AP Psychology Brain & Biology
About this set
Created by:
diegoesbobo on March 8, 2009
Subjects:
AP Psychology, Brain, Biological Bases of Behavior
Classes:
AP Psychology - Berglund - Spring 2012, A.P. Psychology
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127 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Peripheral nervous system (PNS) | division that connects the central nervous system to the rest of the body; divided into somatic nervous system and autonomic nervous system |
| neural impulse | action potential; the firing of a nerve cell; the entire process of the electrical charge (message/impulse) traveling through inner on; can be as fast as 400 fps (with myelin) or 3 fps (no myelin) |
| motor projection areas | primary motor cortex; areas of the three boat cortex for response messages from the brain to the muscles and glands |
| endocrine glands | the bodies "slow" chemical communication by secreting hormones directly into the bloodstream |
| synaptic cleft | synaptic gap or synaptic space; tiny gap between the terminal of one neuron and the dendrites of another neuron (almost never touch); location of the transfer of an impulse from one neuron to the next |
| parasympathetic division | a branch of the autonomic nervous system that maintains normal body functions; it calms the body ever conserves energy |
| cerebral cortex | 80% of weight of human brain; 70% of CNS's neurons; wrinkled outer portion of un-myelin aided cells (cerebrum) covering both hemispheres; processes thought, vision, language, memory, and emotions; most recently of all part of nervous system |
| behavioral genetics | study of hereditary influences and how it influences behavior and thinking |
| DNA | deoxyribonucleic acid; genetic formation in a double-helix; can replicate or reproduce itself; made of genes |
| acetylcholine (ACh) | distributed widely throughout CNS; involved in arousal, attention, memory, motivation, and movement; involved in muscle action at neuromuscular joints (skeletal muscles); implicated in Alzheimer's disease-loss of memory and severe language problems; too much dopamine = spasms and tremors; too little dopamine = paralysis and torpor |
| interneurons | connection neurons; Association neurons that carry messages to another neuron |
| serotonin | "mood molecule"; chemical that affects regulation asleep, dreaming, mood, hunger, pain, and aggressive behavior; and attaches to many receptors (receptor sites) |
| dopamine | chemical that influences voluntary movement, learning, pleasure, memory,-is implicated in Parkinson's disease and schizophrenia; in Parkinson's disease a causes tremors, muscle spasms, increasing muscular rigidity; recently implicated in ADHD |
| occipital lobe | part of cerebral cortex that receives visual information |
| axon | Greek for axle; a single long, fluid-filled tube that carries outgoing messages to other neurons, muscles, or glands; can be 1 or 2 mm to 3 feet in length; often referred to as a nerve or tract; bundled together |
| endocrine system | the body slow chemical communication system which is made up of a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream; made of the glands-pineal, pituitary, parathyroid, thyroid, pancreas, and adrenal, ovaries and testes |
| parathyroid | for glands embedded in the thyroid; secretes parathormone; controls announces level of calcium and phosphate (which influence levels of excitability) |
| reticular formation (RF) (RES) | netlike system of neurons that weaves through limbic system and plays an important role in attention, arousal, and alert functions; arouses and alerts higher parts of the brain; anesthetics work by temporary shutting off RF system |
| pituitary gland | endocrine gland that produces a large amount of hormones; it regulates growth and helps control other endocrine glands; located on underside of brain |
| frontal lobe | part of the cerebral cortex; coordinates messages from other cerebral lobes; involved in complex problem-solving tasks, thinking, self-control, judgment, emotion regulation, personality affects, concentration, goal directed behavior; restructures in teen years |
| hypothalamus | small area of the brain that is part of the limbic system and regulates behaviors related to survival such as, eating, drinking, sexual behaviors, motivation |
| neural plasticity | Ability of the brain to change their experience, both structurally and chemically |
| forebrain | top of the brain which includes the thalamus, hypothalamus, and cerebral cortex; responsible for emotional regulation, complex thought, memory aspect of personality |
| brainstem | top of the spinal column |
| graded potential | shift in electrical charge in a tiny area of the neuron (temporary); transmits a long cell membranes leaving neuron and polarized state; needs higher than normal threshold of excitation to fire |
| strain studies | studies of hereditability it be a behavioral traits using animals that have been inbred to produce strains that are genetically similar to one another |
| family studies | studies of hereditability on the assumption that if a gene influences a certain trait, close relatives should be more similar on that trait in distant relative |
| identical twins | twins from a single fertilized oval with the same genetic makeup |
| epinephrine | adrenaline; activates a sympathetic nervous system by making the heart beat faster, stopping digestion, enlarging pupils, sending sugar into the bloodstream, preparing a blood clot faster |
| hippocampus | a curved portion of the forebrain structure that is part of the limbic system and is involved in learning and processing new memories |
| neurogenesis | production of new brain cells; November 1988: cancer patients proved that new neurons grew until the end of life |
| cerebellum | "little brain"; part of the brain that coordinates balance, movement, reflexes |
| limbic system | a donut ring-shaped of loosely connected structures located in the forebrain between the central core and cerebral hemispheres; consists of: septum, cingulate gyrus, endowments, hypothalamus, and to campus, and amygdala; associated with emotions and memories |
| autonomic nervous system | a division of the peripheral nervous system that regulates involuntary functions; it takes a message from the central nervous system to the internal organs |
| relative refractory period | a period after firing when a neuron is returning to its normal polarize state and will only fire again if the incoming message open parentheses impulse) is stronger than usual; returning to arresting state |
| insulin | hormone backpacks in the regulation of blood sugar by acting in the utilization of carbohydrates; released by pancreas; too much-hypoglycemia, too little-diabetes |
| synaptic vesicles | tiny oval-shaped sacs in a terminal of one neuron; assist in transferring mineral impulse from one neuron to another neuron by releasing specific neurotransmitters |
| absolute refractory period | a. After firing when a neuron will not fire again no matter how strong the incoming message may be; length-1000th of a second |
| norepinephrine | noradrenaline; chemical which is excitatory, similar to adrenaline, and affects arousal and memory; raises blood pressure by causing blood vessels to become constricted, but also carried by bloodstream to the anterior pituitary which relaxes ACTH thus prolonging stress response |
| dendrites | the bushy, branching extensions of the cell body that receives messages and conducts impulses; Greek for tree |
| human genomes | 30,000 genes needed to build a human |
| twin studies | studies as identical and rhetorical twins to determine relative influence of heredity and environment on human behavior |
| endorphins | chemical inhibiting the transmission of pain, often experienced during exercise, i.e. "runner's high"; discovered in 1970s when trying to find out how opiates were (morphine, heroin); "endorphins" is a pharmacological (drug/med) term |
| myelin sheath | a white, lipid (fatty) material in casing many neuron fibers and enables faster transmission of an impulse; white matter; it's pinched at intervals; not on all neurons but found throughout the body; insulin to prevent interference from other neurons |
| sympathetic division | a branch of the autonomic nervous system and prepares the body for quick action in emergencies; fight or flight; busiest when frightened, angry, or aroused; increases heart rate, increases breathing rate, enlarges pupils, stops digestion; connects to all internal organs; sudden reaction |
| ions | electrically charged particles found both inside and outside a neuron; negative ions are found inside the cell membrane in a polarized neuron |
| Association areas | areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions, rather, they are involved in higher mental processes such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking |
| Genetics | study of how traits are transmitted from one generation to the next |
| recessive gene | member of the gene terror that controls the appearance of a certain trait only if it is paired with the same gene |
| thyroid gland | located in the net; it regulates metabolism by secreting two hormones: thyroxine and parathormone |
| midbrain | the middle division of brain responsible for hearing and sight; location where pain is registered; includes temporal lobe, occipital lobe, and most of the parietal lobe |
| polarization | when the neuron is at rest; condition of neuron when the inside of the neuron is negatively charged relative to the outside of Enron; is necessary to generate the neuron signal in release of this polarization |
| resting potential | when a neuron is in polarization; more negative ions are inside the neuron cell membrane with a positive ions on the outside, causing a small electrical charge; release of this charge generates a neuron's impulse (signal/message) |
| glial cells | Greek for glue; forms myelin sheath; holds neuron in place; provides nourishment and removes waste; prevents harmful substances from entering bloodstream; may play important role in memory and learning; affects brain's response to new experiences |
| dominant genes | member of a gene terror that controls the appearance of a certain trait |
| pons | part of the brain involved in sleep regulation also connects a cerebellum to the cerebral cortex; sleep and wake cycles |
| thyroxine | released by thyroid; hormone that regulates the body's metabolism; OVERACTIVE-over-excitability, insomnia, reduced attention span, fatigue, snap decisions, reduced concentration (hyperthyroidism); UNDERACTIVE-desire to sleep, constantly tired, weight gain (hypothyroidism) |
| nerve | bundles of axons |
| chromosomes | pair of threadlike bodies within the cell ridiculous; contains genes |
| somatic nervous system | division of peripheral nervous system; carries messages from afferent neurons central nervous system and between central nervous system to skeletal muscles; controls voluntary actions |
| gonads | reproductive glands-male, testes; female, ovaries |
| receptor site | a location on a receptor neurons which is like a key to a lock (with a specific nerve transmitter); allows for orderly pathways |
| psychobiology | study that focuses on biological foundations of behavior and mental processes; overlaps with neuroscience |
| Central nervous system (CNS) | the brain and spinal cord; 90% of the bodies neurons |
| medulla | part of the brain which controls living functions such as breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature |
| neuron | 100 billion in brain; individual cells that are the smallest unit of the nervous system; it has three classes: efferent, afferent, and interneurons; made of Colin dendrites, axons, synaptic gap, terminal buttons, synaptic vesicles, and sometimes myelin |
| selection studies | studies that estimate the hereditability of a trait by breeding animals with another animal that has the same trait |
| spinal cord | a bundle of neuron axons which act like cables carrying messages to the PNS; connects brain to the rest of the body; wrapped in myelin and, surrounded and protected by vertebral bones; spinal injuries-paralysis, bowel/bladder control, low blood pressure |
| hindbrain | division which includes the cerebellum, Pons, and medulla; responsible for involuntary processes: blood pressure, body temperature, heart rate, breathing, sleep cycles |
| adrenal glands | located above the kidney and secretes epinephrine and norepinephrine; stimulated by autonomic nervous system |
| motor neurons | efferent neurons; neurons that carry messages from spinal cord/brain to muscles and glands |
| neurotransmitters | chemical messengers released by synaptic vesicles and travel through the synaptic gap assisting neural impulses (messages) as they leave one neuron to the next; affects adjacent neurons; examples: ACh, dopamine, serotonin, endorphins, and norepinephrine, glutamate, GABA, and glycine |
| parathormone | hormone that controls imbalances levels of calcium and phosphate in the blood and tissue fluid; influences levels of excitability; secreted by parathyroids |
| genes | elements that control transmission of traits; on the chromosomes |
| hormones | serves a function similar to neurotransmitters in that they carry messages; chemical messengers that travel through the bloodstream; manufactured by glands (mostly); help regulate bodily functions |
| synapse | the point of communication between two neurons-includes axon terminal of the sending neuron, the synaptic space (gap), and dendrites/cell body of the receiving neuron |
| pancreas | organ lying between the stomach and small intestine; regulates blood sugar by secreting to regulating hormones: insulin and glucagon |
| thalamus | motor sensory relay center for four of the five senses; and with a brain stem and composed of two egg-shaped structures; integrates in shades incoming sensory signals; Mnemonic-"don't smell the llamas because the llamas smell bad" |
| temporal lobe | involved in complex visual tasks and processing; balance; emotional regulation and maturity; Strong oral and language comprehension; smell; hearing; still developing after age 16 |
| ACTH (arenocorticotropic hormone) | released by adrenal glands; triggered by norepinephrine to prolong the response to stress (used in the sympathetic nervous system) |
| polygenic inheritance | process by which several genes interact to produce a certain trait; responsible for most important traits |
| parietal lobe | part of the cerebral cortex never see sensory information from skin, muscles, joints, organs, taste buds; involved in spatial/visual abilities and integrates all sensory signals; immature until age 16 |
| amniocentesis | collection of fetal cells and testing them for genetic abnormalities; using a long needle to withdraw cells from third trimester pregnant woman; uses amniotic fluid which surrounds fetus in the womb |
| axon terminal | terminal button, synaptic knob; the structure at the end of an excellent terminal branch; houses the synaptic vesicles and neurotransmitters |
| corpus callosum | large band of white neural fibers that connects to to brain hemispheres and carries messages between them; myelinated; involved in intelligence, consciousness, and self-awareness; does it reach full maturity until 20s |
| neuroscience | study of the brain and nervous system; overlaps with psychobiology |
| sensory neurons | afferent neurons; neurons that carry messages from sensory organs to the brain and spinal cords |
| fraternal twins | two children developed on two separate eggs that share a room; no more genetically similar than other brother and sisters (i.e. different genetic makeup) |
| EEG scan | provides info in the form of line tracings called "brain waves" |
| CT scan | Uses x-rays to take pictures of the brain at various angles |
| PET scan | involves the injection of radioactive dye into the blood stream that can be traced and detected to monitor blood flow to various regions of the brain. |
| Medulla | Regulates automatic/ involuntary bodily functions (breathing, heart rate) |
| Pons | monitors and regulates brain activity during sleep |
| Amygdala | Governs initial emotional reactions to events, particularly fear and aggression |
| Corpus Callosum | Connects two brain hemispheres; allows two hemispheres to communicate what each one is doing and the information that is being processed by each hemisphere. |
| Right Hemisphere | Emotional, intuitive half of the brain; artisti or creative skills; recognition of faces |
| Wernicke's area | Portion of the temporal lobe found only in the left hemisphere; involved specifically in processing and understanding speech. |
| Broca's area | portion of the motor cortex found only in the left hemisphere and involved specifically in coordinating the muscles used in speech |
| Hippocampus | involved in processing new information and storing new memories; plays integral role in learning |
| Limbic System | responsible for memory and emotional responses |
| Cerebellum | attached to back of brainstem; plays integral role in balance and coordination of muscle movements. |
| motor cortex | strip of frontal lobe specialized for processing sensations of touch and for integrating various sensations |
| Prefrontal Cortex | most frontal region of the frontal lobe; involved in higher-order cognitive processes (planning, decision making, emotional control) |
| Frontal Lobe | responsible for controlling behavior, thought and emotion (cognitive processes; reasoning, problem solving) |
| Parietal Lobe | Responsible for processing body sensations and all skin senses |
| Temporal Lobe | Responsible for auditory processing (also plays a role in long-term memory) |
| Hypothalamus | Controls bodily activity (heart rate, temp) Motivated behaviors and arousal (sleep, sexual behaviors) through its effects on the endocrine system. Also houses reward circuits that, when activated, produce feelings of pleasure and euphoria |
| cerebral cortex | largest and outermost part of the brain that surrounds and covers the limbic system like a helmet. where all abilities unique to humans resides. Higher-order information processing (reasoning, thinking) |
| Acetylcholine | a neurotransmitter found in high levels in the hippocampus and limbic regions of the brain |
| Thalamus | Serves as a sensory relay station by channeling all incoming sensory information to appropriate regions of the cortex for processing and back to appropriate muscles and organs in the body. |
| Reticular Activating System | Regulates arousal, alertness, and consciousness |
| Left Hemisphere | Rational, logical half of the brain; involved in tasks that require logic, order, critical thinking or analysis. |
| Neurons | Transmit and receive information throughout the nervous system through the conduction of electrical and chemical impulses |
| Brain Stem | responsible for basic bodily processes, attention and arousal levels (structures within include: medulla, pons, reticular activating system, and thalamus. |
| Sympathetic Division | Part of autonomic division; mobilizes the body in times of stress, danger or intense emotional arousal; "fight-or-flight" response |
| Parasympathetic division | returns the body to normal state after a sympathetic response |
| Peripheral Nervous system | Connects the central nervous system to the external world through the sensory systems and also connects the central nervous system to all muscles and internal organs in the body (somatic and autonomic) |
| Autonomic Division | Consists of nerve fibers that connect the central nervous system to all internal glands and organs; allows brain to monitor and guide all bodily processes from breathing to heartbeat and digestion |
| Somatic Division | Connects the brain to the sensory systems and to every muscle in the body through afferent and efferent nerves |
| Afferent nerves | "sensory nerves"- run from the sensory systems to the spinal chord and the brain and carry info to the brain from sensory systems |
| efferent nerves | carry messages away from brain and spinal cord; motor nerves. |
| central nervous system | process and analyze all information from the external world and the body; determine and guide all behavioral, cognitive and emotional responses; reflexes |
| Synapses | tiny gaps between dentrites and axons of different neurons |
| Neurotransmitters | located in small vesicles within the branches of axons; chemicals |
| Axon | Much larger branch (with branching ends) that carries signals away from the cell body to surrounding neurons |
| Dentrites | Branches that reach out from the cell body and receive signals from surrounding neurons |
| cell body | Also known as the soma; Rounded portion of a cell that serves as the control center of the neuron, directing all cell activities , including the nucleus |
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