Neuroscience - AP Psychology - Mrs. Welle
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Created by:
wellevk on May 10, 2009
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Description:
Terms for neuroscience unit in AP Psychology. Includes structures of the brain, parts of and functions of the neuron, and the nervous system in general.
Classes:
AP Psychology 7th period, AP Psychology-Heath, AP Psychology Superior, WI, AP Psychology, Gibbons AP Psych
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80 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 stimulus | environmental feature that provokes a response |
| receptors | specialized cells that are sensitive to specific types of stimulus energy |
| central nervous system (CNS) | Division of the nervous system that consists of the brain and spinal cord |
| peripheral nervous system | division of the nervous system that consists of neural fibers lying outside the brain and spinal cord |
| somatic division | division of the peripheral nervous system involved in controlling VOLUNTARY muscle & joint movement |
| neurons | basic cells of the nervous system |
| sensory (afferent) neurons | neurons that carry information from the receptors to the spinal cord and brain |
| motor (efferent) neurons | neurons that carry information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles |
| autonomic nervous system | division of the peripheral nervous system involved in the control of (generally unconscious/automatic) bodily functioning through organs and glands |
| sympathetic nervous system | subdivision of the autonomic nervous system responsible for mobilizing the body in times of stress, and preparing for flight or fight |
| parasympathetic nervous system | subdivision of the autonomic nervous system responsible for returning the body to a resting or balanced state |
| homeostasis | tendency of the body to maintain a balanced state |
| reflex | automatic behavior in response to a specific stimulus; does not involve communication with the brain |
| lower level structures | oldest of the three main divisions of the brain; its major structures include the medulla, pons, and cerebellum; also known as the "hindbrain" |
| pons | structure of the hindbrain that allows for communication between the cerebellum, cerebral cortex, & brain stem; has nuclei that are important for sleep and arousal |
| medulla | structure located in the hindbrain that regulates automatic responses such as breathing, swallowing, and blood circulation |
| reticular formation | band of nerve fibers that run through the center of the brain stem; important in controlling arousal levels |
| cerebellum | structure of the hindbrain that coordinates voluntary muscular movements |
| corpus callosum | wide band of neural fibers that connects the two hemispheres of the brain |
| limbic system | structures located beneath the cerebral cortex that are involved in regulating emotions and motivated behaviors |
| thalamus | subcortical structure that relays incoming sensory information to the cerebral cortex and other parts of the brain; a.k.a "sensory switchboard" |
| EEG (electroenchephalograph) | device that monitors and records electric activity within the brain |
| PET scan (positron emission tomography) | imaging technique that involves monitoring the metabolic activity of the brain |
| CT scan (computerized tomography) | imaging technique that involves the production of a large number of X-rays interpreted by a computer |
| MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) | imaging technique that involves the use of radio waves and a strong magnetic field to produce a signal that can be interpreted by computer |
| dendrites | short, branchlike structures of a neuron that receive information from receptors and other neurons |
| fMRI | a modification of the standard MRI procedure that allows both structural and functional images to be gathered |
| soma | cell body of a neuron |
| axon | part of a neuron tha transmits information to other neurons and to muscles and glands |
| myelin sheath | fatty protein substance that covers some axons, increasing speed of transmission |
| terminal buttons | structures located at the ends of the axon in which neurotransmitters are stored before release |
| multiple sclerosis | disease caused by degeneration of myelin in the CNS |
| neurotransmitters | chemical substances, stored in the terminal buttons, that facilitate the transmission of information from one neuron to another |
| synapse | site where two or more neurons interact but do not touch |
| reuptake | method of clearing a neurotransmitter from the synaptic cleft, in which the neurotransmitter is taken back into the terminal buttons |
| synaptic vesicles | small pockets or sacs located in terminal buttons that contain a neurotransmitter |
| agonist | drug that enhances the operation of a neurotransmitter |
| antagonist | drug that blocks the operation of a neurotransmitter |
| endorphins | natural painkillers that are produced by the body |
| resting potential | electrical charge (negative) of a neuron when it is not firing |
| action potential | brief electrial charge that travels down the axon; a process also called "depolarization" |
| threshold | the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse |
| refractory period | period, after firing, during which the neuron is unable to fire because it is repolarizing |
| aphasia | loss of ability to speak or understand written or spoken language |
| endocrine system | system of glands that produce and secrete chemicals |
| hormones | chemicals produced by the glands of the endocrine system that are carried by the bloodstream to other organs |
| pituitary gland | gland located below the thalamus and hypothalamus; called the "master gland" because it controls many other glands |
| biological psychology | branch of psychology concerned with the links between biology and behavior |
| acetylcholine | a neurotransmitter that enables muscle action, learning and memory; an undersupply is linked with Alzheimer's disease |
| dopamine | a neurotransmitter that influences movement, learning and attention; overactivity of receptors linked to schizophrenia while an undersupply linked to Parkinson's disease |
| serotonin | an undersupply of this neurotransmitter is linked with depression; exercise increases production of it |
| norepinephrine | a neurotransmitter that controls alertness and arousal; undersupply can depress mood |
| GABA | a major inhibitory neurotransmitter |
| glutamate | a major excitatory neurotransmitter; oversupply can overstimulate brain, producing migraines or seizures |
| nerves | neural "cables" containing many axons |
| interneurons | central nervous system neurons that internally communicate and intervene between sensory inputs and motor outputs |
| lesion | brain destruction; can be naturally caused or created for experimentation |
| hippocampus | structure in the limbic system important in processing memories |
| hypothalamus | structure in the limbic system responsible for directing several maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temp); helps govern endocrine system via the pituitary gland |
| Paul Broca | responsible for discovering the area on the left frontal lobe responsible for coordinating muscle movements involved in spoken language |
| Carl Wernicke | discovered a brain area responsible for interpreting meaning of language |
| depolarization | process of neural firing; when action potential is generated and the neuron briefly takes on a positive charge |
| all-or-none principle | refers to the fact that a neuron will fire when threshold is reached, but not before |
| amygdale | the two almond-shaped nerve clusters in the limbic system believed to be responsible for fear and aggressive responses |
| cerebral cortex | wrinkled, gray covering of the brain that accounts for 80% of brain weight is responsible for complex processing of information, planning, learning, memory storage, etc. |
| Phineas Gage | famous case study in neuroscience; sustained catastrophic damage to his frontal lobes |
| motor cortex | located on the back of the frontal lobe; responsible for directing voluntary movement on the opposite side of the body |
| sensory cortex | located on the front of the parietal lobes; responsible for processing sensory information received by the opposite side of the body |
| angular gyrus | brain area believed to be important in transferring visual (written) language into sound (auditory) information |
| occipital lobe | portion of the cerebral cortex at the "back" of the head; contains the visual cortex |
| temporal lobe | portion of the cerebral cortex located on the "sides" of the brain; contains auditory cortex |
| Roger Sperry & Michael Gazzaniga | studied split brain patients |
| phrenology | early, somewhat misguided attempt at studying the functions of parts of the brain; held that bumps on the skull revealed the person's personality traits |
| Franz Gall | early comparative brain anatomist; developed phrenology |
| gray matter | outer layer of the cortex; mostly glia, neuronal cell bodies, and axons |
| white matter | inner layer of the cortex; composed of myelinated axons that reach between the lobes of the cerebral cortex and other parts of the brain |
| Broca's area | area (usually in the left frontal lobe) that directs the muscle movements involved in speech |
| Wernicke's area | brain area involved in language comprehension; usually in left temporal lobe |
| association areas | Areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions; rather, they are involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking |
| angular gyrus | transforms visual representations into an auditory code; damage to this leaves the person unable to speak and understand, but able to read |
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