AP Psychology Chapter 3A
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27 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Biological Psychology | The study of the links between biology and behavior. |
| Neuron | The basic building block of the nervous system. Also called nerve cell. |
| Sensory Neuron | Carries information from the sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord for processing. |
| Motor Neuron | Carries information and instructions for action from the brain and spinal cord to muscles and glands. |
| Interneuron | The neurons of the brain and spinal cord that link the sensory and motor neurons in the transmission of sensory inputs and motor outputs. |
| Dendrites | The bushy, branching extensions of a neuron that receive messages from other nerve cells and conduct impulses toward the cell body. |
| Axon | The extension of a neuron that sends impulses to other nerve cells or to muscles or glands. |
| Myelin Sheath | A layer of fatty tissue that segmentally covers many axons and helps speed neural impulses. |
| Action Potential | A neural impulse generated by the movement of electrically charged atoms down the axon. |
| Threshold | The level of stimulation that must be exceeded for the neuron to fire, or generate an electrical impulse. |
| 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 cleft. |
| Neurotransmitters | Chemicals that are released into synaptic gaps and transmit neural messages from neuron to neuron. |
| Reuptake | The absorption of excess neurotransmitters by a sending neuron. |
| Endorphins | Natural, opiate-like neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure. |
| Nervous System | The speedy, electrochemical communication system, consisting of all the nerve cells in the peripheral and central nervous systems. |
| Central Nervous System (CNS) | Consists of the brain and spinal cord; it is located at the center, or internal core, of the body. |
| Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) | Includes the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system to the body's sense receptors, muscles, and glands. |
| Nerves | Bundles of neural axons, which are part of the PNS, that connect the central nervous system with muscles, glands, and sense organs. |
| Somatic Nervous System | The division of the PNS that enables voluntary control of the skeletal muscles. |
| Autonomic Nervous System | The division of the PNS that controls the glands and the muscles of internal organs and thereby controls internal functioning. |
| 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; it is governed by a very simple neural pathway. |
| Endocrine System | The body's "slow" chemical communication system, consists of glands that secrete hormones into the blood stream. |
| Hormones | Chemical messengers, mostly those manufactured by the endocrine glands, that are produced in one tissue and circulate through the bloodstream to their target tissues, on which they have specific effects. |
| Adrenal Glands | Produce epinephrine and norepinephrine, hormones that prepare the body to deal with emergencies or stress. |
| Pituitary Gland | Regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands under the influence of the hypothalamus; sometimes called the "master gland." |
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