CH3:Biological Basis of Behavior

• electrical charge of axon in its inactive state
• negative potassium ions while outside consists of positive sodium ions when it fires

sends information to the central nervous system, sense organs, & voluntary muscles

middle layer of brain involved in emotion & memory

produces steroid hormons such as cortisol used in the fight or flight response

brain-stem structure that regulates brain activity during sleep & dreaming

stimulates & maintains metabolic (basic) activities

arouses the cortex to keep brain alert & attentive to new stimulation

nerve impulse caused by a change in the electrical charge across the cell membrane of the axon

involved in movement & thinking

nervous system's ability to adapt or change as the result of experience, help nervous system adapt to physical change

transmits messages between nerve cells

involved in establishing long-term memories

spaces between segments of myelin on axons of neurons

endocrine gland in the brain that produces melatonin & helps regulate circadian rythms associated with seasonal affective disorder

"little brain" attached to the brain stem, responsible for coordinated movements, memory, balance

males with XXY sex chromosomes

in nerve cell, extended fiber that conducts info from soma to terminal buttons; travels along in form of electrical charge

relaying of information across the synapse by means of chemical neuro transmitters

autonomic & somatic nervous systems

controls breathing & heart rate

involved in fear & agression

observable physical characteristics

impairment of language caused by left hemisphere damage either to Broca's area or to Wernicke's ares

cortical regions throughout the brain that combine info from various other parts of the brain

precise destruction of brain tissue

monitors the routine operations of the internal organs & returns the body to calmer funtioning after arousal by the sympathetic division

• X & Y chromosomes that determine our physical sex characteristics
• males- XY
• females- XX

located in the frontal lobe, directs the muscle movements in speech

usually three copies of chromosome 21 in their cells leads to mental retardation, a defect in physical features, & poor muscle tone & coordination

type of MRT that reveals which parts of the brain are more active during various mental activities

band of nerve cells that connects the two cerebral hemispheres

cortical areas lying toward the back & top of the brain, involved in touch sensation & in perceiving spatial relationships, body position

drug or other chemical that enhances or mimics the effects of neurotransmitters

microscopic gap that serves as a communications link between neurons, also occur between neurons & muscles or glands they serve

each DNA segment of a chromosome that determines a trait (physical & mental characteristics)

natural opiate like neurotransmitters linked to pain control & pleasure

brain & spinal cord,reflexes

located in the temporal lobe, controls language comprehension

organism's genetic make-up for a trait

• neurotransmitter that influences movement, learning, attention, & emotion
• associated with Schizophrenia & Parkinson's disease

imaging technique that relies on the detection of radioactive sugar consumed by active brain cells

• neurotransmitter that enables muscle action, learning, & memory
• associated with Alzheimer's

serves as the brain's blood-testing lab, constantly monitoring blood to determine the condition of the body, maintenince activities

• neurotransmitter that affects mood, hunger, sleep, & arousal
• undersupply linked to depression

refers to the fact that the action potential in the axon occurs either full-blown or not at all

carries messages towards the muscles & glands

branched fiber extends outward from main cell body & carries information into the neuron

driving force behind evolution, environment "selects" fittest organism

small "container" holding neurotransmitter molecules that then connects to the presynaptic membrane, releasing the neurtransmitter into the synapse

• entire network of neurons in the body
• central, peripheral, & their subdivisions

nerve cell that carries messages from the sense receptors toward the central nervous system

endocrine glands in neck which help maintain calcium ion level in blood necessary for normal functioning of neurons

• where spinal cord swells as it enters skull, oldest structure
• medulla, pons, reticular formation

regulates glucose

• dominant gene defect that involves degeneration of the nervous system
• characterized by trmors, jerky motions, blindness, & death

drug or other chemical that inhibits the effects of neurotransmitters

tightly coiled threadlike structure that contains genes determined by DNA sequences

hormone system, body's chemical messenger system

"master gland" that produces hormones influencing the secretions of all other endocrine glands

cortical lobes incolced in speaking, learning, & hearing

females with only one X sex chromosome

narrow vertical strip of cortex in the frontal lobes, controls voluntary movement

studies interaction of biology, behavior, & mental processes

part of autonomic nervous system; arouse, accelerate blood pressure, & heartbeat

portion of peripheral nervous system invovled with muscles of internal organs

part of cell contains nucleus & chromosomes

brain's central "relay station"

involved with sensations of touch

device for recording brain waves, typically by electrodes placed on the scalp

• major inhibitory neurotransmitter
• linkes to anxiety disorders & insomnia

long, complex molecule that encodes genetic characteristics

• neurotransmitter that helps control alertness & arousal
• undersupply linked to depression

cells that bind the neurons together, provide insulating covering (myelin sheath) of the axon for some neurons

computerized imaging technique that uses X-rays passed through the brain at various angles and then combined into an image

gonads in females & males respectively produce hormones necessary for reproduction & developing secondary sex characteristics

tiny bulblike structures at the end of the axon, contains neurotransmitters that carry the neuron's message into the synapse

outer most layer, "higher" mental processing

chemical messenger used by endocrine system, many serve as neurotransmitter

visual processing areas of cortex in occipital & temporal lobes

• relies on cell's responses in a high-intensity magnetic field & radio waves
• looks at different types of soft tissue
• looks at brain structure

chemical messengers that relay neural messages across the synapse

• cell that recieves, prcess, & transmits information to other cells in the body
• building blocks of nervous system