Help
Options
Didn't know it?
click below
click below
Knew it?
click below
click below
Don't Know
Remaining cards (0)
Know
retry
shuffle
restart
0:00
Embed Code - If you would like this activity on your web page, copy the script below and paste it into your web page.
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Normal Size Small Size show me how
AP Psych:Module 9-13
Meyers Unit 3
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| biological psychology | the scientific study of the links between biological (genetic, neural, hormonal) and psychological processes. |
| neuron | a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system. |
| dendrites | a neuron's bushy, branching extensions that receive messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body. |
| axon | the neuron extension that passes messages through its branches to other neurons or to muscles or glands. |
| myelin sheath | a fatty tissue layer segmentally encasing the axons of some neurons; enables vastly greater transmission speed as neural impulses hop from one node to the next. |
| action potential | a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon. |
| refractory period | a period of inactivity after a neuron has fired. |
| threshold | the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse. |
| all-or-none response | a neuron's reaction of either firing (with a full-strength response) or not firing. |
| synapse | the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron. The tiny gap at this junction is called the synaptic gap or synaptic cleft. |
| neurotransmitters | chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons. Released by the sending neuron, they travel across the synapse and bind to receptor sites on the receiving neuron, thereby influencing whether that neuron will generate a neural impulse. |
| reuptake | a neurotransmitter's reabsorption by the sending neuron. |
| endorphins | "morphine within"—natural, opiate-like neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure. |
| agonist | a molecule that, by binding to a receptor site, stimulates a response. |
| antagonist | a molecule that, by binding to a receptor site, inhibits or blocks a response. |
| acetylcholine | regulates cardiac contractions and blood pressure/gland secretion. -malfunction: negative mood, triggers symptom's of anxiety and depression |
| dopamine | feeling of pleasure, satisfaction, and motivation. -malfunction: depression, schizophrenia, psychosis |
| serotonin | influences learning, happiness and memory, regulates body temp/sleep. -malfunction: anxiety, depression, mania, etc... |
| norepinephrine | increased alertness, arousal, and attention. -malfunction: PTSD, anxiety, depression, substance abuse |
| GABA | reduces neural excitability by inhibiting nerve transmissions. -malfunctions: alters cell's ability to send/receive messages |
| glutamate | important to memory, cognition, and mood regulation. -malfunction: caused by chronic stress, leads to brain cell damage or potential death (Alzheimer's & Huntington's diseases) |
| nervous system | the body's speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems. |
| central nervous system (CNS) | the brain and spinal cord. |
| peripheral nervous system (PNS) | the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system (CNS) to the rest of the body. |
| nerves | bundled axons that form neural "cables" connecting the central nervous system with muscles, glands, and sense organs. |
| sensory (afferent) neurons | neurons that carry incoming information from the sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord. |
| motor (efferent) neurons | neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands. |
| interneurons | neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs. |
| somatic nervous system | the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's skeletal muscles. (Also called the skeletal nervous system). |
| autonomic nervous system (ANS) | the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs (such as the heart). Its sympathetic division arouses; its parasympathetic division calms. |
| sympathetic nervous system | the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations. |
| parasympathetic nervous system | the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy. |
| reflex | a simple, automatic response to a sensory stimulus, such as the knee-jerk response. |
| endocrine system | the body's "slow" chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream. |
| hormones | chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands, travel through the bloodstream, and affect other tissues. |
| adrenal glands | a pair of endocrine glands that sit just above the kidneys and secrete hormones (epinephrine and norepinephrine) that help arouse the body in times of stress. |
| pituitary gland | the endocrine system's most influential gland. Under the influence of the hypothalamus, the pituitary regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands |
| lesion | tissue destruction. A brain lesion is a naturally or experimentally caused destruction of brain tissue. |
| electroencephalogram (EEG) | an amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity sweeping across the brain's surface. These waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp. |
| CT (computed tomography) | scan a series of X-ray photographs taken from different angles and combined by computer into a composite representation of a slice of the brain's structure. |
| PET (positron emission tomography) | scan a visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task. |
| MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) | a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer -generated images of soft tissue. MRI scans show brain anatomy. |
| fMRI (functional MRI) | a technique for revealing blood flow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. fMRI scans show brain function as well as its structure. |
| brainstem | the oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; the brainstem is responsible for automatic survival functions |
| medulla | the base of the brainstem; controls heart-beat and breathing. |
| thalamus | the brain's sensory control center, located on top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla. |
| reticular formation | a nerve network that travels through the brainstem and thalamus and plays an important role in controlling arousal. |
| cerebellum | the "little brain" at the rear of the brainstem; functions include processing sensory input, coordinating movement output and balance, and enabling nonverbal learning and memory. |
| limbic system | neural system (including the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus) located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions and drives. |
| amygdala | two lima-bean-sized neural clusters in the limbic system; linked to emotion. |
| hypothalamus | a neural structure lying below (hypo) the thalamus; it directs several maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temperature), helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion and reward. |
| Pons | part of brainstem that controls facial movements, carry messages, works with deep sleep and awakening. |
| hippocampus | long term memory function, declarative memories (facts and events), loss of ability to form new memories (more short term). |
| cerebral cortex | the intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the cerebral hemispheres; the body's ultimate control and information-processing center. |
| glial cells (glia) | cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons; they may also play a role in learning and thinking. |
| frontal lobes | portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgments. |
| parietal lobes | portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; receives sensory input for touch and body position. |
| occipital lobes | portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes areas that receive information from the visual fields |
| temporal lobes | portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory areas, each receiving information primarily from the opposite ear. |
| motor cortex | an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements. |
| somatosensory cortex | area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations. |
| association areas | areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions; rather, they are involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking. |
| plasticity | the brain's ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience. |
| neurogenesis | the formation of new neurons. |
| Borca's Area | an area of the frontal lobe, usually in the left hemisphere that directs the muscle movements involved in speech. |
| Wemicke's Area | the language area that is responsible for comprehending spoken word as well as formulating written and spoken language. |
| Phineas Gage | railroad worker who survived serious brain injury that dramatically changed his behavior and personality. |
| corpus callosum | the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them. |
| split brain | a condition resulting from surgery that isolates the brain's two hemispheres by cutting the fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) connecting them. |
| consciousness | our awareness of ourselves and our environment. |
| cognitive neuroscience | the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking, memory, and language). |
| dual processing | the principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks. |
Created by:
kqunell
Popular Psychology sets