Bio Psych
Terms
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- Neurons
- Recieve information and convey messages to each other and to muscles and glands
- glia
- smaller than neurons, they perform a number of other tasks
- Psysiological Explanation
- Explanation for behavior: relates a behavior to the activity of the brain and other organs
- Ontogenetic Explanation
- Explanation for behavior: describes the development of a structure or a behavior
- Evolutionary Explanation
- Explanation for behavior: examines a structure or a behavior in terms of evolutionary history
- Fuctional Explanation
- Explanation for behavior: describes why a structure or behavior evolved as it did
- Dualism
- Belief that mind and body are different kinds of substance that exist independently, but somehow interact
- Monism
- Belief that the universe consists of only one kind of existence (3 parts: materialism, mentalism, and indentity position)
- Mentalism
- Subpart of monism: belief that only the mind really exists
- Identity position
- Subpart to monism: view that mental processes are the same thing as certain brain processes, but in different terms
- Enzymes
- Proteins that act as biological catalysts that regulate chemical reactions in the body
- Membrane
- Separates the inside of the cell from the outside environment. It is composed of 2 layers of fat molecules. Selectivly permeable, but lets some molecules in through protein channels.
- Nucleus
- Structure that contains the chromosomal information (DNA)
- Mitochondira
- Structure that performs metabolic activities. It needs "fuel" and oxygen to function.
- Endoplasmic Reticulum
- Network of thin tubes that transportnewly synthesized protiens to other locations
- Ribosomes
- Sites at which the cell synthesizes new protein molecules (some float freely, others are attached to the endoplasmic reticulum)
- Motor Neuron
- Recieves excitation from other neurons and conducts impulses from its soma in the spinal cord to muscle or gland cells
- Dendrites
- Branching fibers. Their surface is lined with synaptic receptors. It recieves information from other neurons
- Dendritic Spines
- Short outgrowths that increase the surface area of the dendrites. Increased surface area = more info processed
- Cell Body/Soma
- COntains the nucleus, nucleolus, ribosomes, mitochondria, etc. Much metabolic work occurs here.
- Axon
- Thin fiber used as the information sender or the neuron. It conveys messages to other neurons, glands, and muscles.
- Presynaptic Terminals
- Swellings at the tips of axon branches, axon releases chemicals here.
- Afferent Axon
- Brings information into a structure
- Efferent Axon
- Brings information away from structure
- Microglia
- Kind of glia: Removes waste, viruses, fungi, and other microorganisms
- Radial Glia
- Guide the migration of neurons and the growth of their axons and dendrites during embryonic development
- Blood-Brain Barrier
- Mechanism that keeps most chemicals out of the vertebrate. Most drugs reach the brain because the dissolve into fats
- Active Transport
- A protein-mediated process that expends energy to pump chemicals from the blood into the brain
- Electrical gradient
- Difference in electrical charge between the inside and the outside of the cell (brain)
- Resting Potential
- Difference in voltage in a resting neuron
- Sodium-Potassium pump
- Protein complex that repeatedly transports 3 sodium ions out of the cell while drawing 2 potassium ions in.
- Concentration gradient
- Difference in distribution of ions across the membrane
- Reductionism
- Use observations to infer things about science
- E.O. Wilson
- Famous scientist, "founder" of sociobiology. Ex-why do men and women behave differently?
- Consilience
- Using knowledge of behavior and cognitive observations to explain biology (opposite of reductionism)
- Trichromatic
- Red, green, and blue make up every color for TV and for the human eye
- Opproment Process
- (red & green) (blue & yellow) (black & white) Colors go together, if you stare at one and then look at a blank surface the opposite color will appear on the surface
- Solosist
- Subpart to monism: I dont know anything, I may not even exist
- Materialism
-
Subpart of monism: belief that everything that exists is material or physical. Things you can see and feel are "real"
(most bio psychologists are materialists) - Cytoplasm
- The "juice" in the cell
- Synapse
- place at which communication between neurons occurs
- Myelin Sheath
- Covers and insulates the axon. Helps the signals to move faster
- Schwann Cells
- Protects axon by producing the myelin sheath
- Astrocytes
- Kind of glia: wrap around the presynaptic terminals of several axons. Takes in chemicals and releases them back to axons-helps synchronize activity of axons. Also remove waste material. Forms part of the blood-brain barrier
- Ogliodendricytes
- Type of glia that attaches to Schwann Cells
- Sensory Neuron
- Specialized to be highly sensitive to a particular type of stimulation. Ends in the skin
- Nodes of Ranvier
- interruptions in the axon's myelin sheath, action potentials occur here
- Polarization
- Meaning a difference in electrical charge between two locations