INTRODUCTION TO BIOPSYCHOLOGY
Study Guide
Unit I: Anatomy, Physiology, and Development
Lesson I-1:
The Mind-Brain Relationship
Objectives:
a) Compare the four types of biological explanations of behavior.
b) Discuss the four biological explanations of birdsong.
c) Identify an objection to dualism.
d) Describe three forms of monism.
e) Distinguish between Chalmers’ “easy problem” and “hard problem.”
Key terms:
dualism
monism
solipsism
Lesson I-2:
The Genetics of Behavior (Part 1)
Objectives:
a) Identify two types of evidence that researchers use to study heritability.
b) Give two examples of ways in which genes affect behavior.
c) Explain why it is difficult to distinguish between heredity and prenatal
influences.
d) Discuss the relationship of heredity and environment in PKU.
Key terms:
gene
chromosome
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
ribonucleic acid (RNA)
enzyme
homozygous
heterozygous
dominant
recessive
crossing over
sex-linked gene
autosomal gene
X chromosome
Y chromosome
sex-limited gene
recombination
mutation
monozygotic
dizygotic
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heritability
multiplier effect
phenylketonuria (PKU)
Lesson I-3:
The Genetics of Behavior (Part 2)
Objectives:
a) Describe four misconceptions about evolution.
b) Name at least two plausible ways for altruistic genes to spread in a population.
Key terms:
evolution
artificial selection
Lamarckian evolution
fitness
evolutionary psychology
altruistic behavior
reciprocal altruism
kin selection
Lesson I-4:
The Cells of the Nervous System
Objectives:
a) Identify the parts of an animal cell and the role played by each.
b) Identify the parts of a neuron and the role played by each.
c) Discuss the different kinds of glial cells and the function of each.
d) Identify the cells of the brain that can and cannot divide.
e) Explain why the blood-brain barrier exists and how it works.
f) Explain why the brain depends so heavily on glucose as a fuel.
Key terms:
neuron
membrane
nucleus
mitochondrion
ribosome
endoplasmic reticulum
motor neuron
sensory neuron
dendrites
dendritic spines
soma / cell body
axon
myelin sheath
presynaptic terminal
afferent axon
efferent axon
interneuron
glia
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astrocytes
microglia
oligodendrocyte
Schwann cell
radial glia
blood-brain barrier
active transport
glucose
thiamine
Lesson I-5:
The Nerve Impulse (Part 1)
Objectives:
a) Explain why an axon must regenerate an impulse instead of just conducting it.
b) Describe the forces behind the resting potential.
c) Explain why there needs to be a resting potential.
d) Discuss the all-or-none law and its significance.
e) Describe the molecular basis of the activation threshold.
f) Explain how the neuron returns to its resting potential.
g) Describe the mechanism by which local anesthetics work.
Key terms:
electrical gradient
polarization
resting potential
selective permeability
sodium-potassium pump
concentration gradient
hyperpolarization
depolarization
threshold of excitation
action potential
voltage-activated channel
local anesthetic
all-or-none law
refractory period
absolute refractory period
relative refractory period
Lesson I-6:
The Nerve Impulse (Part 2)
Objectives:
a) Describe the process of propagation of the action potential.
b) Explain how saltatory conduction works.
c) Indicate when impulses are transmitted without action potentials.
Key terms:
axon hillock
propagation of the action potential
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myelin
myelinated axon
node of Ranvier
saltatory conduction
local neuron
graded potential
PRACTICE TEST I-A
Lesson I-7:
The Concept of the Synapse
Objectives:
a) Identify three properties of reflexes.
b) Describe the function of EPSP and IPSP.
Key terms:
synapse
reflex
reflex arc
temporal summation
postsynaptic neuron
presynaptic neuron
excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP)
spatial summation
inhibitory postsynaptic potential (IPSP)
spontaneous firing rate
Lesson I-8:
Chemical Events at the Synapse (Part 1)
Objectives:
a) List the seven events that take place at a synapse.
b) Give an example of each of the six classes of neurotransmitters.
c) Describe the process by which neurotransmitters are released.
Key terms:
neurotransmitter
amino acids
peptides
acetylcholine
monoamines
purines
gases
nitric oxide
catecholamines
vesicles
exocytosis
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Lesson I-9:
Chemical Events at the Synapse (Part 2)
Objectives:
a) Identify two kinds of effects that a neurotransmitter can have.
b) Distinguish between the effects of hormones and neurotransmitters.
c) Compare the role of the anterior and posterior pituitary.
d) Give examples of inactivation and reuptake.
e) Describe the relationship of D2 and D4 receptors with personality.
Key terms:
ionotropic effect
metabotropic effect
G-protein
second messenger
neuromodulator
hormone
pituitary gland
releasing hormone
acetylcholinesterase
reuptake
transporter
autoreceptor
Lesson I-10: Drugs and Synapses
Objectives:
a) Compare the effects of amphetamines, cocaine and methylphenidate on
neurotransmitters.
b) Discuss the relationship between methylphenidate use in childhood and drug
abuse in adulthood.
c) Describe the effects of MDMA on the brain and on behavior.
d) Describe the effects of nicotine on the brain.
e) Identify three types of opiates and describe their effects on behavior.
f) Summarize the findings of Pert & Snyder.
g) Discuss the medical uses and psychological effects of marijuana.
h) Name the brain regions where cannabinoid receptors are most abundant.
i) Describe the effect of cannabinoids on neurotransmitters.
j) Describe the effect of hallucinogenic drugs on neurotransmitters.
Key terms:
antagonist
agonist
affinity
efficacy
nucleus accumbens
stimulant
opiate
cannabinoid
anandamide
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2-AG
hallucinogenic drugs
Lesson I-11: Structure of the Vertebrate Nervous System (Part 1)
Objectives:
a) Make sure you can identify all the anatomical directions in Figure 4.2.
b) Draw a diagram showing all the divisions of the vertebrate nervous system.
Key terms:
central nervous system
peripheral nervous system
somatic nervous system
autonomic nervous system
dorsal
ventral
spinal cord
Bell-Magendie law
dorsal root ganglion
gray matter
white matter
sympathetic nervous system
parasympathetic nervous system
Lesson I-12: Structure of the Vertebrate Nervous System (Part 2)
Objectives:
a) Briefly describe the components of the three major divisions of the brain.
b) Identify the functions of the cerebrospinal fluid.
Key terms:
hindbrain
brainstem
medulla
cranial nerves
pons
reticular formation
raphe system
cerebellum
midbrain
tectum
superior colliculus
inferior colliculus
tegmentum
substantia nigra
forebrain
limbic system
thalamus
hypothalamus
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pituitary gland
basal ganglia
nucleus basalis
hippocampus
central canal
ventricle
cerebrospinal fluid
meninges
PRACTICE TEST I-B
Lesson I-13: The Cerebral Cortex
Objectives:
a) Describe the location and function of the four lobes of the cerebral cortex.
Key terms:
cerebral cortex
corpus callosum
anterior commissure
lamina
column
occipital lobe
parietal lobe
central sulcus
postcentral gyrus
temporal lobe
Kluver-Bucy syndrome
frontal lobe
precentral gyrus
prefrontal cortex
prefrontal lobotomy
delayed-response task
binding problem
gamma waves
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Lesson I-14: Research Methods (Part 1)
Objectives:
a) Explain how each of the following methods is used to study the brain: CT,
MRI, EEG, MEG, PET, fMRI.
Key terms:
computerized axial tomography (CT or CAT scan)
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
electroencephalograph (EEG)
evoked potentials
magnetoencephalograph (MEG)
positron emission tomography (PET)
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functional magnetic resonance imagine (fMRI)
Lesson I-15: Research Methods (Part 2)
Objectives:
a) Describe three techniques used to inactivate specific brain structures.
b) Identify a limitation of brain stimulation studies.
c) Discuss the relationship between brain size and intelligence.
d) Compare the brains of men and women.
e) Explain how gray and white matter relate to intelligence.
Key terms:
lesion
ablation
stereotaxic instrument
sham lesion
gene-knockout approach
transcranial magnetic stimulation
Lesson I-16: Development of the Brain (Part 1)
Objectives:
a) Describe five stages in the development of neurons.
b) Identity the two types of neurons that can regenerate.
c) Explain how growing axons find their way to their correct target.
d) Identify the basic principle of neural Darwinism.
Key terms:
proliferation
migration
differentiation
myelination
synaptogenesis
stem cell
neural Darwinism
Lesson I-17: The Development of the Brain (Part 2)
Objectives:
a) Give an example of how cell loss can indicate development and maturation.
b) Identify the role of neurotrophins in the adult brain.
c) Describe the probable mechanism of fetal alcohol syndrome
d) Discuss the effects of enriched environments on neural development.
e) Identify the brain area that is activated uniquely in the brains of blind people
when they read Braille.
f) Compare the brains of musicians and non-musicians.
Key terms:
nerve growth factor (NGF)
apoptosis
neurotrophin
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fetal alcohol syndrome
focal hand dystonia
Lesson I-18: Plasticity After Brain Damage
Objectives:
a) List some of the more common ways that the human brain can be damaged.
b) Compare the two types of strokes.
c) Explain how strokes kill neurons.
d) Identify the most effective method of preventing brain damage after strokes.
e) Discuss five changes that can take place in the brain after a stroke.
Key terms:
closed head injury
stroke (cerebrovascular accident)
ischemia
hemorrhage
edema
tissue plasminogen activator (tPA)
penumbra
diaschisis
collateral sprouts
denervation supersensitivity
disuse supersensitivity
phantom limb
deafferented
PRACTICE TEST I-C
Unit II: Regulation of Basic Functions
Lesson II-1: Visual Coding and the Retinal Receptors (Part 1)
Objectives:
a) Summarize the law of specific nerve energies.
b) Describe the route that visual information travels in the eye.
c) Distinguish between foveal and peripheral vision.
Key terms:
receptor potential
law of specific nerve energies
pupil
retina
bipolar cell
ganglion cell
optic nerve
blind spot
fovea
midget ganglion cells
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Lesson II-2:
Visual Coding and the Retinal Receptors (Part 2)
Objectives:
a) Distinguish between rods and cones.
b) Describe the three major theories of color vision.
c) Explain how color blindness occurs.
Key terms:
rods
cones
photopigment
trichromatic (Young-Helmholtz) theory
psychophysical observations
visual field
negative color afterimage
opponent-process theory
color constancy
retinex theory
color vision deficiency
Lesson II-3: The Neural Basis of Visual Perception (Part 1)
Objectives:
a) Give a brief overview of the mammalian visual system.
b) Describe the phenomenon of lateral inhibition.
c) Compare the receptive fields and connections of parvocellular, magnocellular,
and koniocellular neurons.
Key terms:
horizontal cell
lateral geniculate nucleus
lateral inhibition
receptive field
parvocellular neuron
magnocellular neuron
koniocellular neuron
Lesson II-4: The Neural Basis of Visual Perception (Part 2)
Objectives:
a) Offer two possible explanations for the phenomenon of blindsight.
b) Distinguish between the ventral and dorsal streams.
c) Compare the function of simple cells, complex cells, and hypercomplex cells.
d) Identify the role of the inferior temporal cortex in visual processing.
Key terms:
primary visual cortex (V1)
blindsight
secondary visual cortex (V2)
ventral stream
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dorsal stream
simple cell
complex cell
end-stopped (hypercomplex) cell
feature detector
inferior temporal cortex
shape constancy
Lesson II-5: The Neural Basis of Visual Perception (Part 3)
Objectives:
a) Distinguish between visual agnosia and prosopagnosia.
b) Describe the role of MT and MST in motion perception.
Key terms:
visual agnosia
prosopagnosia
stereoscopic depth perception
MT (area V5)
MST
motion blindness
Lesson II-6:
Development of the Visual System
Objectives:
a) Describe the effects of early lack of stimulation of one eye or both eyes.
b) Explain how to restore sensitivity to an eye that has become inactive.
c) Identify the characteristics of astigmatism.
d) Discuss the visual impairments of people born with cataracts in either one eye
or both eyes.
e) Summarize the case of patient MM.
Key terms:
binocular input
sensitive (critical) period
retinal disparity
strabismus
lazy eye
astigmatism
PRACTICE TEST II-A
Lesson II-7: Audition
Objectives:
a) Describe the relationship of amplitude and frequency with loudness and pitch.
b) Identify the basic structures of the ear.
c) Distinguish between frequency theory and place theory.
d) Explain the volley principle.
e) Indicate which cortical structures process auditory information.
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f) Compare the two types of deafness.
g) Identify the cues that humans use to localize sound.
Key terms:
amplitude
loudness
frequency
pitch
pinna
tympanic membrane
oval window
cochlea
hair cell
frequency theory
place theory
volley principle
primary auditory cortex (area A1)
conductive (middle-ear) deafness
nerve (inner-ear) deafness
tinnitus
Lesson II-8: The Mechanical Senses
Objectives:
a) Identify three kinds of touch receptors.
b) Discuss the significance of figure 7.14.
c) Explain how opiate receptors regulate pain.
d) State the basic premise of gate theory.
e) Explain how capsaicin can be used for relieving pain.
f) Discuss the mechanism underlying chronic pain.
g) Identify a method of preventing chronic pain.
Key terms:
semicircular canals
somatosensory system
Pacinian corpuscle
spinal nerve
dermatome
capsaicin
substance P
opioid mechanisms
endorphins
gate theory
placebo
Lesson II-9: The Chemical Senses
Objectives:
a) Distinguish between the labeled-line and across-fiber pattern principles.
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b) Indicate the ways in which taste receptors resemble neurons and skin cells.
c) Explain how you would prove the existence of the five kinds of taste receptors.
d) Describe the mechanism by which the five kinds of taste receptors work.
e) Describe the pathway taken by taste information in the brain.
f) Explain why there seems to be so much specialization among olfactory
receptors.
g) Describe the pathway taken by olfactory information in the brain.
h) Explain why olfactory receptors have a relatively short survival time.
i) Discuss gender differences in olfaction.
j) Compare the VNO of adult humans with that of other mammals.
k) Cite evidence that pheromones play a role in human sexual behavior.
Key terms:
labeled-line principle
across-fiber pattern principle
papilla
adaptation
cross-adaptation
nucleus of the tractus solitarius (NTS)
supertasters
olfaction
olfactory receptor
anosmia
specific anosmia
vomeronasal organ
pheromones
synesthesia
Lesson II-10: The Control of Movement
Objectives:
a) Distinguish among the three types of vertebrate muscles.
b) Explain why antagonistic muscles are needed.
c) Indicate when fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscles are needed.
d) Describe the role of muscle spindles in the knee-jerk reflex.
e) Discuss the extent to which a movement like walking is voluntary.
f) Identify three reflexes that are present in infants but not in adults.
Key terms:
smooth muscle
striated (skeletal) muscle
cardiac muscle
neuromuscular junction
antagonistic muscle
flexor
extensor
myasthenia gravis
fast-twitch fibers
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slow-twitch fibers
aerobic
anaerobic
proprioceptor
stretch reflex
muscle spindle
Golgi tendon organ
reflex
grasp reflex
Babinski reflex
rooting reflex
Lesson II-11: Brain Mechanisms of Movement
Objectives:
a) Describe the role of the primary motor cortex in controlling movement.
b) Distinguish between the dorsolateral and ventromedial tracts.
c) Explain how each of the following contributes to movement: posterior parietal
cortex, prefrontal cortex, premotor cortex, and supplemental motor cortex.
d) Discuss the findings on readiness potentials and the conscious control of
movement.
e) Describe the effect of cerebellar damage.
f) Identify two ways to test the functioning of the cerebellum.
g) Explain how the basal ganglia are connected to other brain areas.
h) Describe the role of the basal ganglia in controlling movement.
Key terms:
primary motor cortex
dorsolateral tract
red nucleus
ventromedial tract
vestibular nucleus
posterior parietal cortex
prefrontal cortex
premotor cortex
supplemental motor cortex
readiness potential
anosognosia
basal ganglia
caudate nucleus
putamen
globus pallidus
Lesson II-12: Disorders of Movement
Objectives:
a) Identify the possible causes, symptoms and treatment of Parkinson's disease,
and Huntington's disease
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Key terms:
Parkinson's disease
MPTP
L-dopa
Huntington's disease
presymptomatic test
huntingtin
PRACTICE TEST II-B
Lesson II-13: Rhythms of Waking and Sleeping
Objectives:
a) Give examples of endogenous circannual and circadian rhythms.
b) Describe the brain mechanisms that give rise to the biological clock.
c) Explain how jet lag and shift work affect one's biological clock.
Key terms:
endogenous circannual rhythm
endogenous circadian rhythm
biological clock
suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)
pineal gland
melatonin
free-running rhythm
zeitgeber
jet lag
Lesson II-14: Stages of Sleep and Brain Mechanisms
Objectives:
a) Describe the characteristics of the different stages of sleep.
b) Explain why REM sleep is called paradoxical sleep.
c) Distinguish between REM and NREM dreams.
d) Describe the role of the reticular formation, locus coeruleus, and basal
forebrain in arousal.
e) Explain how caffeine increases arousal.
f) Identify the parts of the brain that are activated in REM sleep.
g) Describe the role of the pons in REM sleep.
h) Discuss each of the sleep disorders described in your textbook.
i) List the four symptoms of narcolepsy.
Key terms:
polysomnograph
alpha wave
sleep spindle
K-complex
slow-wave sleep
paradoxical sleep
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rapid eye movement (REM) sleep
non-REM sleep
reticular formation
locus coeruleus
basal forebrain
adenosine
caffeine
PGO wave
insomnia
sleep apnea
narcolepsy
cataplexy
periodic limb movement disorder
REM behavior disorder
night terrors
Lesson II-15: Why Sleep? Why REM? Why Dreams?
Objectives:
a) List the functions of sleep.
b) Discuss the specialization in the sleep pattern of dolphins and migratory birds.
c) Describe the effects of sleep deprivation.
d) Cite evidence that sleep enhances memory.
e) Describe the effect of REM sleep deprivation in humans.
f) Discuss Maurice’s theory about the role of REM sleep.
g) Compare the activation-synthesis and clinico-anatomical hypotheses.
h) Explain why the activation-synthesis hypothesis is considered controversial.
Key terms:
activation-synthesis hypothesis
clinico-anatomical hypothesis
Lesson II-16: Temperature Regulation
Objectives:
Key terms:
a) Give an example of how a homeostatic process works.
b) Identify the factors that help determine an animal's body temperature.
c) Explain why mammals evolved a body temperature of 37ºC.
d) Describe the role of the hypothalamus in regulating body temperature.
e) Describe the benefits and risks of running a fever.
homeostasis
set point
negative feedback
allostasis
basal metabolism
poikilothermic
homeothermic
preoptic area/ anterior hypothalamus
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cytokines
Lesson II-17: Thirst
Objectives:
a) Describe the role of vasopressin and ADH in water regulation.
b) Distinguish between the two types of thirst.
c) Identify the body's two mechanisms for detecting loss of blood volume.
d) Describe the mechanism that gives rise to sodium hunger.
Key terms:
vasopressin
antidiuretic hormone
osmotic pressure
osmotic thirst
OVLT
supraoptic nucleus and paraventricular nucleus
lateral preoptic area
angiotensin II
hypovolemic thirst
sodium-specific hunger
aldosterone
Lesson II-18: Hunger
Objectives:
a) Describe at least three factors that influence food selection.
b) Explain how each of the following affects hunger: oral factors, the stomach and
intestines, and blood glucose.
c) Describe the effects of lesions in the lateral hypothalamus, VMH, and PVN.
d) Discuss the role of leptin in regulating eating behavior.
e) Identify the different structures of the hypothalamus that are involved in
regulating appetite and describe the specific role of each one.
f) Give evidence to support the idea that genetics plays a role in body weight.
g) Indicate how hormone levels contribute to anorexia nervosa and bulimia
nervosa.
Key terms:
lactose
lactase
carnivore
herbivore
omnivore
conditioned taste aversion
sham-feeding
vagus nerve
splanchnic nerve
duodenum
cholecystokinin (CKK)
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insulin
glucagons
leptin
arcuate nucleus
paraventricular nucleus (PVN)
lateral hypothalamus
ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH)
anorexia nervosa
bulimia nervosa
PRACTICE TEST II-C
Unit III: Emotions and Cognition
Lesson III-1: The Effects of Sex Hormones (Part 1)
Objectives:
a) Distinguish between the organizing and activating effects of sex hormones.
b) Explain how testosterone and estrogen affect sexual differentiation.
c) Compare the male and female hypothalamus.
d) Compare the cerebral cortex and intellectual performance of men and women.
e) Explain why men and women use different spatial strategies.
Key terms:
steroid hormone
androgen
estrogen
estradiol
progesterone
sex-limited gene
organizing effect
activating effect
SRY
gene
testes
testosterone
Wolffian ducts
Mullerian ducts
ovaries
sensitive period
sexually dimorphic nucleus
alpha-fetoprotein
Lesson III-2: The Effects of Sex Hormones (Part 2)
Objectives:
a) Explain how sex hormones activate sexual behavior.
b) Compare the sexual motivation of male and female rats.
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c) List the most common causes of impotence.
d) Describe the hormonal activity that takes place during the menstrual cycle.
e) Identify the hormonal changes that prepare mammals for parenthood.
f) Explain why there are two mechanisms for maternal behavior.
Key terms:
impotence
menstrual cycle
follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)
estradiol
luteinizing hormone (LH)
periovulatory period
Lesson III-3: Variations in Sexual Behaviors
Objectives:
a) Compare the mating preferences of men and women.
b) Explain these preferences from an evolutionary standpoint.
c) Discuss the hormonal mechanism underlying CAH.
d) Identify the two classes of hermaphrodites.
e) Describe the mechanism that gives rise to androgen insensitivity.
f) Cite possible evidence for the role of genetics, hormones, prenatal events and
brain anatomy in sexual orientation.
Key terms:
gender identity
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH)
hermaphrodite
intersex (pseudohermaphrodite)
androgen insensitivity (testicular feminization)
Lesson III-4: What is Emotion?
Objectives:
a) Identify the three aspects of an emotion.
b) Describe the James-Lange theory of emotion.
c) Indicate whether or not physiological arousal is necessary or sufficient for
emotions.
d) Discuss the relationship of disgust and the sense of taste.
e) Describe the role of the left and right hemispheres in emotion.
f) Describe the function of common emotions.
g) Explain how loss of emotions can affect decision making.
Key terms:
James-Lange theory
pure autonomic failure
limbic system
Behavioral Activation System (BAS)
Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS)
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Lesson III-5: Attack and Escape Behavior (Part 1)
Objectives:
a) Describe the effects of genetics and environment on criminal behavior.
b) Discuss the relationship between testosterone and aggressive behavior.
c) Cite evidence that serotonin plays a part in aggressive behavior.
Key terms:
intermittent explosive disorder
turnover
5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA)
Lesson III-6: Attack and Escape Behavior (Part 2)
Objectives:
a) Describe the role of the amygdala in fear and anxiety.
b) Discuss the effects of Kluver-Bucy syndrome in monkeys.
c) Identify the types of emotional expressions to which the amygdala responds
most strongly.
d) Describe the effects of amygdala damage in humans.
e) Explain how benzodiazepines work on the nervous system.
Key terms:
startle reflex
barbiturates
benzodiazepines
GABAA receptor complex
diazepam-binding inhibitor (DBI)
endozepines
PRACTICE TEST III-A
Lesson III-7: Stress and Health
Objectives:
a) Identify the three stages of Selye’s general adaption syndrome.
b) Explain how the HPA system responds to stress.
c) Distinguish among the three types of leukocytes.
d) Indicate the effects of stress on the immune system.
Key terms:
behavioral medicine
stress
general adaptation syndrome
cortisol
HPA axis
ACTH
immune system
leukocyte
B cell
antibody
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antigen
T cell
natural killer cell
cytokine
psychoneuroimmunology
posttraumatic stress disorder
Lesson III-8: Learning, Memory, Amnesia & Brain Functioning (Part 1)
Objectives:
a) Distinguish between classical and operant conditioning.
b) List Lashley's two principles about the nervous system and two faulty
assumptions about the engram.
c) Describe the role of the LIP in learning.
d) Distinguish between short-term and long-term memory.
e) List the three components of working memory.
f) Indicate which brain areas are linked to working memory.
Key terms:
classical conditioning
conditioned stimulus (CS)
unconditioned stimulus (UCS)
unconditioned response (UCR)
conditioned response (CR)
operant conditioning
reinforcement
punishment
engram
equipotentiality
mass action
lateral interpositus nucleus (LIP)
short-term memory
long-term-memory
working memory
phonological loop
visuospatial sketchpad
central executive
delayed response task
Lesson III-9: Learning, Memory, Amnesia & Brain Functioning (Part 2)
Objectives:
a) Distinguish between retrograde and anterograde amnesia.
b) Indicate which aspects of H.M.'s memory are impaired and which are intact.
c) Discuss the relationship between memory performance and: (1) hippocampus
size, (2) neural activity in the hippocampus.
d) Describe three hypotheses about the role of the hippocampus in memory.
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e) Identify the effects of hippocampal damage on rats’ maze performance.
f) Explain how emotional response affects memory consolidation.
Key terms:
amnesia
retrograde amnesia
anterograde amnesia
episodic memory
declarative memory
procedural memory
explicit memory
implicit memory
delayed matching-to-sample task
delayed nonmatching-to-sample task
radial maze
Morris water maze task
configural learning
consolidation
Lesson III-10: Learning, Memory, Amnesia & Brain Functioning (Part 3)
Objectives:
a) Identify the cause and symptoms of Korsakoff's syndrome.
b) Give an example of memory confabulation in Korsakoff's patients.
c) Describe the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.
d) Cite evidence for and against the claim that Alzheimer’s is a genetic disease.
e) Discuss the role of amyloid proteins in Alzheimer’s disease.
f) List four possible ways to treat or prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
Key terms:
Korsakoff’s syndrome
priming
confabulation
Alzheimer’s disease
amyloid beta protein
tau
plaques
tangles
Lesson III-11: Lateralization of Function (Part 1)
Objectives:
a) Explain how the eyes in humans are connected to the two hemispheres of the
brain.
b) Indicate the conditions under which the corpus callosum would be cut.
c) Describe the characteristics of split-brain patients.
d) Distinguish between the areas of specialization of the left and right
hemispheres.
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Key terms:
corpus callosum
lateralization
visual field
optic chiasm
epilepsy
focus
split-brain people
Lesson III-12: Lateralization of Function (Part 2)
Objectives:
a) Describe an anatomical difference between the two hemispheres.
b) Cite evidence showing that the corpus callosum is not fully developed in young
children.
c) Explain why people born without a corpus callosum can perform some tasks
that split-brain patients fail.
d) Indicate specific ways in which the brains of left-handers and right-handers
differ.
Key terms:
planum temporale
anterior commissure
hippocampal commissure
Rasmussen’s encephalopathy
PRACTICE TEST III-B
Lesson III-13: Evolution and Physiology of Language (Part 1)
Objectives:
a) Identify five ways in which the language use of Kanzi and Malika has exceeded
that of other chimpanzees used in language studies.
b) Give three possible reasons for the development of these impressive skills.
c) Describe the language skills demonstrated by Alex, the gray parrot.
d) Cite evidence for the existence of a language acquisition device.
e) Cite evidence for and against the notion of a critical period in language
acquisition.
Key terms:
Williams syndrome
language acquisition device
poverty of the stimulus argument
Lesson III-14: The Biological Basis of Language (Part 2)
Objectives:
a) Describe the symptoms of Broca's and Wernicke's aphasia
b) Find at least three ways that a dyslexic and non-dyslexic brain tend to differ.
c) Discuss four hypotheses about the cause of dyslexia.
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Key terms:
aphasia
Broca's area
Broca's aphasia
Wernicke's area
Wernicke's aphasia
anomia
dyslexia
Lesson III-15: Attention
Objectives:
a) Cite evidence that attention pertains more to enhancing relevant activity than
inhibiting irrelevant activity.
b) Describe the symptoms of spatial neglect.
c) Cite evidence that spatial neglect is a problem of attention and not sensation.
d) Identify ways of increasing attention to the neglected side.
e) Name three tasks on which people with ADHD differ from other people
f) List two ways that the brains of ADHD people differ from those of others.
g) Discuss the common treatments of ADHD.
Key terms:
spatial neglect
attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
choice delay task
stop signal task
attentional blink task
Lesson III-16: Substance Abuse
Objectives:
a) Discuss the effects of addictive drugs on the nucleus accumbens.
b) Describe the effects of alcohol on the brain.
c) Compare Type I and Type II alcoholism.
d) Cite evidence that Type II alcoholism is genetic.
e) Explain how Antabuse affects alcohol metabolism.
f) Discuss the advantages of methadone over heroin.
g) Explain why naloxone is added to methadone.
Key terms:
substance abuse
self-stimulation of the brain
alcohol dependence
acetaldehyde
acetic acid
Antabuse
Lesson III-17: Mood Disorders
Objectives:
a) Identify two genes related to depression.
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b) Describe the brain characteristics of depressed people.
c) List the four major categories of antidepressants.
d) Compare the effectiveness of antidepressants, placebo, and psychotherapy.
e) Indicate the conditions in which ECT is most likely to be used.
f) Discuss the side effects of ECT.
g) Describe the altered sleep patterns of depressed people.
h) Distinguish between bipolar I and bipolar II disorders.
i) Compare the three drugs used in the treatment of bipolar disorder.
j) Describe the symptoms and treatment of SAD.
Key terms:
major depression
postpartum depression
tricyclics
selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)
atypical antidepressants
electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
unipolar disorder
bipolar disorder
bipolar I disorder
bipolar II disorder
seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
Lesson III-18: Schizophrenia
Objectives:
a) Compare acute and chronic schizophrenia.
b) Identify the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia.
c) Cite evidence for and against the notion that schizophrenia is genetic.
d) Cite evidence supporting the neurodevelopmental hypothesis.
e) Explain the season-of-birth effect.
f) Discuss the brain abnormalities observed in schizophrenia.
g) Identify the drugs commonly used to treat schizophrenia.
h) Cite evidence supporting the dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia.
i) Cite evidence supporting the glutamate hypothesis of schizophrenia.
Key terms:
schizophrenia
positive symptom
negative symptom
delusion
hallucination
thought disorder
differential diagnosis
chlorpromazine (Thorazine)
antipsychotic (neuroleptic) drugs
phenothiazines
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butyrophenones
PRACTICE TEST III-C
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PRACTICE TESTS
Practice Test I-A
1. Which of the following explanations for a genetic basis for altruism is most favored by the
text?
a. altruism benefits the species
b. kin selection
c. group selection
d. altruism involves little individual cost
2. All of the following are biological explanations of behavior except ________.
a. physiological explanation
b. ontogenetic explanation
c. evolutionary explanation
d. psychological explanation
3. Which kind of neurons conduct impulses from the spinal cord to either muscles or glands?
a. receptor neurons
b. interneurons
c. motor neurons
d. intrinsic neurons
4. Which of the following characterizes the "concentration gradient" in neurons?
a. Sodium ions are more concentrated inside the cell and potassium ions are more concentrated
outside.
b. Potassium ions are more concentrated inside the cell and sodium ions are more concentrated
outside.
c. Sodium ions are more concentrated in the dendrites and potassium ions are more concentrated
in the axon.
d. Potassium ions are more concentrated in the dendrites and sodium ions are more concentrated
in the axon.
5. When a membrane is at rest, what attracts potassium ions to the inside of the cell?
a. an electrical gradient
b. a concentration gradient
c. both an electrical gradient and a concentration gradient
d. neither an electrical gradient nor a concentration gradient
6. Researchers rely mainly on two kinds of evidence to determine the contributions of heritability
and environment. They are:
a. recombinant DNA studies and twin studies.
b. twin studies and adoption studies.
c. adoption studies and gene-crossover studies.
d. recombinant DNA studies and gene-crossover studies.
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Practice Test I-B
1. What is NOT one of the major categories of neurotransmitters?
a. steroids
b. amino acids
c. peptides
d. gases
2. What is contained within a vesicle?
a. sodium ions
b. potassium ions
c. neurotransmitter molecules
d. calcium ions
3. What does it means to say that acetylcholine exerts ionotropic effects?
a. It opens gates for a particular ion.
b. It alters the permeability of the presynaptic neuron.
c. It increases the concentration of ions within the vesicles.
d. It causes neutral atoms to become ionized.
4. Opiates have their most direct effects on which neurotransmitter?
a. acetylcholine
b. serotonin
c. dopamine
d. GABA
5. Which plane shows brain structures as they would be seen from the side?
a. coronal
b. sagittal
c. horizontal
d. commuter
6. Which of the following is NOT part of the midbrain?
a. tectum
b. tegmentum
c. pons
d. superior colliculus
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Practice Test I-C
1. Which lobe of the cerebral cortex is most important for visual information?
a. occipital
b. parietal
c. temporal
d. frontal
2. What device is used by an experimenter to implant an electrode deep into the brain?
a. an electroencephalograph
b. a stereotaxic instrument
c. a bregma
d. a PET scanner
3. What occurs in a CAT scan?
a. Radioactively labeled slices of brain tissue are placed on X-ray film.
b. 180 X-rays are passed through the body and combined in a computer.
c. Electrodes are attached to the scalp to record electrical activity of the brain.
d. Activity is assessed through computer analysis.
4. What is the process called when a primitive neuron begins to develop dendrites and an axon?
a. differentiation
b. migration
c. myelination
d. proliferation
5. Keeping animals in a varied environment with much stimulation leads to which change in
neuronal structure?
a. increased branching of dendrites
b. increased speed of action potentials
c. increased diameter of cell bodies
d. division of mature neurons to form additional neurons
6. The term ________ refers to a blood clot in the brain.
a. hemorrhage
b. ischemia
c. diaschesis
d. edema
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Practice Test II-A
1. The "law of specific nerve energies" attempts to account for what fact?
a. Perception of a repeated stimulus fades.
b. Every stimulation of the optic nerve is perceived as light.
c. The speed of action potentials varies depending on the strength of the stimulus.
d. Any stimulation above the threshold produces an action potential.
2. In comparison to the rods, what is true about the cones?
a. They are more common toward the periphery of the retina.
b. They are more sensitive to detail.
c. They are more sensitive to dim light.
d. They are more common in rodents and other nocturnal animals.
3. Where does the optic nerve send most of its information?
a. directly to the cerebral cortex
b. to the lateral geniculate
c. to the superior colliculus
d. directly to the occipital lobe
4. To what does "shape constancy" refer?
a. Objects appear in the same shape regardless of their orientation.
b. We can recognize objects even at different orientations.
c. We can still assess proportions accurately even looking at objects in water.
d. No matter how big we get, our mothers still see us as children.
5. What will a person fail to recognize after damage to cortical tissue in and around area V5?
a. color
b. faces
c. motion
d. objects in the upper half of the visual field
6. Astigmatism is a type of visual impairment that results in
a. a discrepancy between what the left and right eye see.
b. clouding of the lens.
c. blurring of vision in one direction.
d. the eyes being able to point in the same direction.
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Practice Test II-B
1. Where are the auditory receptor cells located?
a. in the semicircular canal
b. in the malleus
c. on the basilar membrane
d. on the tympanic membrane
2. Capsaicin can relieve pain by releasing _______.
a. serotonin
b. GABA
c. substance P
d. endorphins
3. Taste nerves project from the tongue to the
a. lateral geniculate nucleus.
b. nucleus of the tractus solitarius.
c. vestibular nucleus.
d. suprachiasmatic nucleus.
4. What type of muscle is responsible for the movement of your body through the environment?
a. smooth
b. syncarpous
c. cardiac
d. striated
5. The finger-to-nose test is a common way of testing for possible damage to what structure?
a. spinal cord
b. basal ganglia
c. medulla
d. cerebellum
6. Which of the following diseases produces an abnormal protein that impairs the neuron’s
mitochondria?
a. myasthenia gravis
b. Alzheimer’s disease
c. Parkinson’s disease
d. Huntington’s disease
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Practice Test II-C
1. The surest way to disrupt the biological clock is to damage what area of the brain?
a. the substantia nigra
b. the suprachiasmatic nucleus
c. the lateral hypothalamus
d. the caudate nucleus
2. Sleep spindles and K-complexes are most characteristic of which sleep stage?
a. stage 4
b. stage 3
c. stage 2
d. stage 1
3. Shivering, fur erection, blood vessel constriction, and sweating are controlled by the which
area of the brain?
a. pineal body
b. preoptic area of the hypothalamus
c. ventromedial hypothalamus
d. brain stem
4. A loss of blood will lead to what kind of thirst?
a. osmotic
b. non-homeostatic
c. hypovolemic
d. postprandial
5. Which of the following is probably the most important mechanism for ending a meal?
a. the number of calories consumed
b. levels of the hormone angiotensin II circulating in the blood
c. oral monitoring of how much food has been swallowed
d. sensations from the stomach
6. An animal refuses food and loses weight after damage to which structure?
a. the preoptic area
b. the ventromedial hypothalamus
c. the lateral hypothalamus
d. the baroreceptors
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Practice Test III-A
1. Hormones are to _____ as neurotransmitters are to _____.
a. excitation; inhibition
b. humans; non-humans
c. widespread effects; very localized effects
d. the body; the brain
2. In mammals, what determines whether the anatomy develops in the male or female pattern?
a. mostly the presence of testosterone
b. mostly the presence of estrogens
c. the presence of estrogens and testosterone equally
d. neither estrogens nor testosterone
3. When do the hormones LH, FSH, and estradiol reach a peak?
a. in the first month of pregnancy
b. at the start of the menstrual period
c. at the end of the menstrual period
d. around the time of ovulation
4. Benzodiazepines bind primarily to ________ receptors.
a. dopamine
b. serotonin
c. acetylcholine
d. GABA
5. Which of the following is true of someone with androgen insensitivity? The person is
genetically
a. female, but looks intermediate between male and female.
b. female, but fails to show any changes at puberty.
c. male, looks like a normal male, but behaves more like a female.
d. male, but develops looking more like a female.
6. The hippocampus, hypothalamus, amygdala, olfactory bulb, septum and related structures
constitute which system?
a. the pyramidal system
b. the sympathetic nervous system
c. the parasympathetic nervous system
d. the limbic system
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Practice Test III-B
1. In which stage of Selye’s general adaptation syndrome does the adrenal cortex begin to secrete
hormones that enable it to maintain alertness, fight infections, and heal wounds?
a. exhaustion
b. alarm
c. resistance
d. arousal
2. Recent researchers have felt that Lashley's conclusions about the results of his search for the
engram reflected some INAPPROPRIATE assumptions. What was one of those assumptions?
a. Memory involves a physical change in the nervous system.
b. The best place to search for the engram is the cerebral cortex.
c. More than one kind of memory exists.
d. Different memories involve different sets of neurons.
3. An emotional response can enhance memory consolidation by secreting small to moderate
amounts of ________, which activates the amygdala and hippocampus.
a. dopamine
b. acetylcholine
c. endorphin
d. cortisol
4. What type of deficiency causes Korsakoff's syndrome?
a. thiamine
b. protein
c. sodium
d. calcium
5. Which of the following is true about the planum temporale?
a. It is larger in the left hemisphere for most people.
b. It controls hand dominance for most people.
c. It is symmetrical in humans, but is asymmetrical in nonhuman primates.
d. It is abnormally large in the brains of many dyslexic individuals.
6. Given the way the left hemisphere of the human brain is connected to the retinas of the eyes,
what does it see?
a. the left visual field
b. the right visual field
c. the left visual field of the left eye and right visual field of the right eye
d. the right visual field of the left eye and left visual field of the right eye
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Practice Test III-C
1.
a.
b.
c.
d.
The main evidence in support of a language acquisition device is
the ease with which most children develop language.
the fact that patients with Williams syndrome retain their language skills.
the ability of animals such as Kanzi and Malika to use symbols.
the fact that older adults have a harder time learning a second language compared to children.
2. Someone with Broca's aphasia has the greatest difficulty with which aspect of language?
a. understanding spoken language
b. understanding written language
c. remembering the names of objects
d. speaking
3.
a.
b.
c.
d.
People with ADHD differ from other people on all of the following tasks EXCEPT:
the delayed matching-to-sample task.
the attentional blink task.
the stop signal task.
the choice delay task.
4. Antabuse affects alcohol metabolism by:
a. speeding up the breakdown of alcohol into acetaldehyde.
b. interfering with the breakdown of alcohol into acetaldehyde.
c. speeding up the breakdown of acetaldehyde into acetic acid.
d. interfering with the breakdown of acetaldehyde into acetic acid.
5. Which of the following statements is true?
a. Placebo is as effective a treatment for depression as psychotherapy.
b. Psychotherapy is as effective a treatment for depression as antidepressants.
c. Psychotherapy is a more effective treatment for depression than antidepressants.
d. Placebo is as effective a treatment for depression as antidepressants.
6.
a.
b.
c.
d.
Which of the following is a negative symptom of schizophrenia?
weak social interactions
delusions
hallucinations
thought disorder
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Answer Key
I-A
1.b
2.d
3.c
4.b
5.a
6.b
II-C
1.b
2.c
3.b
4.c
5.d
6.c
I-B
1.a
2.c
3.a
4.d
5.b
6.c
III-A
1.c
2.a
3.d
4.d
5.d
6.d
I-C
1.a
2.b
3.b
4.a
5.a
6.b
III-B
1.c
2.b
3.d
4.a
5.a
6.b
II-A
1.b
2.b
3.b
4.b
5.c
6.c
III-C
1.a
2.d
3.a
4.d
5.b
6.a
II-B
1.d
2.c
3.b
4.d
5.b
6.d
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