What is neuroscience?
The multidisciplinary study of the brain
It encompasses various fields such as anatomy, chemistry, physics, and physiology.
What are the major divisions of the human nervous system?
- Central Nervous System (CNS)
- Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
CNS includes the brain and spinal cord; PNS includes nerves that carry signals in and out of the CNS.
What are neurons?
Specialized nerve cells engaged in information processing
Neurons carry signals from one location in the body/brain to another and the human brain contains ~86 billion neurons.
What are glial cells?
Non-neuronal cells that support the function of neurons
They provide nutritional support, immune function, and regulate neuronal signaling, with ~85 billion glial cells in the human brain.
What is behavior?
Consists of patterns in time
Behavior can be innate or learned and is influenced by experience and practice.
What are the three broad approaches to explaining behavior?
- Mentalism
- Dualism
- Materialism
Define mentalism in the context of behavior.
An explanation of behavior as a function of the non-material mind
Aristotle suggested that human intellect is produced by the psyche, marking the beginning of modern psychology.
What is dualism?
The belief that both a non-material mind and a material body contribute to behavior
Descartes proposed that the mind interacts with the body through the pineal gland.
What does materialism suggest regarding behavior?
Behavior can be explained as a function of the nervous system without recourse to the mind.
What are the two main points of Darwin’s theory of evolution?
- Species today are descendants of ancestral species
- The mechanism for evolution is natural selection.
What is natural selection?
The mechanism of evolution where individuals well-suited to their environment leave more offspring
It acts on heritable characteristics and is not goal-directed.
What is the definition of phenotype?
Set of individual characteristics that can be seen or measured.
Fill in the blank: Evolution does not explain the origins of _______.
life.
What is epigenetics?
Differences in gene expression related to environment and experience.
What is taxonomy?
A system of naming and classifying species.
What is the encephalization quotient (EQ)?
A quantitative measure of brain size obtained from the ratio of actual brain size to expected brain size.
What are the two types of reasoning used in the scientific method?
- Inductive Reasoning
- Deductive Reasoning
What is a hypothesis?
A proposed explanation for a set of observations that must be experimentally testable.
Define a theory in scientific terms.
A well-substantiated explanation of natural phenomena, subject to testing and revision.
What is a natural law?
Describes events in nature that occur exactly the same way, every time, under the same conditions.
What are the elements of a properly designed experiment?
- Controlled
- Randomized
- Blinded
What is the purpose of controlled experiments?
To compare an experimental group to a control group that is subjected to all the same variables except for the one being tested.
