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AP Psych Unit 3

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Question
Answer
phrenology   Franz Gall’s belief that studying the bumps of a skull could reveal a person’s mental ability  
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biological psychologist   a psychologist that studies the basis of biological behavior, thoughts, and emotions  
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neurons   the building blocks of the nervous system that receive, carry, and send information to other neurons  
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dendrites   the parts of the neuron that receive messages from other neurons  
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soma   the cell body of a neuron  
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axon   the part of the neuron that carries messages away from the cell body  
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axon hillock   the part of the neuron that connects the soma and the axon  
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axon terminals   the parts of the neuron that pass messages on to other neurons  
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nodes of ranvier   the parts of the neuron between the myelin sheath bundles where ions pass in and out of the axon  
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myelin sheath   the part of the neuron that protects the axon and helps speed neural impulses  
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action potential   a neural impulse involving a brief electrical charge that travels down the axon  
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depolarization   positive ions enter the neuron through the axon, making it more susceptible to firing action potential  
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hyperpolarization   negative ions enter the neuron, causing it to return to its negative-inside/positive-outside state  
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refractory period   the charging phase after a neuron fires an action potential  
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sodium potassium pump   pumps positive ions out of the neuron during the refractory period in order to prepare it for another action potential  
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excitatory effect   it becomes more likely that an action potential will fire  
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inhibitory effect   it becomes less likely that an action potential will fire  
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threshold   the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse  
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all or none response   a neuron either fires with full strength or does not fire at all  
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synapse   the junction between the axon terminal of one neuron and the dendrites of another  
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neurotransmitter   a chemical messenger housed in the axon terminal that travels across the synapse from one neuron to the next  
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reuptake   neurotransmitters that don’t lock on to a new neuron are reabsorbed by the sending neuron  
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acetylcholine   a neurotransmitter that enables muscle action, learning, and memory  
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dopamine   a neurotransmitter that influences learning, movement, attention, and emotion  
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serotonin   a neurotransmitter that affects mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal  
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GABA   a major inhibitory neurotransmitter  
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glutamate   a major excitatory neurotransmitter that is also involved in memory  
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epinephrine   a neurotransmitter and hormone that activates the body’s fight or flight response  
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norepinephrine   a neurotransmitter and hormone that helps control and regulate arousal  
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nervous system   the system of neurons across the body that controls everything you do  
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central nervous system   the brain and spinal cord  
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peripheral nervous system   the sensory and motor nerves that connect the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body  
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nerves   fibers that transmit messages across the nervous system  
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receptor cells   specialized cells that can turn other kinds of energy into action potentials that the brain can process  
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sensory neurons   nerves that carry sensory information to the brain and spinal cord  
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motor neurons   nerves that carry information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands  
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interneurons   nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that process information  
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somatic nervous system   the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body’s skeletal muscles  
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autonomic nervous system   the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and muscles of internal organs  
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sympathetic nervous system   the part of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body to deal with perceived threats  
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parasympathetic nervous system   the part of the autonomic nervous system that helps relax the body after a stressful event  
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neural networks   circuits of biological neurons  
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reflex   involuntary automatic response to stimuli  
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spinal reflex arc   pea-sized gland located at the base of the brain that controls the endocrine system  
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endocrine system   a set of glands that produce hormones  
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hormones   chemical messengers similar to neurotransmitters that circulate in the blood  
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pituitary gland   pea-sized gland located at the base of the brain that controls the endocrine system and is responsible for the production of growth hormones  
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hypothalamus   the region of the brain that controls the pituitary gland and directs hunger, thirst, body temperature, and sex drive  
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thyroid gland   gland that regulates metabolic rate  
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parathyroids   glands that help regulate the level of calcium in the blood  
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adrenal glands   glands that secrete epinephrine and norepinephrine during stress response  
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fight or flight response   an automatic physiological reaction to an event that is perceived as stressful or frightening  
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pancreas   produces the hormone insulin and secretes it into the bloodstream to regulate the body’s blood sugar levels  
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ovaries   sex glands in females that influence emotion and physical development  
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testes   sex glands in males that influence emotion and physical development  
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brain lesion   an experimental or natural destruction of brain tissue  
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EEG   an amplified recording of the electrical waves sweeping across the brain’s surface  
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CT scan   a series of xray images taken from different angles to record the image of internal bones, organs, and soft tissue  
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PET scat   a visual display of brain activity that detects a radioactive form of glucose while the brain performs a given task  
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MRI   uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images that distinguish among different types of brain tissue  
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fMRI   uses a quick succession of MRI images to detect functioning in certain brain regions by detecting blood flow to certain areas  
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brainstem   responsible for automatic survival functions  
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medulla   the base of the brainstem that controls your breathing and heartbeat  
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pons   the part of the brainstem that helps coordinate movement  
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thalamus   the “sensory switchboard” that directs messages to the sensory areas (except smell) in the cortex  
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reticular formation   a complex network of brainstem nuclei and neurons that serve as a major integration and relay center for many vital brain systems to coordinate functions necessary for survival  
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cerebellum   controls balance and coordination, and helps us judge time  
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limbic system   controls balance and coordination, and helps us judge time  
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hippocampus   processes new memories into permanent memory storage  
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amygdala   made up of two neural clusters linked to the emotions of fear, anger, and aggression  
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reward center   associated with addiction because it releases a dopamine rush when certain actions are completed  
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reward deficiency syndrome   a brain reward genetic dissatisfaction or impairment that results in aberrant pleasure seeking behavior  
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cerebrum   the neural network that makes up the hemispheres of the brain and is responsible for controlling voluntary muscular movements  
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cerebral cortex   the fabric of neural cells that make up the outer layer of the cerebrum and allow information to be processed  
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glial cells   glue cells that protect, nourish, and support neurons in the brain  
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longitudinal fissure   the long crevice that divides the cerebral cortex into left and right hemispheres  
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central and lateral fissures   the fissures that divide the frontal, parietal, and temporal lobes  
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frontal lobe   the portion of the cerebral cortex that include the motor cortex and the prefrontal cortex  
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parietal lobe   the portion of the cerebral cortex that is used for mathematical and spatial reasoning  
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occipital lobe   the portion of the cerebral cortex that is responsible for processing vision  
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temporal lobe   the portion of the cerebral cortex that is responsible for processing auditory information  
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motor cortex   the strip of brain tissue located at the rear of the frontal lobes that is responsible for voluntary movement  
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somatosensory cortex   the strip of brain tissue located in front of the parietal lobe that processes touch sensory information  
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association areas   sections of the cerebral cortex that are connected to the function of a primary part of the cerebral cortex  
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prefrontal cortex   the part of the frontal lobe that is involved in planning, judgements, and decision making  
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aphasia   language impairment caused by damage to one of the language centers of the brain  
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Broca's area   the language center that is located in the left frontal lobe and directs the muscle movements necessary for speech  
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Wernicke's area   the language center that is located in the left temporal lobe and is involved in language comprehension  
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neuroplasticity   the brain’s ability to modify itself  
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lateralization   the organization of the brain into two hemispheres  
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corpus callosum   the bundle of nerve fibers that connects the two brain hemispheres  
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split brain procedure   a surgical procedure in which the fibers of the corpus callosum are cut to help treat severe epilepsy  
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consciousness   the awareness of internal and external existence  
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cognitive neuroscience   the study of how neurons in the brain communicate to form complex thoughts and actions  
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behavior genetics   the study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior  
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environment   includes every external (non-genetic) influence from prenatal nutrition to the people and things around us  
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chromosome   threadlike structures made up of the DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), our master code  
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DNA   a self-replicating material that is present in nearly all living organisms that is the main constituent of chromosomes and carries genetic information  
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genes   unit of heredity that makes up chromosomes; makes proteins to determine our development  
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genome   the set of complete instructions for making an organism  
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genotype   your genetic “blueprint”  
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phenotype   outward, physical manifestation of genes  
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dominant trait   these traits trump recessive traits even if there is only one allele  
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recessive trait   these traits require an allele from both parents in order to be expressed  
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autosomal dominant   abnormal traits that only one parent must possess in order to pass it on to their offspring  
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autosomal recessive   abnormal traits that both parents must possess in order to pass it on to their offspring  
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mutations   a random error in gene replication that leads to a change  
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identical twins   twins that are monozygotic, meaning they are genetically the same  
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fraternal twins   twins that are dizygotic, meaning that they come from two different eggs and are genetically different  
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Minnesota twin studies   studies of identical twins raised separately from birth and found to have many similar personality traits and interests  
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adoption studies   studies that test nature vs. nurture and create a behavioral comparison between the adoptee’s genetic relatives and environmental relatives  
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temperament   the emotional excitability, which is evident from the womb, although it stabilizes over time, which is indicative of a genetic basis  
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molecular genetics   a sub-field of biology that addresses how differences in the structures or expression of DNA molecules manifests as variation among organisms  
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heritability   refers to the extent to which the differences among people are attributable to genes  
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nature and nurture interaction   traits are liable to change in response to environmental experience  
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