AP Psych- Chapter 2(Neuroscience & Behavior)
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56 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Biological Psychology | a branch of psychology concerned with the links between biology and behavior |
| Neuron | the nerve cells of the central and peripheral nervous systems, composed of an axon, a soma, and dendrites |
| Dendrite | the part of the neuron that receives messages from the axons of other nerve cells |
| Axon | the part of the neuron that allows it to send messages to other nerve cells |
| Myelin Sheath | fatty insulating substance that covers, at regular intervals, many of the axons in the central and peripheral nervous system |
| Action Potential | a neural impulse, a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon |
| Threshold | the level of stimulation required to trigger an action potential (neural impulse) |
| Synapse | junction between the axon of the sending neuron and the dendrite of the receiving neuron |
| Neurotransmitters | chemical messengers that traverse the synapses |
| Acetylcholine (ACh) | neurotransmitter that enables learning and memory, also triggers muscle contraction |
| Endorphins | neurotransmitters linked to pain control and pleasure |
| Nervous System | the body's electrochemical network, consisting of the peripheral and central nervous systems |
| Central Nervous System (CNS) | brain and spinal cord |
| Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) | the sensory and motor neurons that connect the CNS to the rest of the bodt |
| Nerves | an enclosed, cable-like bundle of axons which connect the CNS with muscles, glands, and sense organs |
| Sensory Neurons | neurons that carry incoming information from the sense receptors to the CNS |
| Motor Neurons | neurons that carry outgoing information from the CNS to the rest of the body |
| Interneurons | CNS neurons that internally communicate and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs |
| Somatic Nervous System | the division of the PNS that controls the body's skeletal muscles |
| Autonomic Nervous System | the division of the PNS that controls the glands and muscles of the internal organs, two divisions (sympathetic and parasympathetic) |
| Sympathetic Nervous System | division of autonomic nervous system which arouses the body |
| Parasympathetic Nervous System | division of autonomic nervous system which calms the body |
| Reflex | a simple, autonomic response to a sensory stimulus |
| Neural Networks | interconnected neural cells |
| Endocrine System | a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream |
| Hormones | chemical messengers |
| Adrenal Glands | endocrine glands above the kidney, secrete hormones (epinephrine and norepinephrine) which arouse the body in times of stress |
| Pituitary Gland | most important gland of endocrine system, regulates and controls other endocrine glands |
| Lesion | destruction of brain tissue |
| Electroencephalogram (EEG) | an amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain's surface |
| PET (Positron Emission Topography) Scan | a visual display of brain activity that detects 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 that distinguish between different types of soft tissue, shows brain anatomy |
| fMRI (functional MRI) | a technique for revealing blood flow and therefor brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans, shows brain function |
| brainstem | oldest part and central core of brain, responsible for automatic survival functions, the midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata |
| medulla | base of brainstem, involved in circulation and respiration |
| reticular formation | a nerve network in the brainstem that plays and important role in controlling arousal |
| thalamus | the brain's sensory switchboard, directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla |
| cerebellum | involved in the coordination and production of speech, the organization of muscle movement, coordination of fine motor movement, and balance; it is the center of a feedback loop involving motor and sensory information, "cerebellum" means "little brain" in Latin |
| limbic system | the most ancient and primitive part of the brain; it is composed of both cortical and subcortical structures located on the medial, inferior surfaces of the cerebral hemispheres; the limbic system is involved in the processing of olfactory stimuli, emotions, motivation, and memory, and may be involved in cortical speech and language behavior, includes the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus |
| amygdala | two lima bean-sized neural clusters that are linked to emotion |
| hypothalamus | a subcortical structure located immediately below the thalamus, part of it is also anterior to the thalamus and it forms the floor and part of the lateral walls of the third ventricle; by controlling the functioning of the pituitary gland it regulates basic biological functions (e.g., appetite, body temperature, sex drive) |
| cerebral cortex | the intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells that covers the cerebral hemispheres, the ultimate control and information processing center of the body |
| glial cells | cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons |
| frontal lobes | portion of cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead, associated with higher cognitive functions and is involved in the control of voluntary muscle movement |
| parietal lobes | the portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head toward the rear, associated with sensation (touch, kinesthesia, perception of temperature, vibration), writing, and some aspects of reading |
| occipital lobes | the portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back, associate with vision |
| temporal lobes | the portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears, associated with auditory processing and olfaction(smell) |
| motor cortex | area at the rear of frontal lobes, controls voluntary movements |
| sensory cortex | area at the front of parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations |
| association areas | areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions, involved in higher mental functions |
| aphasia | impairment of language, usually caused by left hemisphere damage to Broca's area or to Wernicke's Area |
| Broca's area | area of the frontal lobe that directs the muscle movements involved in speech (damage to impairs speaking) |
| Wernicke's area | area of the left temporal lobe that is involved in language comprehension (damage to impairs language understanding) ( |
| plasticity | the brain's capacity for modification |
| corpus callosum | a large band of neural fibers which connect the two brain hemispheres |
| split brain | a condition in which the two hemispheres of the brain are isolated by cutting the corpus callosum |
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