9339792
Description
Flashcards by Lorann Kearney, updated more than 1 year ago
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Created by Lorann Kearney
over 7 years ago
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| Question | Answer |
| corpus callosum | A large bundle of nerve fibers that connects corresponding parts of one side of the brain with those of the other |
| split-brain operation | Brain surgery where the surgeon cuts the corpus callosum. It's occasionally performed to treat a form of epilepsy |
| cerebral hemispheres | The two symmetrical halves of the brain that constitute the major part of the brain |
| generalization | a scientific explanation where a general conclusion is based on many observations of similar phenomena |
| reduction | a scientific explanation where a phenomenon is described in terms of the more elementary processes that underlie it |
| reflex | An automatic, stereotyped movement produced as the direct result of a stimulus |
| model | A mathematical or physical analogy for a physiological process (i.e. computers-->multiple brain functions) |
| doctrine of specific nerve energies | Muller's conclusion that because all nerve fibers carry the same type of message, sensory information must be specified by the particular nerve fibers that are active |
| experimental ablation | research method in which the function of a part of the brain is inferred by observing the behaviors an animal can no longer perform after that part is damaged |
| functionalism | principle that the best way to understand a biological phenomenon (behavior or physiological structure) is to try to understand its useful functions for the organism |
| natural selection | the process by which inherited traits that confer a selective advantage (increase likelihood to live+reproduce) become more prevalent in the population |
| evolution | gradual change in the structure and physiology of plant and animal species - generally producing more complex organisms - as a result of natural selection |
| mutation | a change in the genetic information contained in the chromosomes of sperm or eggs, which can be passed on to an organism's offspring; providing genetic variability |
| selective advantage | a characteristic of an organism that permits it to produce more than the average number of offspring of its species |
| neoteny | a slowing of the process of maturation, allowing more time for growth; an important factor in the development of large brains |
| behavioral neuroscientist/physiological psychologist | a scientist who studies the physiology of behavior, primarily by performing physiological and behavioral experiments with laboratory animals |
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