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AP Psych - Midterm Review - Neuroscience - Unit 3

Terms in this set (44)

central nervous system
consists of the brain and spinal cord
peripheral nervous system
consists of sensory receptors, muscles, glands
motor neurons
neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands
sensory neurons
neurons that carry incoming information from the sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord
interneuron
a neuron that carries nerve impulses from one neuron to another (allows for reflexes)
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 when the crisis is over, conserving its energy
automatic nervous system
the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs (such as the heart)
somatic nervous system
the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's skeletal muscles
Cerebellum
A large structure of the hindbrain that controls fine motor skills (voluntary movement, sense of equilibrium and balance).
Amygdala
A limbic system structure involved in memory and emotion, particularly fear and aggression.
reticular formation
a nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal and filtering information
Hypothalamus
a neural structure lying below the thalamus; directs eating, drinking, body temperature; helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion
Hippocampus
A neural center located in the limbic system that helps process explicit memories for storage.
Medulla
the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing
corpus callosum
the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them
Thalamus
the brain's sensory switchboard, located on top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla
4 lobes of the brain
frontal - (primary motion cortex: controls movement of muscles)
parietal - (primary sensory cortex: sense of touch and temp.)
occipital - (primary vision cortex)
temporal - (primary auditory cortex: sense of hearing)
sensory cortex
area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations
motor cortex
an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements
limbic system
neural system located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions and drives
Plasticity
the brain's ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience
Dendrites
Branchlike parts of a neuron that are specialized to receive information.
Axon
the extension of a neuron, ending in branching terminal fibers, through which messages pass to other neurons or to muscles or glands
Soma
cell body
synaptic gap
space between the axon terminal of one neuron and the receptors of the next neuron
Neurotransmitters
chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons
Serotonin
A neurotransmitter that affects hunger, sleep, arousal, and mood.
Dopamine
A neurotransmitter associated with movement, attention and learning and the brain's pleasure and reward system.
Acetylcholine
A neurotransmitter that enables learning and memory and also triggers muscle contraction
Epinephrine
Neurotransmitter secreted by the adrenal medulla in response to stress. Also known as adrenaline.
Endorphins
natural, opiate-like neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure
GABA
An inhibitory/depressing neurotransmitter in the brain.
Glutamate
A major excitatory neurotransmitter; involved in memory
all-or-none response
a neuron's reaction of either firing (with a full-strength response) or not firing.
myelin sheath
A layer of fatty tissue segmentally encasing the fibers of many neurons; enables vastly greater transmission speed of neural impulses as the impulse hops from one node to the next.
threshold
the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse
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
pituitary gland
The endocrine system's most influential gland. Under the influence of the hypothalamus, the pituitary regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands.
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.
thyroid gland
produces hormones that regulate metabolism, body heat, and bone growth
Pancreas
Regulates the level of sugar in the blood
pineal gland
secretes melatonin, regulates circadian rhythms and sleep patterns
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