Psyc 375- Brain and Behaviour Exam 1 Questions And Answers

Psyc 375- Brain and Behaviour Exam 1 Questions And Answers Neuroscience - answerThe multidisciplinary study of the brain Anatomy, physiology, chemistry, physics What are the 2 elements of the nervous system? - answerCNS (brain and spinal cord) & PNS(cranial and spinal nerves) Embodied behaviour - answermovements we make and the movements we perceive in others are central to our behaviour -we understand one another not only by listening to words but also by observing gestures and other body language -the brain as an intelligent entity cannot be divorced from the body's activities Neurons - answerspecialized nerve cells engaged in info processing - carry signals from one location to another - ~86 billion Glia - answerSupports cells within the nervous system 1. Act as nerve glue 2. Supply nutrients to neurons 3. Act as insulation around axons 4. Remove pathogens and dead neurons Behaviours - answerpatterns in time 5 types of glial cell - answer Behaviour types - answerInnate (inherited ways of responding) & Learned (require experience & practice, depend on brain neuroplasticity) 3 historical perspectives - answermentalism, dualism, materialism Mentalism - answerAristotle (intellect = psyche, brain just cools the blood) Behaviour as a function of the non-material mind Beginning of modern psychology Dualism - answerDescartes (mind = pineal gland to direct flow of fluids) Both non-material mind and material body contribute to behaviour Mind-body problem = how does the mind and body interact Materialism - answerDarwin & Wallace Behaviour is a function of the NS w/o recourse to the mind Evolution = explains unity & diversity of life Evolution (2) - answer1. species today are descendants of ancestral species (descent w/ modification - movements = new stresses = adaptations) 2. Natural Selection is the mechanism for Evolution (heritable genetic variations + competition for resources = reproductive success) Rules of Natural Selection - answer1. Individuals don't evolve, populations do 2. Heritable genes, not acquired traits 3. evolution is not goal directed (random variation) Evolution of Nervous Systems - answer1. Neurons and muscles. Brain cells and muscles evolved together, enabling animals to move. Neurons and muscles likely have their origins in single-cell animals such as amoeba