Study Guide for PSB2000 Exam 1 It is always advisable to know the key terms introduced in each section However the study hints listed here by chapter will also help you focus on other important concepts for the exam Any material from Chapters 1 3 may be evaluated on the exam Chapter 1 Study Hints Understand and be able to answer conceptual or factual questions about the biological explanations of behavior Physiological Ontogenetic Evolutionary Functional The mind brain mind body problem is defined as trying to determine the relationship between the mental mind and the physical brain Know the difference between dualism Descartes and most non scientists and monism most neuroscientists For monism understand what is meant by identity position Know the difference between DNA and RNA and the difference between chromosomes and genes and know the difference between heterozygous different and homozygous same and what that means for dominant vs recessive genes Sex linked vs sex limited A sex linked gene is on a sex chromosome usually the X chromosome because the Y chromosome is SO MUCH SHORTER A sex limited gene could be on any chromosome chromosomes that are not sex chromosomes are autosomal chromosomes but it is activated by sex hormones and therefore shows its effects only in one sex or the other What are some possible complications in estimating hereditary influences in behavior Consider possible consequences of prenatal influences and the multiplier effect Heritable does not mean unmodifiable Phenylketonuria is an example of this How What is the definition of evolution Realize that this is not the discussing the origin of life but the origin of species which are changed over generations due to artificial and natural selection reproduction of the fittest While there may be much disagreement on this topic according to the author what are some reasons to use animals in research and how do most biological scientists feel about it Chapter 2 Study Hints Know the basic structures functions of an animal cell membrane nucleus mitochondrion ribosomes endoplasmic reticulum Be able to identify on a diagram know the function of the parts of a vertebrate motor neuron dendrite dendritic spines soma nucleus axon hillock myelin sheath nodes of Ranvier axon presynaptic terminals Differentiate between afferent and efferent Know the different types of glia cells and their functions Know the different glial cells that create myelin for the central nervous system or peripheral nervous system What is the primary function of myelin The blood brain barrier keeps some chemicals from entering the brain while keeping others out This has advantages and disadvantages Understand what easily goes across and what has to be actively transported why are thiamine and glucose important We covered resting and action potentials quite heavily Know the resting potential of the inside of neuron s membrane relative to the outside 70mV and what the threshold of excitement 50mV is for an action potential when the cell is depolarized enough Remember that action potentials start at the axon hillock and continue down the axon via saltatory conduction from one node of Ranvier to the next in a single direction due to the opening and closing of voltage gated ionotropic channels that are heavily concentrated in these gaps It is the rapid influx of Na that depolarizes the cell and the rapid outflow of K that hyperpolarizes the cell again to bring things back in balance but that the sodium potassium Na K pump puts concentration gradients right again With regard to action potentials understand absolute and relative refractory periods and how that helps with propagating the action potential in a single direction Know the differences between concentration and electrical gradients for Na and K In other words is it the concentration gradient or electrical gradient that drives Na into or out of a cell K Why is important to know about action potentials and ion gradients with regards to human behavior Chapter 3 Study Hints Remember that an action potential is the electrical impulse that traverses the length of a neuron s axon i e that it is an electrical signal and that chemical communication at the synapse is how information is conveyed from one neuron to the next in most cases Sometimes there are electrical synapses or synapses that have gap junctions adjoining one neuron to the next but this is not what we spent most of our time talking about The presynaptic neuron is the neuron that transmits a chemical message from it s terminal into the synapse the synapse is the gap or cleft between a sending and a receiving neuron and the postsynaptic neuron is the neuron that receives the chemical message typically via it s dendrites Excitatory postsynaptic potential EPSP is a process of depolarization that occurs when synaptic input selectively opens the gates for positively charged sodium ions to enter the cell EPSP decays over time and space and the cumulative effect of EPSPs is the basis for temporal and spatial summation Remember that temporal summation means that repeated stimuli can have a cumulative effect and can produce a nerve impulse when a single stimuli is too weak and that spatial summation means that synaptic input from several locations can have a cumulative effect and trigger a nerve impulse An Inhibitory postsynaptic potential IPSP is the temporary hyperpolarization of a membrane that occurs when synaptic input selectively opens the gates for positively charged potassium ions to leave the cell or negatively charged chloride ions to enter the cells Again there can be temporal or spatial effects Which neurotransmitters are monoamines serotonin dopamine norepinephrine epinephrine What enzyme breaks down all monoamines MAO monoamineoxidase Catecholamines dopamine norepinephrine epinephrine The indoleamines AKA tryptamines serotonin Where do we get the fundamental building blocks to create these neurotransmitters from substances provided by the diet Acetylcholine from choline catecholamines from phenylalanine and tyrosine serotonin and melatonin from tryptophan What enzyme specifically breaks down catecholamines COMT Know about these neurotransmitters such as dopamine DA most cell bodies in midbrain produced in cell body stored in synaptic vesicles released from presynaptic terminal Involved in serotonin 5 HT located in midbrain hindbrain regulates mood appetite sleep produced in cell body stored in synaptic vesicles released from
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