Exam 3: The Biology of Behavior

The molecular structure that is responsible for influencing physical and psychological traits in one's offspring is called a

Scientific advances have enabled genetic researchers to manipulate or alter genes. When this technique is perfected, it could be used to prevent the development of diseases like sickle-cell anemia by keeping abnormal genes from carrying out their preprogrammed function. This scientific intervention is called a ___________________ procedure.

When someone faces a situation that makes him feel both terrified and helpless, he may develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Later, things in the environment that are reminiscent of the trauma may trigger the same fear and aggression he experienced during the trauma. The part of the brain that is responsible for organizing and remembering emotional events is the

When neurotransmitters plug into the appropriate neuron receptors, sodium ions very briefly flood through potassium channels like water through dam floodgates. This changes the neuron's electrical balance and is called

Ashley plays in an orchestra. The neurons responsible for carrying messages to move her hands to play her cello are ________________ neurons.

In the 1930s, Antonio Egas Moniz developed a surgical treatment called a lobotomy to reduce the symptoms of mental illness in disturbed patients. A lobotomy involved damaging or destroying the parts of the brain that are responsible for self-awareness, planning, initiative, creativity, and responsibility. Sadly, the damage also made patients apathetic and unable to correct self-defeating actions. Based on this information, what was Moniz destroying?

Professor Kendell is explaining how neurons work. He uses the metaphor of an electrical cord to explain neuron structure. Like the wires inside the electrical cord, he says, the ___________ carries the neuron's electrical message; like the rubber protecting the cord's wires, the neuron's _____________ ensures that the signal goes where it's supposed to.

Vallari has a busy life, but she finds that meditation helps quiet her mind and relax her body after a long or stressful day. The nervous system that slows down Vallari's body processes and gives her a feeling of tranquility is the _________________ nervous system.

On a hot summer day, five children decide to fill up Brock's kiddie pool. Yesterday, Brock's father ran over the hose with the lawnmower, so the hose is not working. The children decide to create a bucket line from the faucet to the pool. The first child passes the full bucket to the second child, the second to the third, and so on until the last child empties the bucket into the pool. If we imagine that EACH child is a neuron, the gap between one child and the next is like a

On a hot summer day, five children decide to fill up Brock's kiddie pool. Yesterday, Brock's father ran over the hose with the lawnmower, so the hose is not working. The children decide to create a bucket line from the faucet to the pool. The first child passes the full bucket to the second child, the second to the third, and so on until the last child empties the bucket into the pool and tosses the bucket back to the first child. If we compare the children's bucket line to a SINGLE neuron, we can say that the water, which is passed from child to child until it reaches the pool, is like the __________________, or nerve impulse, which is passed through the axon.

When the tamping iron went through Phineas Gage's head, it damaged the part of his brain responsible for self control, planning, judgment, and inhibition of behaviours. This part of the brain is called

Though neurons are the building blocks of our nervous systems, they can't do everything alone. ______________ cells guide neurons into place during prenatal development, hold them still after the nervous system has developed, and keep the neurons safe from toxins.

Derek has been asked to hand-deliver a message to Adeline. Adeline lives across the river from Derek, and there is no bridge. Therefore, Derek must take a boat across the channel to deliver the message. If we compare Derek's actions to those that occur in neurons, we can say that Derek, the person who carries the message across the channel, is like a

Rita has always wanted to learn to play the piano. At 40, she decides to take piano lessons. She picks the skill up quickly, partly, her teacher says, because she's so eager to learn. As she learns, the neurons in Rita's brain are changing to store the new information and habits; this is referred to as

The sympathetic nervous system is responsible to the "fight or flight" stress response. This means that the sympathetic nervous system

Anton's grandfather had a stroke. When the family arrives at the hospital, Grandfather is unable to speak. The family gives him some paper and a pencil, but Grandfather is unable to write, either. A speech therapist explains that Grandfather probably knows what he wants to say, but the part of his brain that allows him to produce speech has been damaged by the stroke, causing a condition called _________________. She plans to work with Grandfather to help him learn to speak again.

Lydia's father has straight hair and her mother has curly hair. Lydia has a gene that dictates her own hair texture from her mother and an alternative form of the same gene from her father. Each of the pair of genes is called an

Patient X was in a car accident in which the top of his head was damaged. When he recovers from the most obvious injuries, he finds that he has paralysis in one hand. His physician explains that this is due to damage to X's frontal lobe, specifically the part that controls voluntary movement of his hand. This part of the brain is called

When we're asked to read a passage of text out loud, many parts of the brain are required to recognize the letters, give them meaning, and translate them into speech. Even if each of these parts of the brain is intact, damage to parts of the brain that connect them, collectively referred to as ___________________, can make the process difficult or impossible.

Marie's husband loves to grab her arm just as the TV show they are watching gets intense. She generally screams, and jumps backward, clutches her chest, because her heart is pounding. Maarie's ________________ nervous system is responsible for her reaction.