Joe Mallet
Behaviour: The way organisms respond to the environment and to other members of the same species 1. Innate: Instinctive, automatic, reflex. E.g. The scattering of woodlice found under stones in damp places when exposed to light. 2. Learned: Experiences are retained and used to modify behaviour in the future. Involves adaptations such as habituation and conditioning. Most animals display a range of both types of behaviour.
A type of learning involving the repeated application of a stimulus, resulting in decreasing responsiveness. Eventually it will not respond at all. Non-dangerous repeated stimuli are learnt to be ignored. This saves an organism’s time and energy and increases the chance of survival and reproduction E.g. When a snail is touched with a leaf it withdraws into its shell. Upon repetition, the time taken for it to re-emerge decreases. E.g. Humans can sleep through loud traffic noise as a result of habituation.
Form of learning where an association is made between a significant and neutral stimulus 1. Classical: e.g. Pavlov’s dogs experiment 2. Operant: Association made between a response and a reinforcement. E.g. Birds turning over rocks to discover edible insects; or electric fences deterring transgression
The ability to express learned information Involves learning, storage, retention and retrieval processes Memory is split up into short term and long term
Repeated arrival of impulses on the pre- synaptic terminals of sensory neurones leads to: 1. Inactivation of Calcium ion channels there 2. Less neurotransmitter released here Leads to progressive diminution of sensitivity
When a stimulus is in the form of an intense shock, serotonin is released Serotonin triggers an enhanced uptake of Calcium ions in the terminal Thus more neurotransmitter is released and a higher frequency of action potentials is generated
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