PSYCH 115 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Why are psychologist interested in human biology?
the scientific study of the links between biological (genetic, neural, hormonal) and
psychological processes
Why did Franz Gall propose phrenology? Why did it fail?
studying bumps on the skull, could reveal a person's mental abilities and character
traits. There was no critical thinking in this idea
What is localization of function?
the idea that various brain regions have particular functions.
What is neurplasticity?
the brain's ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage
or by building new pathways based on experience
Neurons and how they transmit information
a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system.
role of myelin sheath
fatty tissue layer segmentally encasing the axons of some neurons; enables vastly
greater transmission speed as neural impulses hop from one node to the next.
Degeneration of the myelin sheath results in
multiple sclerosis; Communication to muscles and brain regions slows, with diminished
muscle control and sometimes impaired cognition
Glial cells
cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons; they also play a
role in learning, thinking, and memory.
what is a neural impulse?
action potential, electrical signal traveling down the axon When a neuron fires an action
potential, the information travels through the dendrites, then the cell body and down the
axon
Why are psychologist interested in human biology?
the scientific study of the links between biological (genetic, neural, hormonal) and
psychological processes
Why did Franz Gall propose phrenology? Why did it fail?
studying bumps on the skull, could reveal a person's mental abilities and character
traits. There was no critical thinking in this idea
What is localization of function?
the idea that various brain regions have particular functions.
What is neurplasticity?
the brain's ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage
or by building new pathways based on experience
Neurons and how they transmit information
a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system.
role of myelin sheath
fatty tissue layer segmentally encasing the axons of some neurons; enables vastly
greater transmission speed as neural impulses hop from one node to the next.
Degeneration of the myelin sheath results in
multiple sclerosis; Communication to muscles and brain regions slows, with diminished
muscle control and sometimes impaired cognition
Glial cells
cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons; they also play a
role in learning, thinking, and memory.
what is a neural impulse?
action potential, electrical signal traveling down the axon When a neuron fires an action
potential, the information travels through the dendrites, then the cell body and down the
axon
