Ms. Psychologist

Study Guide:Biological Behaviour Foundations

Biological Behaviour Foundations

Neurons are specialized communicators that transmit electrical signals down their axons and release chemical messengers across the microscopic .
Chemical messengers like dopamine and serotonin drive motivation and stabilize mood, operating primarily through deep-brain systems like the reward circuitry.
The nervous system divides labour between central processing in the brain and peripheral branches handling both voluntary movements and automatic survival responses.
Brain architecture builds vertically from the ancient survival-focused brainstem up to the highly specialized lobes of the cerebral cortex.

Q: What is the correct order of an electrical signal through a neuron?
A: Dendrite → Soma → Axon.
Q: Which nervous system division triggers the response?
A: The sympathetic nervous system.
Q: Which brain structure physically stabilizes short-term memories into long-term storage?
A: The hippocampus.
Q: Which cortical region houses the primary visual processing center?
A: The occipital lobe.
Q: How do addictive substances alter the mesolimbic pathway?
A: They flood the synapse with artificial dopamine, causing the receiving neuron to downregulate receptors.
Q: What is the mock lab financial formula for analyzing neural tissue?
A: The total cost is calculated as $C = 💲150 \times N$ .

Myelin Sheath: A layer of fatty tissue surrounding the axon that dramatically increases the transmission speed of electrical impulses.
Acetylcholine: A foundational neurotransmitter primarily responsible for driving memory consolidation, focus, and voluntary muscle movement.
Mesolimbic Pathway: A vital neural circuit connecting the ventral tegmental area to the nucleus accumbens that regulates motivation and reward.
Brainstem: The most ancient structure at the base of the skull that automatically controls vital life-support functions like breathing and heart rate.
Amygdala: An almond-shaped structure in the limbic system that acts as the brain's emotional alarm bell by processing intense fear.
Somatic Nervous System: The specific division of the peripheral nervous system that carries conscious motor commands directly to your skeletal muscles.
Frontal Lobe: The executive region of the cerebral cortex responsible for complex planning, decision-making, and conscious impulse control.