Study Guide for Physiological Psychology | PSYC 314, Study notes of Psychology of Human Development

Download Study Guide for Physiological Psychology | PSYC 314 and more Study notes Psychology of Human Development in PDF only on Docsity! Exam 1 Review Guide Terms to Understand *Being able to understand these terms is important, but you also need to understand where they fit in the big picture of everything we’ve talked about. Use your notes and text to help you, but first try to do as much as you can by yourself! Delayed transmission- Speed of conduction through the reflex arc was slower than the known speed of conduction along an axon (travel slower through synapse). Temporal summation- Repeated stimuli occurring within a brief time are cumulative and produce a reflex (time that matters). Spatial summation- Several synaptic inputs originating from separate locations are cumulative and produce a reflex (space that matters). Graded potentials- Membrane potentials that vary in magnitude and do not follow the all or none law. Exocytosis- The release of a neurotransmitter through the membrane. Lasting 1-2 milliseconds. Ionotropic- When the NT attaches to a receptor and immediate opens some type of ion gate. Metabotropic- When the NT hits the receptor and initiates a sequence of reactions that are slower and longer lasting than ionotropic effects. G protein- Activates “second messenger” chemical. Second messenger- Communicates with the rest of the cell to do things. Cerebral spinal fluid- Clear fluid like blood plasma. Fills the central canal, ventricles (4 cavities in the brain), and fills space between the brain and the meninges. Cushions the brain and also the provide buoyancy. Meninges- Membrances that surround the brain and spinal cord. Corpus callosum- Large sets of axons that connects the two hemispheres of the cerebral cortex. Anterior commissure- Set of axons connecting the two cerebral hemispheres; smaller than the corpus callosum. Laminae- Layer of cell bodies parallel to the surface of the cortex and separated from other laminae by layers of fibers. Concentration gradient- The difference in distribution of ions across the membrane. Electrical gradient- A difference in electrical charge between the inside and outside of the cell. 1 Exam 1 Review Guide Efferent- Carries information away from a structure. Afferent- Brings information into a structure. Intrinsic neuron- When a cell’s dendrites and axon are entirely contained within a single structure. Astrocyte- Wrap around the presynaptic terminals of a group of functionally related axons. Radial glia- Guide the migration of neurons and its growth of their axons and dendrites during embryonic development. Microglia- Remove waste material as well as viruses, fungi, and other microorganisms. They function like part of the immune system. Oligodendrocyte- In the brain and spinal cord. Schwann cell-Are in the periphery of the body are specialized types of glia that build the myelin cheaths that surround and insulate certain vertebrate axons. Blood brain barrier- The mechanism that keeps most chemicals out of the vertebrate brain. Saltatory conduction- The jumping of action potentials from node to node. Voltage activated- Membrane channels whose permeability depends on the voltage differences across the membrane. Absolute refractory period- The membrane cannot produce and action potential, regardless of the stimulation. Relative refractory period-A stronger than usual stimulus is necessary to initiate and action potential. Bell Magendie Law- Observation that the dorsal roots of the spinal cord carry sensory information and that the ventral roots carry motor information toward the muscles and glands. Dorsal root- Carry sensory information to the brain; they are afferent to the brain. Ventral root- Carry motor information to the muscles and glands; they are efferent to the brain. Amino acids- Which contain an amino group (glutamate or GABA) Largest group. Peptides- Long chains of amino acids, including polypeptides and proteins (endorphins). 100 amino acids make up a peptide. Acetylcholine- Similar to amino acids but a little different structurally (Ach). 2 Exam 1 Review Guide Coronal/frontal- Plane that shows brain structures as they would be seen from the front. Sagittal- Plane that shows brain structures as they would be seen from the side. Horizontal/transverse- Plane that shows brain structures as they would be seen from above. Lamarckian evolution- A mistaken belief that we aquire characteristics through use and lose them through disuse. Physiological- Changes that happen in the body. Ontogenetic- Understanding in terms of how a structure or behavior develops. Evolutionary- Understanding in terms of the evolutionary history of a species. Functional- Understanding why a structure of behavior evolved as it did. Monism- Theory that only one kind of substance exists in the universe (not separate physical and mental substances) Dualism- Belief that mind and body are different kinds of substance, existing independently. Materialism- View that everything that exists is material or physical. Mentalism- View that only the mind really exists. Identity position- View that mental processes are the same as certain kinds of brain processes but described in different terms. Hard problem- Philosophical question of why and how any kind of brain activity is associated with consciousness. Easy problem- Questions pertaining to certain concepts that are termed consciousness, such as the difference between wakefulness and sleep, and the mechanisms that enable us to focus our attention. Solipsism- Philosophical position that I alone exists or I alone am conscious. Reciprocal altruism- Helping individuals who may later be helpful in return. Kin selection- Selection for a gene because it benefits the individual’s relatives. Evolution- Change over generations in the frequencies of various genes in a population. Minimalist- Agree that some animal research is acceptable, but wish to minimize it. 5 Exam 1 Review Guide Abolitionist- Want all research on animals to stop. Gene- Units of heredity that maintain their structural identity from one generation to another. DNA- A strand of DNA serves as a template for the synthesis of RNA molecules. Chromosome- Strands of genes. Heterozygous- Unmatched pairs of genes. Homozygous- Identical pairs of genes on the two chromosomes. Dominant- Shows a strong effect in their the homozygous or heterozygous condition. Recessive- Shows its effect only in the homozygous condition. Crossing over- Apair of chromosomes may break apart during reproduction and reconnect such that part of one chromosome attaches to the other part of the second chromosome. Recombination- A new combination of genes, some from one parent and some from the other, that yields characteristics not found in either parent. Mutation- Change in a single gene. Multiplier effect- If genetic or prenatal influences produce even a small increase in some activity, the early tendency will change the environment in a way that magnifies that tendency. Heritability-When the variations in some characteristic depend largely on hereditary influences. Gyrus- Bumps that cover the cerebral cortex. Sulcus- Grooves in the cerebral cortex that increase the surface area of the brain. Diencephalons- The posterior part of the forebrain that connects the midbrain with the cerebral hemispheres, encloses the third ventricle, and contains the thalamus and hypothalamus. Telencephalon- The anterior part of the forebrain compromising the cerebrum and related structures. 6 Exam 1 Review Guide Explain what happens… 1. When information is transmitted WITHIN a neuron. (Hint: electrical, action potential) When the voltage of a nerve crosses the threshold of excitation it triggers an action potential to occur at the axon hillock. The Action potential continuously occurs along the nodes of ranvier along the axon. The myelin sheath helps conduction of the electrical signal move faster through the axon. The electrical signal will finally reach the terminal buttons which will read the electrical signal and turn it into a chemical messenger for dendritic receptors to pick up and transmit to other somas and nerves. 2. When information is transmitted BETWEEN neurons. (Hint: across synapses, chemical) Label each of the points in the figure below: 7