Unit 2
Terms : Hide Images
| 152747724 | action potential | a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon | 0 | |
| 152747725 | adrenal glands | a pair of endocrine glands just above the kidneys. The adrenals secrete the hormones epinephrine (adrenaline) and nor-epinephrine (nor-adrenaline), which help to arouse the body in times of stress. (Myers Psychology 8e p. 066) | 1 | |
| 152747726 | all-or-none law | The rule that neurons are either on or off | 2 | |
| 152747727 | amygdala | limbic system component associated with emotion, particularly fear and anger | 3 | |
| 152747729 | 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 | 4 | |
| 152747730 | autonomic nervous system | the part of the nervous system of vertebrates that controls involuntary actions of the smooth muscles and heart and glands | 5 | |
| 152747731 | axon | long fiber that carries impulses away from the cell body of a neuron | 6 | |
| 152747733 | brain stem | connects the brain and spinal cord | 7 | |
| 152747734 | CAT (Computerized Axial Tomography) | views structure of brain, can detect tumors, disease | 8 | |
| 152747735 | central fissure | runs sideways from ear to ear and separates the primary somatosensory cortex from the primary motor cortex | 9 | |
| 152747736 | central nervous system | the portion of the vertebrate nervous system consisting of the brain and spinal cord | 10 | |
| 152747737 | cerebellum | the "little brain" attached to the rear of the brainstem; it helps coordinate voluntary movement and balance | 11 | |
| 152747738 | cerebral cortex | the intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells that covers the cerebral hemispheres; the body's ultimate control and information-processing center | 12 | |
| 152747740 | chromosomes | threadlike structures made of DNA molecules that contain the genes | 13 | |
| 152747742 | dendrites | short fibers that branch out from the cell body and pick up incoming messages | 14 | |
| 152747744 | DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) | a complex molecule containing the genetic information that makes up the chromosomes | 15 | |
| 152747745 | electrochemical | language used by the neurons; part electrical part chemical | 16 | |
| 152747746 | endocrine system | the body's "slow" chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream | 17 | |
| 152747748 | epinephrine | adrenaline | 18 | |
| 152747749 | excitatory / inhibitory | messages of this type increase/decrease the likelihood of a neuron's firing | 19 | |
| 152747750 | forebrain | forward part of the brain that allows advanced intellectual abilities; also known as the cerebrum | 20 | |
| 152747751 | GABA | major inhibitory neurotransmitter | 21 | |
| 152747752 | glial cells | cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons | 22 | |
| 152747754 | hindbrain | A part of the brain located at the rear base of the skull that is involved in the basic processes of life. | 23 | |
| 152747755 | hippocampus | a neural center that is located in the limbic system; helps process explicit memories for storage | 24 | |
| 152747756 | hormone | the secretion of an endocrine gland that is transmitted by the blood to the tissue on which it has a specific effect | 25 | |
| 152747757 | hypothalamus | limbic system component that regulates hunger, body temperature and other functions | 26 | |
| 152747759 | interneuron | Carries nerve impulses from one neuron to another | 27 | |
| 152747761 | limbic system | associated with emotions such as fear and aggression and drives such as those for food and sex; includes the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus | 28 | |
| 152747762 | medulla | the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing | 29 | |
| 152747763 | midbrain | Part of brain. Sensory processing, vision and hearing | 30 | |
| 152747764 | motor neurons | neurons that carry outgoing information from the central nervous system to the muscles and glands | 31 | |
| 152747765 | MRI | a technique that enables us to see static images of the brain's structures; uses magnetism to achieve this effect | 32 | |
| 152747766 | myelin sheath | a layer of fatty tissue encasing a neuron's axon that speeds transmission | 33 | |
| 152747769 | neurotransmitter | chemical used by a neuron to transmit an impulse across a synapse to another cell | 34 | |
| 152747770 | norepinephrine | helps control alertness and arousal | 35 | |
| 152747771 | occipital lobes | portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes areas that receive information from the visual fields. | 36 | |
| 152747772 | ovaries | The female sex glands that store the ova and produce female sex hormones | 37 | |
| 152747773 | pancreas | an organ that secrets chemicals to break food down at the end of the stomach | 38 | |
| 152747774 | parasympathetic nervous system | Division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy | 39 | |
| 152747775 | parietal lobe | portion posterior to the frontal lobe, responsible for sensations such as pain, temperature, and touch | 40 | |
| 152747776 | peripheral nervous system | the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body | 41 | |
| 152747777 | PET | analyzing the brain by injecting colored liquid into the brain | 42 | |
| 152747778 | pineal gland | located in the center of the brain, functioning to secrete melatonin and serotonin | 43 | |
| 152747779 | pituitary gland | the endocrine system's most influential gland. Under the influence of the hypothalamus, the pituitary regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands | 44 | |
| 152747780 | plasticity | the ability of the brain to adapt to damage by reorganizing functions | 45 | |
| 152747782 | pons | Involved in sleep and arousal | 46 | |
| 152747783 | prefrontal cortex | higher-order cognitive processes (planning, decision making, emotional control) | 47 | |
| 152747784 | primary motor cortex | The section of the frontal lobe responsible for voluntary movement. | 48 | |
| 152747785 | primary somatosensory cortex | Brain structure that registers and processes body sensations; located in the parietal lobes. | 49 | |
| 152747787 | refractory period | the time after a neuron fires during which a stimulus will not evoke a response | 50 | |
| 152747788 | resting potential | The slightly negative charge (-70 millivolts) that is present in a neuron that is at rest. | 51 | |
| 152747789 | reticular activating system/RAS | vital in functions of sleep, attention, and arousal from sleep; Damage = coma; Can be trained to respond to certain things | 52 | |
| 152747790 | reuptake | a neurotransmitter's re-absorption by the sending neuron. | 53 | |
| 152747793 | soma | The cell body of a neuron. | 54 | |
| 152747794 | somatic nervous system | the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's skeletal muscles | 55 | |
| 152747797 | suprachiasmic nucleus | area of the hypothalamus that may play a key role in regulating the clock that controls circadian rhythms (daily activities) | 56 | |
| 152747798 | sympathetic nervous system | the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations | 57 | |
| 152747799 | synapse | location at which a neuron can transfer an impulse to another cell | 58 | |
| 152747800 | temporal lobes | portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory areas, each receiving information primarily from the opposite ear. | 59 | |
| 152747803 | thalamus | relay station for sensory information | 60 | |
| 152747804 | thyroid gland | produces hormones that regulate metabolism, body heat, and bone growth | 61 | |
| 152747805 | trigeminal nerve | the main sensory nerve of the face and motor nerve for the muscles of mastication | 62 | |
| 152747806 | visual cortex | located in the back of the brain, it is the main information-processing center for visual information | 63 | |
| 152754562 | gene | sequence of DNA that codes for a protein and thus determines a trait | 64 | |
| 152754563 | genotype | genetic makeup of an organism | 65 | |
| 152754564 | phenotype | what an organism looks like as a consequence of its genotype | 66 | |
| 152754565 | accommodation | (physiology) the automatic adjustment in focal length of the lens of the eye | 67 | |
| 152754566 | binocular cue | A depth cue that relies on information from both eyes. | 68 | |
| 152754567 | blind spot | the point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye, creating a "blind" spot because no receptor cells are located there | 69 | |
| 152754568 | cochlea | a coiled, bony, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear through which sound waves trigger nerve impulses | 70 | |
| 152754569 | conduction deafness | hearing loss due to problems with the bones of the middle ear | 71 | |
| 152754570 | cones | neurons in the retina that are responsible for color vision | 72 | |
| 152754571 | confabulation | (psychiatry) a plausible but imagined memory that fills in gaps in what is remembered | 73 | |
| 152754572 | convergence | a binocular cue for perceiving depth; the extent to which the eyes converge inward when looking at an object. The greater the inward strain, the closer the object | 74 | |
| 152754573 | cornea | the transparent outer covering of the eye | 75 | |
| 152754574 | feature detection cells | Use minimal patterns to identify objects. | 76 | |
| 152754575 | feature detection theory | Process images in terms of their constituent parts and then match the features of a pattern to those features stored in memory | 77 | |
| 152754576 | figure and ground | organization of the visual field into objects that stand out from their surroundings | 78 | |
| 152754577 | fovea | area consisting of a small depression in the retina containing cones and where vision is most acute | 79 | |
| 152754578 | frequency theory | in hearing, the theory that the rate of nerve impulses traveling up the auditory nerve matches the frequency of a tone, thus enabling us to sense its pitch | 80 | |
| 152754579 | gate control theory | theory that the spinal cord contains a neurological "gate" that blocks pain signals or allows them to pass on to the brain | 81 | |
| 152754580 | gustation | the faculty of taste | 82 | |
| 152754581 | induced motion | perception of movement of an object that is not mving because of motion of nearby objects | 83 | |
| 152754582 | iris | muscular diaphragm that controls the size of the pupil | 84 | |
| 152754583 | law of effect | Thorndike's rule that behaviors which have positive outcomes tend to be repeated | 85 | |
| 152754584 | monocular cue | distance cues (ex: linear perspective) that are available to either eye alone | 86 | |
| 152754585 | opponent process theory | the theory that opposing retinal processes enable color vision | 87 | |
| 152754586 | photoreceptors | The light-sensitive cells in the retina- the rods and cones. | 88 | |
| 152754587 | proximity | the tendency to perceive objects that are spacially close to each other as part of the same grouping | 89 | |
| 152754588 | retina | the light-sensitive inner surface of the eye, containing the receptor rods and cones plus layers of neurons that begin the processing of visual information | 90 | |
| 152754589 | rods | responsible for black and white vision | 91 | |
| 152754590 | sensory integration | The ability of the brain to correctly process the information from the senses | 92 | |
| 152754591 | transduction | conversion of one form of energy into another. In sensation, the transforming of stimulus energies into neural impulses | 93 | |
| 152754592 | trichromatic (Young-Helmholtz) theory | theory that states we percieve color thorugh the relative rates of response by three kinds of cones, each kind maximally sensitive to a different set of wavelengths | 94 | |
| 152754593 | vestibular sense | sense of Balance | 95 | |
| 152754594 | Weber's law | the principle that, to be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage | 96 | |
| 152754595 | activation-synthesis hypothesis | the idea that dreams represent the brain's attempt to make sense of the random patterns of neural activity generated during sleep | 97 | |
| 152754596 | melatonin | involved in biological rhythms | 98 | |
| 152754597 | neurocognitive theories of dreaming | Suggests that dreams are a byproduct of neurological signals made by the brain through the night, and our brain's cognitive attempts to make sense of those signals | 99 |
