AP Psychology Ch. 2
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ecseitz0116 on May 3, 2012
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71 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Adaptation | inherited characteristic that improves an organism's ability to survive and reproduce in a particular environment |
| Critical Period | a specific time in development when certain skills or abilities are most easily learned |
| Fitness | ability of an organism to survive and reproduce in its environment. |
| Neurons | Individual cells in the nervous system that receive, integrate, and transmit information |
| Soma | The cell body of a neuron. |
| Dendrites | Branchlike parts of a neuron that are specialized to receive information. |
| Axon | long fiber that carries impulses away from the cell body of a neuron |
| Mylein Sheath | a layer of fatty tissue segmentally encasing the fibers of many neurons enables vastly greater transmission speed of neural impulses |
| Terminal Buttons | Small knobs at the end of axons that secrete chemicals called neurotransmitters |
| Synapse | The junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron. |
| Resting Potential | the stable, negative electrical charge across the cell membrane of a resting neuron |
| Action Potential | A neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon. |
| Absolute Refractory Period | minimum length of time after an action potential during which another action potential cannot begin |
| Synaptic Cleft | space between two connecting neurons where neurotransmitters are released |
| Neurotransmitters | chemical messengers that traverse the synaptic gaps between neurons |
| Post-synaptic Potential (PSP) | a voltage change in a receptor cite of a neuron |
| Excitatory PSP | An electric potential that increases the likelihood that a postsynaptic neuron will fire action potentials. |
| Inhibitory PSP | An electric potential that decreases the likelihood that a postsynaptic neuron will fire action potentials. |
| Family Studies | researchers assess hereditary influence by examining blood relatives to see how much they resemble one another on a specific trait |
| Agonist | A chemical that mimics the action of a neurotransmitter |
| Antagonist | A chemical that opposes the action of a neurotransmitter |
| Endorphins | An entire family of internally produced chemicals that resemble opiates in structure and effects |
| Peripheral Nervous System | System that includes all those nerves that lie outside the brain and spinal chord |
| Nerves | Bundles of neuron fibers (axons) that travel together in the peripheral nervous system |
| Somatic Nervous System | The part of the peripheral nervous system that controls voluntary movement of skeletal muscles |
| Afferent Nerve Fibers | Axons that carry information inward to the central nervous system from the periphery of the body |
| Efferent Nerve Fibers | Axons that carry information outward from the central nervous system to the periphery of the body. |
| Autonomic Nervous System | 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 Division | The branch of the autonomic nervous system that mobilizes the body's resources for emergencies. |
| Parasympathetic | the branch of the nervous system that automatically calms us down when the reason for arousal has passed |
| Central Nervous System (CNS) | System that consists of the brain and spinal cord |
| Cerebral Fluid (CSF) | A solution that fills the hollow cavities of the brain and circulates around the brain and spinal cord. Provides nourishment, cushions, and removes wastes. |
| Electroencephalograph | device used to record the electrical activity of the brain |
| Twin Studies | studies of identical and fraternal twins to determine the relative influence of heredity and environment on human behavior |
| Lesioning | Procedure involves inserting an electrode into a brain structure and passing a high-frequency current through it to burn the tissue and disable the structure |
| Electric Stimulation of the Brain | Method that involves sending a weak electric current into a brain structure to stimulate (activate) it. |
| Hind brain | part of the brain between the spinal cord and the midbrain, consisting of the pons, medulla, and cerebellum |
| Mid brain | between the hind and forebrain it deals with vision, hearing and other senses |
| Forebrain | top of the brain which includes the thalamus, hypothalamus, and cerebral cortex; responsible for emotional regulation, complex thought, memory aspect of personality; largest and most complex region |
| Thalamus | the structure of the brain that relays messages from the sense organs to the cerebral cortex (except smell) |
| Hypothalamus | a neural structure lying below the thalamus; directs eating, drinking, body temperature; helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion |
| Limbic System | A group of neural structures at the base of the cerebral hemispheres that is associated with emotion and motivation |
| Cerebral Cortex | the intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells that covers the cerebellum; the body's ultimate control and information-processing center |
| Cerebral Hemispheres | the right and left halves of the cerebellum |
| Corpus Callosum | the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them |
| Adoption Studies | research carried out on children, adopted at birth by parents not related to them, to determine the relative influence of heredity and environment on human behavior |
| Split-brain | a condition in which the two hemispheres of the brain are isolated by cutting the connecting fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) between them |
| Endocrine System | System of glands that secrete chemicals into the bloodstream that help control bodily functioning |
| Hormones | The chemical substances released by the endocrine system |
| Pituitary Gland | The "master gland" of the endocrine system |
| Chromosomes | Threadlike strands of DNA molecules that carry genetic information |
| Zygote | A one-celled organism formed by the union of a sperm and an egg |
| Genes | DNA segments that serve as the key functional units in hereditary transmission |
| Dominant Gene | A gene that is expressed when the paired genes are different |
| Recessive Gene | A gene that is masked when paired genes are different |
| Genotype | A person's genetic make-up |
| Phenotype | the way in which a persons genotype is manifested in observable characteristics |
| Polygenic Traits | Characteristics that are influences by more than one pair of genes |
| Inclusive Traits | The sum of an individuals own reproductive success, plus the effects the organism has on the reproductive success of related others |
| Monogymy | A mating system in which one male and one female mate exclusively, or almost exclusively, with one another |
| Perceptual Asymetrics | An inter disciplinary field that studies the influence of genetic factors on behavioral traits |
| Homozygus | The two genes in a specific pair are the same |
| heterozygus | the two genes in a specific pair are different |
| Identical Twins | twins who develop from a single fertilized egg that splits in two, creating two genetically identical organisms |
| Fraternal Twins | twins who develop from separate fertilized eggs. They are genetically no closer than brothers and sisters, but they share a fetal environment. |
| Genetic Mapping | The process of determining the location and chemical sequence of specific genes on specific chromosomes |
| Natural Selection | process by which individuals that are better suited to their environment survive and reproduce most successfully; also called survival of the fittest |
| Parental Investment | What each sex invests-in terms of time, energy, survival risks, and forgone opportunities-to produce and nurture offspring. |
| Polyandry | mating system in which females have more than one male |
| Polygamy | mating system in which males have more than one female |
| Reuptake | A process in which neurotransmitters are sponged up from the synaptic cleft by the presynaptic membrane |
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