Nature vs. Nurture
This refers to genetic influences on behavior.
What is nature?
The body’s fast communication system.
What is the nervous system?
The basic building block of the nervous system.
What is a neuron?
This part of the brain controls breathing and heartbeat.
What is the medulla?
The stage of sleep where most dreaming occurs.
What is REM sleep?
This includes environment, experiences, and learning.
What is nurture?
This part includes the brain and spinal cord.
What is the central nervous system (CNS)?
This part of the neuron sends messages away from the cell body.
What is the axon?
The “little brain” responsible for balance and coordination.
What is the cerebellum?
Your body’s 24-hour biological clock.
What is the circadian rhythm?
The study of how genes and environment influence behavior.
What is behavior genetics?
These neurons carry information TO the brain.
What are sensory neurons?
The electrical impulse that travels down a neuron.
What is an action potential?
This lobe is responsible for decision-making and judgment.
What is the frontal lobe?
The process of detecting physical energy from the environment.
What is sensation?
A random error in gene replication that leads to change.
What is a mutation?
This system prepares the body for “fight or flight.”
What is the sympathetic nervous system?
The gap between two neurons.
What is the synapse?
The brain’s ability to reorganize and adapt.
What is neuroplasticity?
The minimum stimulation needed to detect something 50% of the time.
What is the absolute threshold?
The study of how environment affects gene expression without changing DNA.
What is epigenetics?
A simple, automatic response to a stimulus.
What is a reflex?
Chemicals that transmit messages between neurons.
What are neurotransmitters?
This structure connects the two brain hemispheres.
Answer: What is the corpus callosum?
This theory suggests dreams are the brain making sense of random activity.
What is the activation-synthesis theory?