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🇮🇳 UGC NET Psycology · subject
UGC NET Psycology Biological basis of behavior Syllabus
Every chapter and topic of Biological basis of behavior examined in UGC NET Psycology — 10 chapters, 21 topics and 9 sub-topics, plus 51 flashcards written against it.
Biological basis of behavior syllabus — full chapter and topic list
Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Biological basis of behavior in UGC NET Psycology, not a summary of it.
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Sensory systems
2 topics- General and specific sensations
- Receptors and processes
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Neurons
5 topics- Structure
- Functions
- Types
- Neural impulse
- Synaptic transmission
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Neurotransmitters
1 topic -
The Central and Peripheral Nervous Systems
1 topic- Structure and functions
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Neuroplasticity
1 topic -
Methods of Physiological Psychology
2 topics- Invasive methods
- Anatomical methods
- Degeneration techniques
- Lesion techniques
- Chemical methods
- Microelectrode studies
- Non-invasive methods
- EEG
- Scanning methods
- Invasive methods
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Muscular and Glandular system
1 topic- Types and functions
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Biological basis of Motivation
4 topics- Hunger
- Thirst
- Sleep
- Sex
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Biological basis of emotion
2 topics- The Limbic system
- Hormonal regulation of behavior
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Genetics and behavior
2 topics- Chromosomal anomalies
- Nature-Nurture controversy
- Twin studies
- Adoption studies
Biological basis of behavior flashcards for UGC NET Psycology
18 of 51 cards from the Biological basis of behavior deck — real questions with worked answers.
What is the difference between general and specific (special) senses?
General senses (touch, pressure, pain, temperature, proprioception) have receptors distributed throughout the body. Special/specific senses (vision, hearing, smell, taste, equilibrium) have receptors localized in specialized organs.
What is a sensory receptor and what is its basic function?
A sensory receptor is a specialized cell or nerve ending that detects a specific type of stimulus (transduction) and converts that physical/chemical energy into electrical neural signals the nervous system can interpret.
Name the five receptor types classified by the stimulus they detect.
Mechanoreceptors (pressure/touch/sound), photoreceptors (light), chemoreceptors (taste/smell/blood chemistry), thermoreceptors (temperature), and nociceptors (pain/tissue damage).
What is sensory transduction?
The process by which a sensory receptor converts the energy of a stimulus (light, sound, chemical, pressure) into a graded receptor potential, which can trigger nerve impulses (action potentials).
What is sensory adaptation?
A decrease in receptor sensitivity or response to a constant, unchanging stimulus over time (e.g., no longer noticing clothing on the skin). Tonic receptors adapt slowly; phasic receptors adapt quickly.
What are the two main types of photoreceptors in the retina and their functions?
Rods, responsible for vision in dim light and peripheral/black-and-white vision; and cones, responsible for color vision and acuity in bright light, concentrated in the fovea.
What are the three basic structural parts of a typical neuron?
The dendrites (receive incoming signals), the cell body/soma (contains the nucleus and integrates inputs), and the axon (conducts the impulse away to the axon terminals).
What is the function of the myelin sheath and the nodes of Ranvier?
The myelin sheath insulates the axon and speeds conduction. The nodes of Ranvier are gaps where the impulse jumps node to node (saltatory conduction), greatly increasing transmission speed.
Name the three functional types of neurons.
Sensory (afferent) neurons carry signals toward the CNS; motor (efferent) neurons carry signals to muscles/glands; interneurons (association neurons) connect neurons within the CNS.
What are glial (neuroglial) cells and give two examples of their functions?
Glial cells are non-neuronal support cells of the nervous system. Examples: oligodendrocytes/Schwann cells form myelin; astrocytes provide nutrients and form the blood-brain barrier; microglia perform immune/cleanup functions.
What is the resting membrane potential of a neuron, and what maintains it?
About -70 mV (inside negative relative to outside). It is maintained by the sodium-potassium pump (3 Na+ out, 2 K+ in) and selective membrane permeability to K+.
Describe the phases of an action potential (neural impulse).
Depolarization: Na+ channels open, Na+ rushes in, membrane reaches threshold (~ -55 mV) and reverses to ~+40 mV. Repolarization: Na+ channels close, K+ flows out. Hyperpolarization (undershoot), then return to resting potential.
State the all-or-none law of neural impulse.
Once a stimulus reaches threshold, the neuron fires a complete action potential of constant magnitude; below threshold it does not fire at all. Stimulus strength is coded by firing frequency, not impulse size.
What is the refractory period, and what are its two types?
The brief period after an action potential when the neuron's responsiveness is reduced. Absolute refractory period: no new impulse possible. Relative refractory period: a new impulse fires only with a stronger-than-normal stimulus.
What is saltatory conduction?
The rapid mode of impulse transmission in myelinated axons where the action potential jumps from one node of Ranvier to the next, skipping the insulated segments and increasing conduction speed.
What is a synapse?
The junction between the axon terminal of one neuron and the dendrite/cell body of another (or an effector cell), across which a nerve signal is transmitted, typically chemically across the synaptic cleft.
Describe the steps of chemical synaptic transmission.
An action potential reaches the axon terminal, voltage-gated Ca2+ channels open, synaptic vesicles release neurotransmitter into the cleft, the transmitter binds receptors on the postsynaptic membrane, opening ion channels and producing a postsynaptic potential.
What is the difference between an EPSP and an IPSP?
An Excitatory Postsynaptic Potential (EPSP) depolarizes the postsynaptic neuron, making firing more likely. An Inhibitory Postsynaptic Potential (IPSP) hyperpolarizes it, making firing less likely.
Planning Biological basis of behavior for UGC NET Psycology
Biological basis of behavior is about 6% of the UGC NET Psycology syllabus by topic count — 21 of 326 topics, spread over 10 chapters. At roughly 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic, a first pass runs to about 20 hours.
The heaviest chapters are Neurons (5 topics), Biological basis of Motivation (4 topics), Sensory systems (2 topics) . Front-load those while your energy is high; the short chapters are better revision filler later.
Work top-down: read the chapter, then tick topics off individually rather than marking the whole chapter done. Sub-topics are where silent gaps hide.
Biological basis of behavior (UGC NET Psycology) FAQ
What is in the UGC NET Psycology Biological basis of behavior syllabus?
Biological basis of behavior is split into 10 chapters — Sensory systems, Neurons, Neurotransmitters, The Central and Peripheral Nervous Systems, Neuroplasticity and Methods of Physiological Psychology, and 4 more, containing 21 topics and 9 sub-topics in total.
How many chapters are there in Biological basis of behavior for UGC NET Psycology?
10 chapters. Biological basis of behavior accounts for about 6% of the topics in the whole UGC NET Psycology syllabus (21 of 326).
How long should I spend on Biological basis of behavior for UGC NET Psycology?
Budget around 20 hours for a first pass through Biological basis of behavior — about 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic across its 21 topics. Add revision cycles on top.
Are there flashcards for UGC NET Psycology Biological basis of behavior?
Yes — a 51-card Biological basis of behavior deck. Sample cards are printed on this page, and the full deck is free in the Examius app with spaced repetition scheduling.