Exam 2: The Biological Basis of Behavior

Neural impulses vary in strength according to the strength of the incoming signal to the neuron.

Evolutionary psychologists are especially interested in social behaviors.

Describe the basic functions of the endocrine system, including the specific functions of the thyroid gland, pancreas, pituitary gland, gonads, and adrenal glands.

Which hemisphere of the cerebral cortex is usually dominant in language tasks?

The spinal cord is made up of soft, jellylike bundles of long ________.

The limbic system is important to motivation.

The somatic nervous system contains two branches: the sympathetic and the parasympathetic divisions.

Define genes, chromosomes, and DNA and describe their role in the genetic transmission of traits.

An organism's entire unique genetic makeup is called its ________.

The effects of genetics are not always immediate or fully apparent.

The part of the brain responsible for emotional behavior such as experiencing rage, terror, or pleasure is the ________.

Estrogen has been linked to aggressive behavior in both males and females.

Masculine sex hormones are called ________.

The oldest and most primitive of the brain's structures are the cerebral hemispheres.

The branch of the autonomic nervous system that prepares the body for quick action in an emergency is the ________ division.

Navid had a stroke, and has suffered damage to Wernicke's area in his brain. He is most likely to exhibit ________ aphasia.

The ________ is believed to be the earliest part of the brain to evolve.

The axon of a neuron is often surrounded by a fatty covering called the myelin sheath.

An axon is very thick and usually much shorter than dendrites.

After a car accident in which Anita hit her head on the steering wheel, she has had trouble following directions or completing her normal work tasks. She is also apathetic, and has difficulty reasoning and making decisions. The damaged part of her brain is probably the ________ lobes.