AP Psychology terminology for biological basis of psychology
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| 9654298606 | 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 |  | 0 |
| 9654298607 | 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) |  | 1 |
| 9654298608 | motor projection areas | primary motor cortex; areas of the three boat cortex for response messages from the brain to the muscles and glands |  | 2 |
| 9654298609 | endocrine glands | the bodies "slow" chemical communication by secreting hormones directly into the bloodstream |  | 3 |
| 9654298610 | 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 |  | 4 |
| 9654298611 | parasympathetic division | a branch of the autonomic nervous system that maintains normal body functions; it calms the body ever conserves energy |  | 5 |
| 9654298612 | 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 |  | 6 |
| 9654298613 | behavioral genetics | study of hereditary influences and how it influences behavior and thinking | 7 | |
| 9654298614 | DNA | deoxyribonucleic acid; genetic formation in a double-helix; can replicate or reproduce itself; made of genes |  | 8 |
| 9654298615 | 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 |  | 9 |
| 9654298616 | interneurons | connection neurons; Association neurons that carry messages to another neuron |  | 10 |
| 9654298617 | serotonin | "mood molecule"; chemical that affects regulation asleep, dreaming, mood, hunger, pain, and aggressive behavior; and attaches to many receptors (receptor sites) |  | 11 |
| 9654298618 | 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 |  | 12 |
| 9654298619 | occipital lobe | part of cerebral cortex that receives visual information |  | 13 |
| 9654298620 | 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 |  | 14 |
| 9654298621 | 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 | | 15 |
| 9654298622 | parathyroid | for glands embedded in the thyroid; secretes parathormone; controls announces level of calcium and phosphate (which influence levels of excitability) |  | 16 |
| 9654298623 | 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 | 17 | |
| 9654298624 | 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 |  | 18 |
| 9654298625 | 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 |  | 19 |
| 9654298626 | 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 |  | 20 |
| 9654298627 | neural plasticity | Ability of the brain to change their experience, both structurally and chemically | 21 | |
| 9654298628 | forebrain | top of the brain which includes the thalamus, hypothalamus, and cerebral cortex; responsible for emotional regulation, complex thought, memory aspect of personality |  | 22 |
| 9654298629 | brainstem | top of the spinal column |  | 23 |
| 9654298630 | 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 |  | 24 |
| 9654298631 | 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 | 25 | |
| 9654298632 | 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 | 26 | |
| 9654298633 | identical twins | twins from a single fertilized oval with the same genetic makeup |  | 27 |
| 9654298634 | 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 |  | 28 |
| 9654298635 | hippocampus | a curved portion of the forebrain structure that is part of the limbic system and is involved in learning and processing new memories |  | 29 |
| 9654298636 | neurogenesis | production of new brain cells; November 1988: cancer patients proved that new neurons grew until the end of life |  | 30 |
| 9654298637 | cerebellum | "little brain"; part of the brain that coordinates balance, movement, reflexes |  | 31 |
| 9654298638 | 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 |  | 32 |
| 9654298639 | 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 | 33 | |
| 9654298640 | 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 |  | 34 |
| 9654298641 | 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 | 35 | |
| 9654298642 | 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 |  | 36 |
| 9654298643 | 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 | 37 | |
| 9654298644 | 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 | 38 | |
| 9654298645 | dendrites | the bushy, branching extensions of the cell body that receives messages and conducts impulses; Greek for tree |  | 39 |
| 9654298646 | human genomes | 30,000 genes needed to build a human | 40 | |
| 9654298647 | twin studies | studies as identical and rhetorical twins to determine relative influence of heredity and environment on human behavior |  | 41 |
| 9654298648 | 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 | 42 | |
| 9654298649 | myelin sheath | a white, lipoid (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 |  | 43 |
| 9654298650 | 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 | 44 | |
| 9654298651 | ions | electrically charged particles found both inside and outside a neuron; negative ions are found inside the cell membrane in a polarized neuron | 45 | |
| 9654298652 | 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 | 46 | |
| 9654298653 | Genetics | study of how traits are transmitted from one generation to the next |  | 47 |
| 9654298654 | recessive gene | member of the gene that controls the appearance of a certain trait only if it is paired with the same gene |  | 48 |
| 9654298655 | thyroid gland | located in the net; it regulates metabolism by secreting two hormones: thyroxine and parathormone |  | 49 |
| 9654298656 | 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 |  | 50 |
| 9654298657 | 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 | 51 | |
| 9654298658 | 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) |  | 52 |
| 9654298659 | 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 | 53 | |
| 9654298660 | dominant genes | member of a gene terror that controls the appearance of a certain trait |  | 54 |
| 9654298661 | pons | part of the brain involved in sleep regulation also connects a cerebellum to the cerebral cortex; sleep and wake cycles |  | 55 |
| 9654298662 | 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) | 56 | |
| 9654298663 | nerve | bundles of axons | 57 | |
| 9654298664 | chromosomes | pair of threadlike bodies within the cell ; contains genes |  | 58 |
| 9654298665 | 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 | 59 | |
| 9654298666 | gonads | reproductive glands-male, testes; female, ovaries | 60 | |
| 9654298667 | 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 |  | 61 |
| 9654298668 | psychobiology | study that focuses on biological foundations of behavior and mental processes; overlaps with neuroscience | 62 | |
| 9654298669 | Central nervous system (CNS) | the brain and spinal cord; 90% of the bodies neurons | 63 | |
| 9654298670 | medulla | part of the brain which controls living functions such as breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature |  | 64 |
| 9654298671 | 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 |  | 65 |
| 9654298672 | selection studies | studies that estimate the hereditability of a trait by breeding animals with another animal that has the same trait | 66 | |
| 9654298673 | (beta) endorphins | a natural painkiller released by the body, often experienced during exercise; discovered in 1970s when investigating how opiates were; beta endorphins are natural | 67 | |
| 9654298674 | 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 |  | 68 |
| 9654298675 | hindbrain | division which includes the cerebellum, Pons, and medulla; responsible for involuntary processes: blood pressure, body temperature, heart rate, breathing, sleep cycles | | 69 |
| 9654298676 | adrenal glands | located above the kidney and secretes epinephrine and norepinephrine; stimulated by autonomic nervous system | 70 | |
| 9654298677 | motor neurons | efferent neurons; neurons that carry messages from spinal cord/brain to muscles and glands | 71 | |
| 9654298678 | 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 | 72 | |
| 9654298679 | parathormone | hormone that controls imbalances levels of calcium and phosphate in the blood and tissue fluid; influences levels of excitability; secreted by parathyroids | 73 | |
| 9654298680 | genes | elements that control transmission of traits; on the chromosomes |  | 74 |
| 9654298681 | 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 | 75 | |
| 9654298682 | 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 | | 76 |
| 9654298683 | pancreas | organ lying between the stomach and small intestine; regulates blood sugar by secreting to regulating hormones: insulin and glucagon |  | 77 |
| 9654298684 | 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" | 78 | |
| 9654298685 | 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 |  | 79 |
| 9654298686 | ACTH (arenocorticotropic hormone) | released by adrenal glands; triggered by norepinephrine to prolong the response to stress (used in the sympathetic nervous system) | 80 | |
| 9654298687 | polygenic inheritance | process by which several genes interact to produce a certain trait; responsible for most important traits |  | 81 |
| 9654298688 | 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 | | 82 |
| 9654298689 | 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 | 83 | |
| 9654298690 | axon terminal | terminal button, synaptic knob; the structure at the end of an excellent terminal branch; houses the synaptic vesicles and neurotransmitters | | 84 |
| 9654298691 | 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 |  | 85 |
| 9654298692 | neuroscience | study of the brain and nervous system; overlaps with psychobiology |  | 86 |
| 9654298693 | sensory neurons | afferent neurons; neurons that carry messages from sensory organs to the brain and spinal cords | 87 | |
| 9654298694 | 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) |  | 88 |
