon
sends action potential
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Myelin sheath
speeds up signal and protects axon
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Synapse
gap between neurons
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Sensory neurons
send signals to brain
Card 22
Motor neurons
send signals from brain
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Interneurons
process info in brain/spinal cord
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Reflex arc
automatic response bypassing brain
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Glial cells
support and nourish neurons
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Resting potential
neuron at -70mV
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Depolarization
neuron becomes positive
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Threshold
minimum stimulation to trigger AP
Card 29
All-or-nothing principle
AP fires fully or not at all
Card 30
Refractory period
neuron resets before next AP
Card 31
Neurotransmitters
chemicals released in synapse
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Excitatory
increase likelihood of AP
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Inhibitory
decrease likelihood of AP
Card 34
GABA
major inhibitory neurotransmitter
Card 35
Glutamate
major excitatory neurotransmitter
Card 36
Dopamine
reward and movement
Card 37
Serotonin
mood, sleep, emotion
Card 38
Acetylcholine (ACh)
memory and movement
Card 39
Norepinephrine
alertness, sympathetic activity
Card 40
Endorphins
pain reduction
Card 41
Substance P
pain transmission
Card 42
Hormones
chemicals in bloodstream
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Oxytocin
bonding, love, childbirth
Card 44
Adrenaline
fight or flight
Card 45
Leptin
fullness
Card 46
Ghrelin
hunger
Card 47
Melatonin
sleep
Card 48
Agonist
mimics neurotransmitter
Card 49
Antagonist
blocks neurotransmitter
Card 50
Reuptake
reabsorption of neurotransmitter
Card 51
Reuptake inhibition
blocks reuptake
Card 52
Depressants
decrease nervous system activity
Card 53
Stimulants
increase nervous system activity
Card 54
Hallucinogens
alter perception
Card 55
Opioids
relieve pain
Card 56
Tolerance
needing more drug for same effect
Card 57
Addiction
dependence on drug
Card 58
Withdrawal
symptoms after stopping drug
Card 59
Cerebellum
balance, coordination, procedural memory
Card 60
Brainstem/Medulla
vital functions like heart rate and breathing
Card 61
Reticular formation
alertness and arousal
Card 62
Cerebral cortex
higher-order thinking
Card 63
Amygdala
emotion and fear
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Hippocampus
memory formation
Card 65
Hypothalamus
reward, hunger, homeostasis
Card 66
Thalamus
sensory relay center (except smell)
Card 67
Pituitary gland
controls hormone release
Card 68
Occipital lobe
vision
Card 69
Frontal lobe
decision making, personality, movement
Card 70
Prefrontal cortex
executive functioning
Card 71
Motor cortex
controls voluntary movement
Card 72
Parietal lobe
touch and sensation
Card 73
Somatosensory cortex
maps touch receptors
Card 74
Temporal lobe
hearing, language, memory
Card 75
Association areas
integrate information from multiple regions
Card 76
Left hemisphere
dominant for language
Card 77
Broca’s area
speech production
Card 78
Wernicke’s area
language comprehension
Card 79
Corpus callosum
connects the two hemispheres
Card 80
Split-brain
hemispheres function independently when disconnected
Card 81
Brain plasticity
brain’s ability to change with experience or damage
Card 82
Endocrine system
system that sends hormones through bloodstream
Card 83
Pituitary gland
master gland controlled by hypothalamus
Card 84
EEG
measures electrical brain activity
Card 85
fMRI
measures brain activity using blood flow
Card 86
Lesion
destruction of brain tissue
Card 87
Multiple sclerosis
destruction of myelin sheath
Card 88
Myasthenia gravis
acetylcholine blockage causing muscle weakness
Card 89
Blindsight
ability to respond to visual stimuli without conscious awareness
Card 90
Prosopagnosia
inability to recognize faces
Card 91
Broca’s aphasia
impaired speech production
Card 92
Wernicke’s aphasia
impaired language comprehension
Card 93
Phantom limb
sensation in a missing limb
Card 94
Epilepsy
abnormal neural activity causing seizures
Card 95
Alzheimer’s disease
memory loss due to acetylcholine loss
Card 96
Consciousness
awareness of environment and mental processes
Card 97
Circadian rhythm
24-hour biological clock
Card 98
Beta waves
awake and alert brain activity
Card 99
Alpha waves
relaxed, drowsy state
Card 100
NREM 1
light sleep stage with hypnagogic sensations
Card 101
NREM 2
sleep spindles
Card 102
NREM 3
deep sleep
Card 103
REM sleep
dreaming stage with high brain activity
Card 104
REM rebound
increased REM after sleep deprivation
Card 105
Activation-synthesis theory
dreams are brain’s attempt to make sense of random signals
Card 106
Consolidation theory
dreams help process and store memories
Card 107
Consolidation
storage of memories
Card 108
Restoration
physical repair and energy recovery
Card 109
Insomnia
difficulty falling or staying asleep
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Somnambulism
sleepwalking
Card 111
Narcolepsy
sudden onset of REM sleep
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Sleep apnea
breathing repeatedly stops during sleep
Card 113
REM behavior disorder
acting out dreams
Card 114
Sensation
receiving stimulus energy
Card 115
Transduction
converting stimulus energy into neural signals
Card 116
Perception
interpreting sensory information
Card 117
Absolute threshold
minimum intensity needed to detect a stimulus
Card 118
Just noticeable difference
smallest difference detectable between stimuli
Card 119
Weber’s law
difference threshold is proportional to stimulus intensity
Card 120
Synesthesia
blending of senses
Card 121
Sensory adaptation
reduced sensitivity after constant exposure
Card 122
Lens
focuses light onto retina
Card 123
Retina
contains photoreceptors
Card 124
Fovea
center of sharp vision
Card 125
Rods
detect black/white and low light
Card 126
Cones
detect color and detail
Card 127
Ganglion cells
form optic nerve
Card 128
Blind spot
area without photoreceptors
Card 129
Accommodation
lens changes shape to focus
Card 130
Nearsightedness
better vision for near objects
Card 131
Farsightedness
better vision for distant objects
Card 132
Trichromatic theory
three types of cones detect color
Card 133
Opponent-process theory
color is processed in opposing pairs
Card 134
Wavelength
determines pitch
Card 135
Amplitude
determines loudness
Card 136
Place theory
pitch determined by location of stimulation in cochlea
Card 137
Frequency theory
pitch determined by rate of neural firing
Card 138
Volley theory
groups of neurons fire together to encode pitch
Card 139
Sound localization
identifying where a sound comes from
Card 140
Conduction deafness
damage to outer or middle ear
Card 141
Sensorineural deafness
damage to inner ear or auditory nerve
Card 142
Vestibular sense
balance and spatial orientation
Card 143
Kinesthetic sense
awareness of body position
Card 144
Pain (gate-control theory)
spinal cord regulates pain signals
Card 145
Temperature
detection of heat and cold
Card 146
Taste (gustation)
six taste types including bitter, salty, sweet, sour, umami, and oleogustus
Card 147
Taste processing
tongue, mouth, and brain work together
Card 148
Taste receptor density
determines supertaster, medium taster, or nontaster
Card 149
Sensory interaction
senses influence each other (taste affected by smell)
Card 150
Smell (olfaction)
only sense that bypasses the thalamus
Card 151
Pheromones
chemical signals used for attraction within a species