AP Psych Unit 2 Study Guide – Biological bases of behavior

Biological Psychology and Neurotransmission

A. Biology, Behavior and Mind

»Terms to Know:

1. Phrenology

B. Neural Communication

» Terms to Know:

2. Action potential

3. Resting potential

4. Threshold

5. All-or-none response

6. Synapse/synaptic gap/synaptic cleft

7. Neurotransmitters

8. Reuptake

» 9. What are the building blocks of our body’s neural information system?

» 10. Label the parts of a neuron. Be sure to explain the function of each:

A. Dendrites ______

B. Cell Body ______

C. Nucleus ______

D. Axon ______

E. Myelin Sheath

______

F. Terminal Branches of Axon

______

G. Neural Impulse

»11. Do all neural impulses travel at the same speed? Why or why not?

»12. Describe what happens when an axon fires.

»13. Describes what happens during the refractory period.

»14. How do nerve cells communicate with other nerve cells?

C. Neurotransmitters

» Terms to Know:

15. Endorphins

16. Agonists

17. Antagonists

Neurotransmitter / Function / Examples of Malfunctions
18. Acetylcholine (Ach)
19. Dopamine
20. Serotonin
21. Norepinephrine
22. GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)
23. Glutamate

» 24. What is the difference between excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters?

» 25. What type of neurotransmitter molecules released in the body are similar to morphine?

» 26. What are some common examples of agonists?

» 27. What are some common examples of antagonists?

THE NERVOUS AND ENDOCRINE SYSTEMS

A. The Nervous System

» Terms to Know:

28. Nervous system

29. Nerves

30. Sensory neurons

31. Motor neurons

32. Interneurons

33. Neural networks

34. Reflexes

» 35. What 2 components make up the central nervous system?

» 36. What is the peripheral nervous system responsible for?

37. Peripheral Nervous System Components / Function
I. Somatic nervous system
II. Autonomic nervous system
  1. Sympathetic nervous system

  1. Parasympathetic nervous system

38. Central Nervous System / Function
I. The brain
II. The spinal cord

» 39. Describe the 3 steps of the neural chain, or reflex arc.

B. The Endocrine System

» Terms to Know:

40. Endocrine system

41. Hormones

42. Fight-or-flight response

» 43. How is the endocrine system different from the nervous system?

»44. Why is the pituitary gland considered the master gland?

The Endocrine System / Function
45. Hypothalamus
46. Pituitary gland
47. Anterior pituitary gland
48. Posterior pituitary gland
49. Thyroid gland
50.
Parathyroids
51. Adrenal glands
52. Pancreas
53. Testes
54. Ovaries

STUDYING THE BRAIN, AND OLDER BRAIN STRUCTURES

A. The Tools of Discovery

» Terms to Know:

55. Lesion

Technique / Description of Technique
56. Electroencephalogram (EEG)
57. CT (Computed Tomography) Scan
58. PET (Positron Emission Tomography) Scan
59. MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
60. fMRI (Functional MRI)

B. Older Brain Structures

The Brainstem, Thalamus & Cerebellum
Components / Location / Function
61. Brainstem
62. Medulla
63. Pons
64. Reticular formation
65. Thalamus

»66. Why is the brainstem considered a crossover point?

»67. The thalamus receives information from all senses except which one?

»68. Damage to one’s cerebellum could result in what types of problems?

C. The Limbic System

» Terms to Know:

69. Reward centers

The Limbic System
Components / Location / Function
70. Amygdala
71. Hypothalamus
72. Lateral Hypothalamus
73. Ventromedial Hypothalamus
74. Hippocampus

THE CEREBRAL CORTEX

A. Structure of the Cortex

» Terms to Know:

75. Cerebrum

76. Cerebral cortex

77. Lobes

78. Fissures

Lobe / Location / Function
79. Frontal lobes
80. Parietal lobes
81. Occipital lobes
82. Temporal lobes

B. Functions of the Cortex

» Terms to Know:

83. Motor cortex

84. Somatosensory cortex

85. Association areas

»86. With what are the brain’s left and right hemispheres mainly filled?

» 87. What purpose do the glial cells serve?

» 88. Which types of movements occupy the greatest amount of cortical space?

» 89. How could damage to the prefrontal cortex affect someone?

» 90. How could damage to Broca’s area affect someone?

» 91. How could damage to Wernicke’s area affect someone?

C. The Brain’s Plasticity

» Terms to Know:

92. Plasticity

93. Neurogenesis

» 94. How does plasticity sometimes occur after serious damage to the brain?

» 95. How can brain plasticity help those who are deaf or blind?

BRAIN HEMISPHERE ORGANIZATION & THE BIOLOGY OF CONSCIOUSNESS

A. Our Divided Brain

» Terms to Know:

96. Corpus callosum

» 97. Visual Wiring:

  1. Information from the ______half of your field of vision goes to your ______hemisphere, and
  2. information from the ______half of your visual field goes to your ______hemisphere (which usually controls speech). However,
  3. each eye receives sensory information from both the right and left visual fields.

» 98. What are some of the functions the left hemisphere of the brain is typically responsible for?

» 99. What are some of the functions the right hemisphere of the brain is typically responsible for?