AP PSYCH UNIT 2 STUDY GUIDE – BIOLOGICAL BASES OF BEHAVIOR
BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY AND NEUROTRANSMISSION
A. Biology, Behavior and Mind
» Terms to Know:
Phrenology
Biological Psychologists
B. Neural Communication
» Terms to Know:
Action potential
Resting potential
Threshold
All-or-none response
Synapse/synaptic gap/synaptic cleft
Neurotransmitters
Reuptake
» What are the building blocks of our body’s neural information system?
» 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
» Do all neural impulses travel at the same speed? Why or why not?
» Describe what happens when an axon fires.
» Describes what happens during the refractory period.
» How do nerve cells communicate with other nerve cells?
AP PSYCH UNIT 2 STUDY GUIDE – BIOLOGICAL BASES OF BEHAVIOR
C. Neurotransmitters
» Terms to Know:
Endorphins
Agonists
Antagonists
Neurotransmitter
Acetylcholine (Ach)
Function
Examples of Malfunctions
Dopamine
Serotonin
Norepinephrine
GABA (gammaaminobutyric acid)
Glutamate
» What is the difference between excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters?
» What type of neurotransmitter molecules released in the body are similar to morphine?
» What are some common examples of agonists?
» What are some common examples of antagonists?
THE NERVOUS AND ENDOCRINE SYSTEMS
A. The Nervous System
» Terms to Know:
Nervous system
Nerves
Sensory neurons
Motor neurons
Interneurons
Neural networks
Reflexes
» What 2 components make up the central nervous system?
» What is the peripheral nervous system responsible for?
AP PSYCH UNIT 2 STUDY GUIDE – BIOLOGICAL BASES OF BEHAVIOR
Peripheral Nervous
System Components
I. Somatic nervous system
II. Autonomic nervous
system
a. Sympathetic nervous
system
b. Parasympathetic
nervous system
Function
Central Nervous System
I. The brain
II. The spinal cord
Function
» Describe the 3 steps of the neural chain, or reflex arc.
B. The Endocrine System
» Terms to Know:
Endocrine system
Hormones
Fight-or-flight response
» How is the endocrine system different from the nervous system?
» Why is the pituitary gland considered the master gland?
The Endocrine System
Hypothalamus
Pituitary gland
Anterior pituitary gland
Posterior pituitary gland
Thyroid gland
Parathyroids
Adrenal glands
Function
AP PSYCH UNIT 2 STUDY GUIDE – BIOLOGICAL BASES OF BEHAVIOR
Pancreas
Testes
Ovaries
STUDYING THE BRAIN, AND OLDER BRAIN STRUCTURES
A. The Tools of Discovery
» Terms to Know:
Lesion
Technique
Electroencephalogram (EEG)
Description of Technique
CT (Computed Tomography)
Scan
PET (Positron Emission
Tomography) Scan
MRI (Magnetic Resonance
Imaging)
fMRI (Functional MRI)
B. Older Brain Structures
The Brainstem, Thalamus & Cerebellum
Components
Brainstem
Location
Function
Medulla
Pons
Reticular
formation
Thalamus
» Why is the brainstem considered a crossover point?
» The thalamus receives information from all senses except which one?
AP PSYCH UNIT 2 STUDY GUIDE – BIOLOGICAL BASES OF BEHAVIOR
» Damage to one’s cerebellum could result in what types of problems?
C. The Limbic System
» Terms to Know:
Reward centers
The Limbic System
Components
Amygdala
Location
Function
Hypothalamus
Lateral
Hypothalamus
Ventromedial
Hypothalamus
Hippocampus
THE CEREBRAL CORTEX
A. Structure of the Cortex
» Terms to Know:
Cerebrum
Cerebral cortex
Lobes
Fissures
Lobe
Frontal
lobes
Location
Parietal
lobes
Occipital
lobes
Temporal
lobes
B. Functions of the Cortex
» Terms to Know:
Motor cortex
Somatosensory cortex
Association areas
Function
AP PSYCH UNIT 2 STUDY GUIDE – BIOLOGICAL BASES OF BEHAVIOR
» With what are the brain’s left and right hemispheres mainly filled?
» What purpose do the glial cells serve?
» Which types of movements occupy the greatest amount of cortical space?
» How could damage to the prefrontal cortex affect someone?
» How could damage to Broca’s area affect someone?
» How could damage to Wernicke’s area affect someone?
C. The Brain’s Plasticity
» Terms to Know:
Plasticity
Neurogenesis
» How does plasticity sometimes occur after serious damage to the brain?
» 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:
Corpus callosum
» Visual Wiring:
a. Information from the __________ half of your field of vision goes to your __________
hemisphere, and
b. information from the __________ half of your visual field goes to your ___________
hemisphere (which usually controls speech). However,
c. each eye receives sensory information from both the right and left visual fields.
» What are some of the functions the left hemisphere of the brain is typically responsible for?
» What are some of the functions the right hemisphere of the brain is typically responsible for?