Chapter 2
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Created by:
vanessaparra on September 15, 2011
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67 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 biological psychology | a branch of psychology concerned with the links between biology and behavior. |
| neuron | a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system. |
| dendrites | neuron extensions that receive messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body. |
| axons | neuron extensions that pass messages to other neurons or cells. |
| action potential | a nerve impulse. |
| synapse | the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron. |
| 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. |
| neurotransmitters | neuron-produced chemicals that cross synapses to carry messages to other neurons or cells. |
| opiates | chemicals, such as opium, morphine, and heroin, that depress neural activity, temporarily lessening pain and anxiety. |
| endorphins | "morphine within"-natural, opiatelike neurotransmitters linked to pain control to pleasure. |
| 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 connecting 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 neurons | neurons that carry incoming information from the sensory receptors to the central nervous system. |
| motor neurons | neurons that carry outgoing information from the central nervous to the muscles and glands. |
| interneurons | neurons 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 | the division 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. |
| 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. |
| brainstem | the oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cords swells as it enters the skull; the brainstem is responsible for automatic survival functions. |
| medulla | the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing. |
| EEG (electroencephalograph) | recording apparatus, using electrodes placed on the scalp, that records waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain's surface. |
| PET (positron emission tomography) scan | a view of brain activity showing 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. show brain anatomy. |
| fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) | a technique for revealing bloodflow and therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. show brain function. |
| thalamus | area at the top of the brainstem; directs sensory messages to the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla. |
| reticular formation | a nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal. |
| cerebellum | the "little brain" at the rear of the brainstem; functions include processing sensory input and coordinating movement output and balance. |
| 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 the thalamus; directs several maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temperature), helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion. |
| cerebral cortex | thin layer of interconnected neurons covering the cerebral hemispheres; the body's ultimate control and information-processing center. |
| 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 ares that receive information from the ears. |
| motor cortex | area at the rear of the frontal lobe; controls voluntary movements. |
| sensory cortex | area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations. |
| hallucinations | false sensory experiences, such as hearing something in the absence of an external auditory stimulus. |
| association areas | areas of the cerebral cortex that are primarily involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking. |
| Broca's area | an area of the frontal lobe, usually in the left hemisphere, that directs the muscle movements involved in speech; controls language expression. |
| Wernicke's area | a brain area, usually in the left temporal lobe, involved in the left temporal lobe, involved in language comprehension and expression; controls language reception. |
| plasticity | the brain's ability to change, especially during childhood by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience. |
| corpus callosum | large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them. |
| split brain | condition in which the brain's two hemispheres are isolated by cutting the fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) connecting them. |
| cognitive neuroscience | subfield of psychology that studies the connections between our brain activity and the processes of thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating. |
| consciousness | our awareness of ourselves and our environment. |
| selective attention | focusing conscious awareness on a particular stimulus. |
| inattentional blindness | failure to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere. |
| circadian rhythm | the biological clock; regular-bodily rhythms (for example, of temperature and wakefulness) that occur on a 24-hour cycle. |
| REM (rapid eye movement) sleep | recurring sleep stage during which vivid dreams commonly occur. Also known as paradoxical sleep, because the muscles are relaxed (except for minor twitches), but other body systems are active. |
| alpha waves | relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake state. |
| sleep | periodic, natural, reversible loss of consciousness-as distinct from unconsciousness resulting from a coma, general anesthesia, or hibernation. |
| insomnia | recurring problems in falling or staying asleep. |
| narcolepsy | sleep disorder in which a person has uncontrollable sleep attacks, sometimes lapsing directly into REM sleep. |
| sleep apnea | a sleep disorder in which a sleeping person repeatedly stops breathing until blood oxygen is so low it awakens the person just long enough to draw a breath. |
| dream | a sequence of images, emotions, and thoughts passing through a sleeping person's mind. |
| manifest content | according to Freud, the remembered story line of a dream. |
| latent content | according to Freud, the underlying meaning of a dream. |
| REM rebound | the tendency for REM sleep to increases following REM sleep deprivation (created by repeated awakenings during REM sleep). |
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