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AP Psych Unit 2
brains
Term | Definition |
---|---|
accident case study | study brain damage, unreliable |
acetylcholine | stimulates skeletal muscles |
action potential | release of neural impulse |
adrenal glands | glands on the kidneys |
adrenal medulla | releases epinephrine, norep, stress |
adrenal cortex | stress reactions, salt intake, sex hormones |
afferent (sensory neurons) | from senses to spinal cord |
agonist | mimics/enhances effect of NT |
alcohol | agonist to GABA |
all or none fashion | neuron either fires or doesn't |
alzheimer's | too much glutamate |
amygdala | fear response |
antagonist | blocks effect of NT |
auditory association area | interprets audio |
autonomic nervous system (ANS) | part of PNS, controls automatic functions |
autopsy | dissect brains of dead to map structure |
axon | carries messages to other cells |
axon hillock | axon closest to soma |
axon terminal | end of axon, communicates with other nerve cells |
behaviorism | personality is a set of habits |
behaviorism, humanism, SCT | seek to explain personality |
broca's aphasia | cannot produce words, halting speech |
broca's area | left frontal lobe, production of speech |
CAT | X-ray "slices", shows brain damage |
cingulate cortex | cognitive tasks (attention, words, memory) |
central nervous system (CNS) | brain and spinal cord |
corpus callosum | connects left and right hemisphere |
cortex | outermost part of brain, wrinkled |
corticalization | the increase in wrinkling as brain increases in size |
CT | computed tomography |
curare | causes paralysis, antagonist to Ach |
DBS | deep brain stimulation, uses electrodes |
dendrite | receive message from other cells |
dopamine | control of movement, pleasure |
parkinsons | too little dopamine |
schizophrenia | too much dopamine |
DTI | uses MRI to image white matter, investigate disorders |
EEG | electroencephalogram, uses discs on scalp to map brain waves |
efferent (motor neurons) | from spinal cord to muscles and glands |
endocrine glands | secrete hormones directly into the bloodstream |
endorphins | pain-controlling neuropeptide |
enzymatic degradation | structure of neurotransmitter is altered so it cannot act |
ERP | study different stages of cognitive processing |
ESB | stimulates brain with electricity, milder than lesioning |
excitatory | causes neuron to fire |
fMRI | functional examination of brain areas |
frontal lobe | front of brain, higher mental functions |
Gaba-amniobutyric acid (GABA) | inhibitory NT, calms anxiety, alcohol |
gender differences | stereotyped thinking about gender |
glands | organs that secrete chemicals |
glia (glial cells) | various functions, support neurons |
glutamate | learning, memory, develop nervous system |
grey matter | outer areas of brain, unmyelinated axons |
hemisphere strength | people are whole-brained |
hippocampus | long-term declarative memories, in temporal lobe |
hormones | chemicals secreted by endocrine gland |
humanism | what makes people uniquely human (self-actualization) |
hypothalamus | controls the pituitary, ultimate regulator of hormones |
identity versus role confusion | the psychosocial crisis faced by teens |
inhibitory | causes neuron to stop firing |
left hemisphere | processes information in a sequence, controls right hand |
lesioning | deliberately destroys brain cells to test the result |
man's communication style | "report" |
medial prefrontal cortex | decision making, learning, memory |
MEG | uses magnetic fields to map brainwaves, identify areas of brain activation |
mirror neurons | fires when a person performs an action or observes an action |
motor cortex | control movements of voluntary muscles |
motor pathway | part of SNS, messages from CNS to muscles |
MRI | magnetic resonance, creates 3D image |
MRI spectroscopy | estimate concentration of specific chemicals and NT in brain |
myelin sheath | speeds up neural messages |
neuropeptide | can serve as NT, hormone, influence NT |
neurotransmitters | found in synaptic vesicles, has effect on next cell |
norepinephrine | arousal, mood |
occipital lobe | back of brain, visual processing |
OCEAN | five factor trait model |
oligodendrocytes | produce myelin for brain and spinal cord, cannot regen |
orbitofrontal cortex | emotional processing, decision making |
ovary/testis (gonads) | regulates some sexual behavior |
pancreas | regulates blood sugar in the body |
insulin and glucagon | released by pancreas |
diabetes | too little insulin |
hypoglycemia | too much insulin |
parasympathetic division | part of ANS, eat-drink-and-rest |
parathyroid | next to thyroid, regulates calcium levels |
parietal lobe | top-back of brain |
personality | way individual thinks, acts, feels |
PET | uses radioactive sugar to detect brain activity |
pituitary gland | below hypothalamus, controls all other endocrine glands |
peripheral nervous system (PNS) | the rest of the nervous system (not brain or spinal cord) |
prefrontal cortex | cognitive behavior, personality expression, decision making |
primary auditory cortex | temporal lobe, processes auditory information |
primary visual cortex | occipital lobe, processes visual information |
receptor sites | proteins that allow only particular molecules of a certain shape to fit into it |
resting potential | when the neuron is not firing, cell negative at rest |
reuptake | neurotransmitters are taken back into vesicles |
right hemisphere | global processing, controls the left hand, holistic |
schwann cells | produce myelin for the rest of the body, can regenerate |
sensory pathway | part of SNS messages from senses to CNS |
serotonin | sleep, mood, anxiety |
low serotonin | depression |
social cognitive theory | external stimuli, response patterns, cognitive shape personality |
soma | neuron cell body, sustains |
somatic nervous system (SNS) | voluntary muscles |
somatosensory cortex | in parietal lobe, processes info from skin, "upside-down" |
spatial neglect | damage to parietal right hemisphere, cannot recognize objects in left visual field |
Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) | measures brain blood flow, better than PET |
sympathetic division | part of ANS, fight-or-flight |
synapse | fluid-filled space between axon terminal and dendrite |
synaptic plasticity | ability of synapses to strength over time |
transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) | changes excitability of cortical neurons below scalp electrodes |
temperament | behavior and emotional characteristics established at birth |
temporal lobe | audio, language, memory, behind temples |
thalamus | relays sensory information to proper areas of cortex |
threshold of excitation | level of energy needed for neural impulse |
thyroid gland | neck, regulates growth and metabolism |
transcranial magnetic stimulation TMS/rTMS | magnetic fields stimulate neurons in targeted area of cortex |
trait theorists | seek to describe personality |
visual association cortex | occipital lobe, understands visual information |
wernicke's aphasia | using the wrong words (stroke patients) |
wernicke's area | understand meaning of words |
white matter | fiber tracts, myelinated |
woman's communication style | "relate" |
medulla | life-sustaining functions |
pons | coordinate movements on left and right |
reticular formation (RF) | attention, alertness, arousal |
cerebellum | sitting upright, reflexes, fine motor functions |