AP Psych Unit#2
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Created by:
farazk Plus on September 30, 2012
Description:
The mind and it's functions.
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39 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Neuron | a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system |
| Sensory Neurons | Neurons that carry incoming information from the sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord |
| Motor 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 |
| Dendrite | The bushy, branching extensions of a neuron that receive messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body |
| Axon | the extension of a neuron, ending in branching terminal fibers, through which messages pass to other neurons or to muscles or glands |
| Myelin | a fatty substance that helps insulate neurons and speeds the transmission of nerve impulses |
| Action Potential | a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon |
| Threshold | the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse |
| Synapse | The junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron |
| Neurotransmitters | Chemicals that transmit information from one neuron to another |
| Reputake | a neurotransmitter's re-absorption by the sending neuron |
| Endorphins | natural, opiatelike neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure |
| Nervous System | the body's speedy, electrochemical communication system, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems |
| Central Nervous System | brain and spinal cord |
| Peripheral Nervous System | the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body |
| Nerves | Bundled axons that form neural "cables" connecting the central nervous system with muscles, glands, and sense organs |
| 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 | 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, inborn response to a sensory stimulus, such as the knee-jerk response |
| Adrenal | a pair of endocrine glands just above the kidneys. The adrenals secrete the hormones epinephrine(adrenaline) and norepinephrine, which help to 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 |
| EEG | eletroencephalogram; an amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain's surface. These waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp |
| 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 | a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images that distinguish among different types of soft tissue; allows us to see structures within the brain |
| fMRI | a technique for revealing blood flow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. MRI scans show brain anatomy; fMRI scans show brain function. |
| 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 heartbeat and breathing |
| Reticular Formation | a nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal |
| Limbic System | Neural system (including the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus) located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions and drives. |
| Amygdala | two almond-shaped neural clusters that are components of the limbic system and are linked to emotion |
| Motor Cortex | an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements |
| Sensory Cortex | the area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body sensations |
| Plasticity | the brain's ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience |
| Corpus Callosum | the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them. |
| 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. |
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