Biological Basis of Behavior Flashcards
7 cards from real BAPSY practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Biological Basis of Behavior flashcards as text
Split-brain research by Sperry and Gazzaniga demonstrated that in most people, language functions are primarily located in the:
Answer: Left hemisphere
Split-brain studies confirmed that language production and comprehension are largely lateralized to the left hemisphere in most right-handed individuals.
The neurotransmitter GABA functions primarily as:
Answer: The main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the CNS
GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the CNS, reducing neuronal excitability throughout the brain.
Which term describes the brain's ability to reorganize neural pathways in response to experience or injury?
Answer: Neuroplasticity
Neuroplasticity refers to the brain's capacity to form new synaptic connections and reorganize existing ones in response to learning, experience, or injury.
Which gland is often called the 'master gland' of the endocrine system?
Answer: Pituitary gland
The pituitary gland is called the master gland because it secretes hormones that regulate the activity of most other endocrine glands.
Action potentials are described as 'all-or-nothing' because:
Answer: A neuron either fires at full magnitude or does not fire at all
Once the threshold is reached, an action potential fires at a consistent, full amplitude regardless of the stimulus strength—it cannot fire at 'half strength.'
The peripheral nervous system (PNS) consists of:
Answer: All neural tissue outside the brain and spinal cord
The PNS includes all nervous tissue outside the central nervous system, including cranial nerves, spinal nerves, and the autonomic and enteric nervous systems.
Long-term potentiation (LTP) is considered a cellular mechanism underlying learning because it:
Answer: Strengthens synaptic connections through repeated co-activation of pre- and postsynaptic neurons
LTP involves persistent strengthening of synapses based on recent activity patterns, consistent with Hebb's rule that 'neurons that fire together, wire together.'