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Physiological - Psych GRE
Physiological - Psych GRE
127
Psychology
Graduate
03/10/2010

Additional Psychology Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
Gall
Definition

developed doctrine of phrenology

person

Term
Flourens
Definition

first person to study functions of major sections of brain - done using ablation, removing parts of brains, mostly on pidgeons

person

Term
Dewey
Definition

wrote article criticizing the concept of the reflex arc

person

Term
Broca
Definition

examined behavioral deficits of people with brain damage - first to demonstrate that specific functional impairments could be linked with specific brain lesions

person

Term
Phineas Gage
Definition

person who was injured by iron rod, with explosive charge through front of skull - changed his personality, though didn't harm him physically

person

Term
law of specific nerve energies/Muller
Definition

each sensory nerve is excited by only one kind of energy (e.g., light or air vibrations) and brain interprets any stimulation of that nerve as being that kind of energy

term/person

Term
Helmholtz
Definition

first to measure the speed of a nerve impulse

person

Term
Sherrington
Definition

first inferred the existence of synapses

person

Term
afferent or sensory neurons
Definition

transmit sensory information from receptors to the spinal cord and brain

term

Term
efferent or motor neurons
Definition

transmit motor information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles

term

Term
interneurons
Definition

found between other neurons - most numerous, located predominantly in brain and spinal cord, linked to reflexive behavior

term

Term
reflex arc
Definition

behavior controlled by neural circuits, transmitted by interneurons in spinal cord

term

Term
central nervous system
Definition

composed of the brain and spinal cord

term

Term
peripheral nervous system
Definition

made up of nerve tissue and fibers outside the brain and spinal cord

term

Term
somatic nervous system
Definition

consists of sensory and motor neurons distributed throughout the skin and muscles - part of the peripheral nervous system

term

Term
afferent fibers
Definition

the fibers through which sensory neurons transmit info

term

Term
efferent fibers
Definition

fibers through which motor impulses are transmitted

term

Term
Cannon
Definition

did pioneering work on the ANS

person

Term
autonomic nervous system
Definition

generally regulates heartbeat, respiration, digestion, and glandular secretions - manages involuntary muscles - regulates body temperature with sweating/shivering

term

Term
sympathetic nervous system
Definition

acts to accelerate heartbeat and inhibit digestion - activated in stressful situations - associated with fear and rage reactions - increases blood sugar level and respiration - part of ANS

term

Term
parasympathetic nervous system
Definition

role is to conserve energy - associated with resting and sleep states, reduces heart and respiration rates, and increases digestion - resting and digesting - part of ANS

term

Term
acetylcholine
Definition

neurotransmitter responsible for parasympathetic responses

term

Term
hindbrain
Definition

located where brain meets spinal cord - controls balance, motor coordination, breathing, digestion, and general arousal processes such as sleeping and waking - basically, vital functioning necessary for survival

term

Term
midbrain
Definition

manages sensorimotor reflexes and also promote survival - receives sensory and motor information

term

Term
forebrain
Definition

associated with complex perceptual, cognitive, and behavioral processes - associated with emotion and memory - has greatest influence on human behavior

term

Term
brain stem
Definition

formed by hindbrain and midbrain together

term

Term
limbic system
Definition

group of neural structures primarily associated with emotion and memory

term

Term
cerebral cortex
Definition

outer covering of the cerebral hemispheres - associated with everything from language processing to problem solving, from impulse control to long term planning

term

Term
phelogeny
Definition

term for evolutionary development in humans

term

Term
cerebellum
Definition

refined motor movements/posture - at top of hindbrain

term

Term
medulla oblongata
Definition

vital functioning like breathing and digestion - part of hindbrain

term

Term
reticular formation
Definition

arousal, attention, and alterness - extends from hindbrain into midbrain, composed of intricate network of nerve fibers

term

Term
pons
Definition

lies above medulla and contains sensory and motor tracts between the cortex and the medulla

term

Term
inferior and superior colliculi
Definition

sensorimotor reflexes - in midbrain

term

Term
hypothalamus
Definition

serves homeostatic functions (metabolism, temp, water balance), key player in emotional experience during high arousal states - feeding, fighting, fleeing, fucking - forebrain

term

Term
osmoreceptors in the hypothalamus
Definition
where maintenance of water balance (osmoregulation) takes place
Term
Cannon
Definition

developed conceptualization of homeostasis

person

Term
lateral hypothalamus
Definition

hunger center - lesions lead to aphagia (lacking hunger)

term

Term
ventromedial hypothalamus
Definition

satiety center - lesions lead to hyperphagia (very hungry)

term

Term
anterior hypothalamus
Definition

sexual activity - lesions lead to asexuality

term

Term
thalamus
Definition

serves as important relay station for incoming sensory information, including all senses except smell - in forebrain

term

Term
basal ganglia
Definition

coordinates muscle movement as it receives info from cortex and relays it to brain and spinal cord (using extrapyramidal motor system) - makes movement smooth and posture steady - associated with Parkinson's disease - in forebrain

term

Term
ventricles
Definition

fluid-filled cavities in middle of brain, link up with spinal canal - filled with cerebrospinal fluid - if enlarged, associated with schizophrenia

term

Term
limbic system
Definition

comprises group of interconnected structures looping around the central portion of the brain; associated with emotion and memory - lies in cerebral hemispheres - part of forebrain

system

Term
septum/limbic system
Definition

one of the primary pleasure centers - mild stimulation of this area is intensely pleasurable and sexually arousing - also inhibits aggression

term/system

Term
Olds and Milner
Definition

demonstrated with rats and stimulation of septal regions is intensely pleasurable

people

Term
amygdala/limbic system
Definition

when damaged, aggression and fear are reduced, sexuality is increased

term/system

Term
Kluver-Bucy syndrome
Definition

changes in animals that result from bilateral removal of amygdala leading to defensive/aggressive behavior

term

Term
hippocampus/limbic system
Definition

plays vital role in learning and memory processes - lesions produce anterograde amnesia (no new long-term memories)

term/system

Term
Milner
Definition

described H.M.'s memory problems from having hippocampus removed

person

Term
cerebral cortex
Definition

most recent brain region to evolve - has numerous bumps and folds called convolutions which provide increased cellular mass - part of forebrain

term

Term

frontal

parietal

occipital

temporal

Definition
four lobes of cerebral cortex
Term
profrontal lobe/frontal lobe
Definition

serves an executive function in which it supervises and directs operations of other brain regions, including perception, memory, emotion, impulse control, long-term planning

term/area

Term
association area
Definition

area that combines input from diverse brain regions

term

Term
projection areas
Definition

receive incoming sensory information or send out motor-impulse commands

term

Term
motor cortex/frontal lobe
Definition

initiates voluntary motor movements by sending neural impulses down spinal cord towards muscles - neurons here are arranged systematically according to parts of body to which they're connected - parts requiring most motor control take up most space

term/area

Term
Broca's are/frontal lobe
Definition

vitally important for speech production - usually found only in dominant hemisphere

term/area

Term
somatosensory cortex/parietal lobe
Definition

involved in somatosensory information processing - destination for all incoming sensory signals for touch, pressure, temp, and pain

term/area

Term
sensorimotor cortex
Definition

motor cortex and somatosensory cortex together

term

Term
parietal lobe
Definition

central region is associated with spatial processing and manipulation

term

Term
striate cortex/occipital lobe
Definition

another name for visual cortex

term/area

Term
Wernike's area/temporal lobe
Definition

associated with language reception/comprehension

term/area

Term
temporal lobes
Definition

serves in memory processing, emotional control, and language - also, auditory cortex here - includes hippocampus

area

Term
contralaterality
Definition

when one side of brain communicates with opposite side of body

term

Term
ipsilaterality
Definition

when cerebral hemispheres communicate with same side of body such as in smell

term

Term

letter/word perception

language-related sounds

speech/reading/writing/math

complex voluntary movement

Definition

dominant hemisphere controls:

examples

visual

auditory

language

movement

spatial

Term

faces

music

emotions

geomatry

sense of direction

intuition/creativity

Definition

non-dominant hemisphere controls:

examples

visual

auditory

language

movement

spatial

Term
Sperry and Gazzaniga
Definition

studied effects of severing corpus callosum by studying epileptic patients who had it severed to stop seizures - split brain

people

Term
corpus callosum
Definition

large collection of fibers connecting and allowing sharing of info between hemispheres - if severed, hemispheres are not accessible to each other

term

Term
soma
Definition

cell body - contains nucleus of cell

term

Term
dendrites
Definition

branch out from cell body to receive incoming info from other neurons via postsynaptic receptors - external stimulation leads neuron to fire - change shape throughout lifetime, never myelinated

term

Term
axon
Definition

branches out into numerous terminal buttons, each containing sacs filled with neurotransmitters - remain the same through aging, usually myelinated

term

Term
glial cells
Definition

insulate axons in myelin sheath - increases velocity of impulse

term

Term
resting potential
Definition

slight electrical charge (negative) stored inside neuron's cell membrane, waiting to be transformed into nerve impulse

term

Term
cell membrane
Definition

thin layer of fatty molecules that separates inside of neuron from outside - semipermeable

term

Term
ions
Definition

electrically charged particles - small ones can pass through cell membrane, big ones can't - at resting, more positive ones outside neuron and negative ones inside

term

Term
sidum-potassium pump
Definition

sodium ions move from outside cell membrane to inside, and potassium moves from inside out - but cell membrane actively pumps sodium back out and keeps potassium in, which maintains resting state

term

Term
resting potential, depolarization, action potential spike, hyperpolarization
Definition
four stages of neuron firing
Term
depolarization
Definition

when stimulus causes membrane's potential to increase to threshold potential, from -70mV to -50mV - actual firing of the neuron

term

Term
action potential spike
Definition

rapid electrical impulse produced by membrane, caused when cell membrane's charge suddenly becomes positive by the membrane letting sodium ions in suddenly - absolute refractory period

term

Term
repolarization
Definition

cell membrane quickly switches back to negative charge by suddenly allowing positively charged potassium ions to exit cell

term

Term
hyperpolarization
Definition

when membrane briefly overshoots its original negative charge from the resting potential - now it is more negative than during resting potential, and cell membrane is again resistant to inflow of positive ions - relative refractory period

term

Term
axon hillock
Definition

small elevation on neuron where action potential originates - where axon meets cell body

term

Term
saltatory conduction
Definition

efficient conduction along myelinated axon

term

Term
nodes of Ranvier
Definition

gaps on myelin sheath, where depolarization actually occurs

term

Term
vessicles
Definition

tiny sacks that store neurotransmitters

term

Term
binding
Definition

process in which transmitter fits and attaches itself to receptor site

term

Term
acetylcholine
Definition

used to transmit nerve impulses to muscles in parasympathetic nervous system - lack is linked to Alzheimer's

term

Term
epinephrine, norepinephrine, dopamine
Definition
three catecholamines - all monoamines, play important role in experience of emotion
Term
norepinephrine
Definition

involved in controlling alertness and wakefulness, also implicated in mood disorders

term

Term
dopamine
Definition

plays important role in movement and posture - high concentrations found in basal ganglia - implicated in scizophrenia and parkinson's

term

Term
seratonin
Definition

loosely classified as monoamine - involved in regulating mood, eating, sleeping, and arousal

term

Term
GABA
Definition

produces inhibitory postsynaptic potentials - thought to stabilize neural activity in brain by causing hyperpolarization

term

Term
neuromodulators/neuropeptides
Definition

two or more amino acids joined together - act similarly to neurotransmitters, but relatively slow and have longer effects - includes endorphins and enkephalins

term

Term
benzodiazpines and barbituates
Definition

drugs that facilitate and enhance action of GABA

two classes

Term
tricyclics
Definition

thought to reduce depression by facillitating transmission of norepinephrine or seratonin at synapse by blocking reuptake

drug class

Term
MAO-I
Definition

inhibits enzyme that breaks down norepinephrine and seratonin

drug class

Term
methylphenidate
Definition
ritalin
Term
hypothalamus
Definition

controls release of pituitary hormones

term

Term
pituitary
Definition

often called master gland - triggers hormone secretion in many other endocrine glands

term

Term
thyroid
Definition

affects metabolism rate; growth and development

term

Term
adrenal medulla
Definition

produces adrenaline which increases sugar output of liver; also increases heart rate

term

Term
ovaries
Definition

estrogen stimulates female sex charecteristics; progesterone prepares uterus for implantation of embryo

gland

Term
testes
Definition

testosterone produces male sex characteristics; relevant to sexual arousal

term

Term
testosterone
Definition

maturation of male genitalia; production of sperm, growth of facial and public hair

hormone

Term
estrogen
Definition

maturation of female genitalia; growth of breasts; growth of uterine lining

hormone

Term
progesterone
Definition

maintenance of uterine lining

hormone

Term
gonadotropins - made in pituitary
Definition

include follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone (controls ovulation)

hormone class

Term
lesions and ablations
Definition

localized brain damage or brain surgery used to study functions of specific brain areas

two terms

Term
stereotaxic instrument
Definition

used to locate brain areas when implanting electrodes in order to make lesions; or to stimulate/record nerve cell activity

term

Term
electrical stimulation/recording of neurons
Definition

used to study activity of individual nerve cells

term

Term
Broca's aphasia
Definition

disturbs ability to produce language

term

Term
Wernicke's aphasia
Definition

disturbs ability to understand language

term

Term
anterograde amnesia
Definition

disturbs memory for events after injury occurs

term

Term
retrograde amnesia
Definition

disturbs memory for events before brain injury occurs

term

Term
visual agnosia
Definition

disturbs visual recognition

term

Term
tactile agnosia
Definition

disturbs tactile recognition

term

Term
beta waves
Definition

person is awake and alert

sleep waves

Term
alpha waves
Definition

person is awake, but relaxed and with eyes closed - slower EEG activity

sleep waves

Term
stage 1/theta waves
Definition

person is lightly sleeping; EEG activity shows "sleep spindles" and K complexes appear

stage/waves

Term
stage 3/delta waves
Definition

person is more deeply asleep; progressively slower EEG and steeper 'sleep spindles'

stage/waves

Term
stage 4/delta waves
Definition

person is in deepest sleep; slowest EEG and steepest 'sleep spindles,' relaxed muscle tone, decreased respiration/heart rate

stage/waves

Term
rapid eye movement sleep
Definition

fast but irregular EEG activity, similar to alpha waves; relaxed muscle tone; associated with dreaming

term

Term
James-Lange theory
Definition

argued that we recognize emotions based on how body reacts - we feel sorry because we cry, angry because we strike, etc.

term

Term
Cannon-Bard theory
Definition

argued that emotions reflect physiological arousal of autonomic nervous system and specific neural circuits in brain

term

Term
Schachter-Singer theory
Definition

argued that unspecified physiological arousal will be labeled as different emotions depending on mental response to environmental stimulation

term

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