THE BIOLOGICAL BASIS OF BEHAVIOR
David G. Myers
Psychology
Terms : Hide Images
| 635287529 | Biological Psychology | a branch of psychology concerned between the links between biology and behavior. | 0 | |
| 635287530 | Neuron | a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system. | 1 | |
| 635287531 | Sensory Neurons | neurons that carry incoming information from the sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord. | 2 | |
| 635287532 | Motor Neurons | neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands. | 3 | |
| 635287533 | Dendrite | bushy, branching extensions of a neuron that receive messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body. | 4 | |
| 635287534 | Axon | the extension of a neuron, ending in branching terminal fibers, through which messages pass to other neurons or to muscles and glands. | 5 | |
| 635287535 | 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. | 6 | |
| 635287536 | Action Potential | a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon. | 7 | |
| 637319833 | Threshold | the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse. | 8 | |
| 637319834 | Synapse | the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron. | 9 | |
| 637319835 | Neurotransmitters | chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons. When released by the sending neuron, neurotransmitters travel across the synapse and bind to receptor sites on the receiving neuron, thereby influencing whether that neuron will generate a neural impulse. | 10 | |
| 645713620 | Reuptake | a neurotransmitter's reabsorption by the sending neuron. | 11 | |
| 645713621 | Endorphin | "morphine within" - natural, opiatelike neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure. | 12 | |
| 645713622 | Nervous System | the body's speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems. | 13 | |
| 645713623 | Central Nervous System | the brain and spinal cord. | 14 | |
| 645713624 | Peripheral Nervous System | the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body. | 15 | |
| 645713625 | Nerves | bundled axons that form neural "cables" connecting the central nervous system with muscles, glands, and sense organs. | 16 | |
| 645713626 | Somatic Nervous System | the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's skeletal muscles. Also called the skeletal nervous system. | 17 | |
| 645713627 | Autonomic Nervous System | the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs (such as the heart). Its sympathetic division arouses; its parasympathetic division calms. | 18 | |
| 645713628 | Sympathetic Nervous System | the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations. | 19 | |
| 645713629 | Parasympathetic Nervous System | the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy. | 20 | |
| 645713630 | Reflex | a simple, automatic response to a sensory stimulus, such as the knee-jerk response. | 21 | |
| 645713631 | Endocrine System | the body's "slow" chemical communication system; a set of glands that secret hormones into the bloodstream. | 22 | |
| 645713632 | Hormones | chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands, travel through the bloodstream, and affect other tissues. | 23 | |
| 645713633 | Adrenal Glands | A pair of endocrine gland that sit just above the kidneys and secret hormones (epinephrine and norepinephrine) that help arouse the body in times of stress. | 24 | |
| 645713634 | Pituitary Gland | the endocrine system's most influential gland. Under the influence of the hypothalamus, it regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands. | 25 | |
| 655050934 | Agonist Molecules | Molecules in drugs that mimic a neurotransmitter's effects or block reuptake. | 26 | |
| 655050935 | Antagonist Molecules | Molecules that block a neurotransmitter's functioning. | 27 | |
| 655058106 | Neural Networks | Interconnected neural cells. Brain learns by modifying connections between neurons in response to feedback. Leads to learning. | 28 | |
| 655855927 | Lesion | Tissue destruction. A brain lesion is a naturally or experimentally caused destruction of brain tissue. | 29 | |
| 655855928 | Electroencephalogram (EEG) | An amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain's surface. These waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp. | 30 | |
| 655855929 | PET Scan | (Positron Emission Tomography) a visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task. | 31 | |
| 655855930 | MRI | (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images of soft tissue. MRI scans show brain anatomy. | 32 | |
| 655855931 | fMRI | (functional MRI) a technique for revealing blood flow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. fMRI scans show brain function. | 33 | |
| 655855932 | Brainstem | The oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; it is responsible for automatic survival functions. | 34 | |
| 655855933 | Medulla | The base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing. | 35 | |
| 655855934 | Reticular Formation | A nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal. | 36 | |
| 655855935 | 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. | 37 | |
| 655855936 | Cerebellum | The "little brain" at the rear of the brainstem; functions include processing sensory input and coordinating movement output and balance. | 38 | |
| 655855937 | Limbic System | Neural system (including the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus) located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions and drives. | 39 | |
| 655855938 | Amygdala | Two lima bean-sized neural clusters in the limbic system; linked to emotion, aggression, and fear. | 40 | |
| 655855939 | Hypothalamus | A neural structure lying below (hypo) the thalamus; it directs several maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temperature), helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion and reward. | 41 | |
| 655884970 | Hippocampus | A neural center that is located in the limbic system and helps process explicit memories for storage. | 42 | |
| 665350367 | Cerebral Cortex | The intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the cerebral hemispheres; the body's ultimate control and information-processing center. | 43 | |
| 665350368 | Glial Cells (Glia) | Cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons. | 44 | |
| 665350369 | Frontal Lobes | Portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgments. | 45 | |
| 665350370 | Parietal Lobes | Portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; receives sensory input for touch and body position. | 46 | |
| 665350371 | Occipital Lobes | Portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes areas that receive information from the visual fields. | 47 | |
| 665350372 | Temporal Lobes | Portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory areas, each receiving information primarily from the opposite ear. | 48 | |
| 665350373 | Motor Cortex | An area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements. | 49 | |
| 665350374 | Sensory Cortex | Area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations. | 50 | |
| 665350375 | 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. | 51 | |
| 665350376 | Plasticity | The brain's ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience. | 52 | |
| 665350377 | Split Brain | A condition resulting from surgery that isolates the brain's two hemispheres by cutting the fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) connecting them. | 53 | |
| 665400242 | Neurogenesis | The formation of new neurons. | 54 | |
| 665400243 | Corpus Callosum | The large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them. | 55 | |
| 665462391 | Visual Cortex | Receives written words as visual stimulation. | 56 | |
| 665462392 | Angular Gyrus | Transforms visual representations into auditory code. | 57 | |
| 665462393 | Wernicke's Area | Interprets auditory code. Allows us to understand language. | 58 | |
| 665462394 | Broca's Area | Controls speech muscles via motor cortex. Allows us to speak. | 59 | |
| 665611048 | Behavior Genetics | the study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior. | 60 | |
| 665611049 | Environment | Every nongenetic influence, from prenatal nutrition to the people and things around us. | 61 | |
| 665611050 | Chromosomes | Threadlike structures made of DNA molecules that contain the genes. | 62 | |
| 665611051 | DNA | A complex molecule containing the genetic information that makes up the chromosomes. | 63 | |
| 665611052 | Genes | The biochemical units of heredity that make up the chromosomes; a segment of DNA capable of synthesizing a protein. | 64 | |
| 665611053 | Genome | The complete instructions for making an organism, consisting of all the genetic material in that organism's chromosomes. | 65 | |
| 665611054 | Identical Twins | Twins who develop from a single fertilized egg that splits in two, creating two genetically identical organisms. | 66 | |
| 665611055 | Fraternal Twins | Twins who develop from separate fertilized eggs. They are genetically no closer than brothers and sisters, but they share a fetal environment. | 67 | |
| 665611056 | Temperament | A person's characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity. | 68 | |
| 665611057 | Heritability | The proportion of variation among individuals that we can attribute to genes. It may vary, depending on the range of populations and environments studied. | 69 | |
| 665611058 | Interaction | The interplay that occurs when the effect of one factor (such as environment) depends on another factor (such as heredity). | 70 | |
| 665611059 | Molecular Genetics | The subfield of biology that studies the molecular structure and function of genes. | 71 | |
| 665611060 | Evolutionary Psychology | The study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection. | 72 | |
| 665611061 | Natural Selection | The principle that, among the range of inherited trait variations, those that lead to increased reproduction and survival will most likely be passed on to succeeding generations. | 73 | |
| 665611062 | Gender | In psychology, the biologically and socially influenced characteristics by which people define male and female. | 74 | |
| 665647738 | Mutation | A random error in gene replication that leads to a change. | 75 | |
| 666815290 | Culture | The enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values, and traditions shared by a group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next. | 76 | |
| 666815291 | Norm | An understood rule for accepted and expected behavior. Norms prescribe "proper" behavior. | 77 | |
| 666815292 | Personal Space | The buffer zone we like to maintain around our bodies. | 78 | |
| 666815293 | Individualism | Giving priority to one's own goals over group goals and defining one's identity in terms of personal attributes rather than group identifications. | 79 | |
| 666815294 | Collectivism | Giving priority to goals of one's group (often one's extended family or work group) and defining one's identity accordingly. | 80 | |
| 666815295 | Aggression | Physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt someone. | 81 | |
| 666815296 | X Chromosome | The sex chromosome found in both men and women. Females have two X chromosomes; males have one. An X chromosome from each parent produces a female child. | 82 | |
| 666815297 | Y Chromosome | The sex chromosome found only in males. When paired with an X chromosome from the mother, it produces a male child. | 83 | |
| 666815298 | Testosterone | The most important of the male sex hormones. Both males and females have it, but the additional testosterone in males stimulates the growth of the male sex organs in the fetus and the development of male sex characteristics during puberty. | 84 | |
| 666815299 | Role | A set of expectations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave. | 85 | |
| 666815300 | Gender Role | A set of expected behaviors for males or for females. | 86 | |
| 666815301 | Gender Identity | Our sense of being male or female. | 87 | |
| 666815302 | Gender Typing | The acquisition of a traditional masculine or feminine role. | 88 | |
| 666815303 | Social Learning Theory | The theory that we learn social behavior by observing and imitating and by being rewarded or punished. | 89 | |
| 667460604 | Schema | A concept that helps you make sense of your world. | 90 |
