BF - Biological Foundations Module Overview

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Biological Foundations

biological foundationsWhat has more influence over who you are today? Is it the genetic material passed on to you from your biological parents, or is it the environment in which you were raised? This unit introduces you to the components of biology that contribute to human behavior. You will learn about the parts and functions of the brain and the nervous system. After learning about these basic components of the human body, you will better understand what contributes to your behavior and the behaviors of the people around you. 

Essential Questions

  • What are the parts and functions of a neuron?
  • How do neurons communicate?
  • What are the major divisions of the nervous system?
  • How do each of the parts of the nervous system contribute to human behavior?
  • What are the major structures and functions of the brain?
  • What methods are used to analyze the brain?
  • How do genetics and the environment contribute to human behavior?

Key Terms

  1. Neuron - a specialized cell that passes messages; a nerve cell
  2. Dendrite - the branches of a neuron that receive chemical messages and begin electrical messages toward the cell body
  3. Axon - the part of the neuron that carries the electrical message away from the cell body, toward another cell
  4. Action potential - an electrical charge that travels through a neuron
  5. Synapse - the space between the axon of the sending neuron and the dendrites of the receiving neuron
  6. Neurotransmitter - a chemical messenger that travels through the synapses between neurons and unlocks dendrites to create an action potential
  7. Nervous system - the body's speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the central and peripheral nervous systems  
  8. Central nervous system - the brain and the spinal cord
  9. Peripheral nervous system - the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body
  10. Autonomic nervous system - the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls automatic functions such as the endocrine system and the internal organs
  11. Sympathetic nervous system - the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations
  12. Parasympathetic nervous system - the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving energy
  13. Somatic nervous system - the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's skeletal muscles
  14. Sensory neuron - neurons that carry incoming information from the sense receptors to the central nervous system
  15. Motor neuron - neurons that carry outgoing information from the central nervous system to the muscles and glands
  16. Interneurons - central nervous system neurons that internally communicate and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs
  17. Medulla - the part of the brain that controls heartbeat and respiration
  18. Pons - the part of the brain that deals with sleep, dreaming, and facial expression
  19. Cerebellum - the part of the brain that coordinates muscle movements that allow humans to maintain posture and balance
  20. Hippocampus - the part of the brain that creates long-term, explicit memories
  21. Amygdala - the part of the brain that creates basic fear or anger responses
  22. Thalamus - the part of the brain that sends incoming sensory information to the correct part of the cerebral cortex for processing
  23. Hypothalamus - the part of the brain that controls the hormone system, which is in charge of hunger, thirst, growth, body temperature, and other functions
  24. Cerebral Cortex - the part of the brain that processes sensations, sends out directions for movement, creates language, does all conscious thinking and planning
  25. Frontal Lobe - the part of the cerebral cortex that deals with abstract thought, planning, self-control, and contains the motor cortex
  26. Motor Cortex - the part of the frontal lobe that sends motor messages to body parts, telling them to move
  27. Parietal Lobe - the part of the cerebral cortex that contains the sensory cortex and lots of association areas
  28. Sensory Cortex - the part of the parietal lobe that processes pain and touch information from the body
  29. Occipital Lobe - the part of the cerebral cortex that processes vision, contains some association areas
  30. Temporal Lobe - the part of the cerebral cortex that processes hearing, contains some association areas
  31. Association Area - the parts of the cerebral cortex that aren't directly involved with movement or sensation; this is where thinking occurs
  32. MRI - a brain scan that uses magnets to get a detailed picture of the brain's structures
  33. fMRI - a brain scan that uses magnets and tracks oxygen flow to see the brain's active structures
  34. PET - a brain scan that uses radioactive glucose to measure active parts of the brain
  35. CAT - a brain scan that uses x-rays to get a basic picture of brain structures
  36. EEG - a brain scan that measures waves of electrical energy
  37. Genes - small segments of DNA molecules that provide the code for creating parts of the human body; humans have 20,000 to 25,000 of these segments
  38. Genome - the complete set of instructions for creating an organism
  39. Heritability - a statistic used to estimate how much influence genes had on a human characteristic
  40. Epigenetics - the study of how environment influences the expression of genes

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