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AP Psychology Unit 3 Flashcards

Eve Roebke
Mr. Morrow
AP Psych

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10885973695biological psychologiststhe scientific study of the links between biological and psychological processes.0
10885973696neurona nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system.1
10885973697dendritesthe bushy, branching extensions of a neuron that receive messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body.2
10885973698axonthe neuron extension that passes and electrical messages through its branches to other neurons or to muscles or glands.3
10885973699myelin sheatha 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.4
10885973700action potentiala neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon.5
10885973701refractory perioda period of inactivity after a neuron has fired.6
10885973702thresholdthe level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse.7
10885973703all-or-nothing responsea neuron's reaction of either firing or not firing.8
10885973704synapsethe junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron. The tiny gap at this junction is called the synaptic gap or synaptic cleft.9
10885973705neurotransmitterschemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons. When released by the sending neuron, they travel across the synapse and bind to receptor sites on the receiving neuron, thereby influencing whether that neuron will generate a neural impulse.10
10885973706reuptakea neurotransmitter's reabsorption by the sending neuron.11
10885973707endorphins"morphine within"—natural, opiate-like neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure.12
10885973708AgonistA chemical that mimics the action of a neurotransmitter.13
10885973709AntagonistsChemical substances that block or reduce a cell's response to the action of other chemicals or neurotransmitters.14
10885973710nervous systemthe body's speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems.15
10885973711Central nervous system (CNS)the brain and the spinal cord16
10885973712Peripheral nervous system (PNS)the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body17
10885973713nervesbundled axons that form neural "cables" connecting the central nervous system with muscles, glands, and sense organs.18
10885973714sensory (afferent) neuronsneurons that carry incoming information from the sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord.19
10885973715motor (efferant) neuronsneurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands.20
10885973716interneuronsneurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs.21
10885973717Somatic nervous systemthe division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's skeletal muscles (skeletal nervous system)22
10885973718Autonomic nervous systemthe part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs. It's sympathetic system arouses and parasympathetic calms.23
10885973719Sympathetic nervous systemthe division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations. (If you get scared)24
10885973720Parasympathetic nervous systemthe division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy (Your PARents come home and calm you down)25
10885973721Reflexessimple, automatic responses to sensory stimuli, such as the knee-jerk response26
10885973722Endocrine systemthe body's "slow" chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream27
10885973723Hormoneschemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands, travel through the bloodstream, and affect other tissues28
10885973724Adrenal glandsa pair of endocrine glands that sit just above the kidneys and secrete hormones (epinephrine and norepinephrine) that help arouse the body in times of stress29
10885973725Pituitary gland"THE MASTER GLAND" the endocrine system's most influential gland under the influence of the hypothalamus, the pituitary regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands30
10885973726Lesiontissue destruction. It can occur naturally or experimentally by the caused distruction/remove of brain tissues31
10885973727Electroencephalogram (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.32
10885973728CT (computed tomography) scana series of x-ray photographs taken from different angles and combined by computer into a composite representaion of a slice through the body. Aslo called a CAT scan33
10885973729(PET) Positron emission tomography scanA visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task.34
10885973730MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)a TECHNIQUE THAT USES MAGNETIC FIELDS AND RADIO WAVES TO PRODUCE COMPUTER generated images that distinguish among different types of soft tissues.35
10885973731fMRI (functional MRI)A technique for revealing bloodflow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. fMRI scans show brain function.36
10885973732Brainstemthe oldest part and central core of brain. AKA reticular formation, or reticular activating system. In charge of automatic survival functions37
10885973733MeduallaThe base of the brainstem. Controls heartbeat and breathing.38
10885973734Ponssleep and arousal39
10885973735Thalamusthe brains 'sensory switch board' Located at top of brainstem; directs messages to the sensory areas and transmits them to cerebellum and medulla.40
10885973736Reticular FormationPlays an important role in controlling arousal.41
10885973737Cerebellum"little brain" at the rear of the brainstem; functions including processing sensory input, coordinating movement output and balance, and enabling nonverbal learning and memory.42
10885973738Limbic systemA system of neural structures at the border of brainstem. Associated with emotions like fear, agression, and drives such as those for food and sex. Includes the Hippocampus, Amygdala and hypothalamus.43
10885973739Amygdala2Lima bean sized neural clusters in the limbic system, linked to emotion. Includes rage and fear.44
10885973740HippocampusLimbic system. Learning and memory matcher.45
10885973741hypothalamousA neural structure lying below 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.46
10885973742Cerebral cortexFabric of interconnected neuron cells. Higher order thinking. Takes meaning and puts it to focus. The body's ultimate control and information-processing center.47
10885973743Glial CellsCells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons.48
10885973744Frontal Lobesthe portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgements.49
10885973745Parietal lobesThe portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; includes the sensory cortex. Receives sensory input for touch and body position.50
10885973746Occipital lobesthe portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes the visual areas, which receive visual info from the opposite visual feild.51
10885973747Temporal lobesThe portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughyl above the ears; includes the auditory areas, each of which revieves aditory info primarily from the opposite end.52
10885973748motor cortexan area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements.53
10885973749somatosensory cortexthe area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations.54
10885973773association areasareas 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 speaking55
10885973750PlasticityThe brain's ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience.56
10885973751NeurogenesisFormation of new neurons57
10885973752Corpus CallosumLarge band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them.58
10885973753Split BrainA conditioning resulting from surgery that isolates the brain's two hemispheres by cutting the fibers connecting them.59
10885973754Consciousnessour awareness of ourselves and our environment.60
10885973755Cognitive NeuroscienceThe interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition. (including perception, thinking, memory and language.)61
10885973756Dual Processinga phenomenon can occur in two different ways, or as a result of two different processes, The principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks62
10885973757behavior geneticsthe study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior63
10885973758environmentevery nongenetic influence, from prenatal nutrition to the people and things around us, Every nongenetic influence, from prenatal nutrition to the people and things around us.64
10885973759chromosomesthreadlike structure made of DNA molecules that contain the genes65
10885973760DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) .(deoxyribonucleic acid) a complex molecule containing the genetic information that makes up the chromosomes66
10885973761genesthe biochemical units of heredity that make up the chromosomes; segments of DNA capable of synthesizing a protein67
10885973762genomethe complete instructions for making an organism, consisting of all the genetic material in that organism's chromosomes68
10885973763identical twins (monozygotic)twins who develop from a single fertilized egg that splits in two, creating two genetically identical organisms69
10885973764fraternal twins (dizygotic)twins who develop from separate fertilized eggs; no genetically closer than brothers and sisters, but they share a fetal environment70
10885973765molecular geneticistssubfield of biology that study the molecular structure and function of genes71
10885973766heritabilitythe proportion of variation among individuals that we can attribute to genes; this may vary depending on population range and the environment being studied72
10885973767interactionthe interplay that occurs when the effect of one factor (such as environment) depends on another factor (such as heredity)73
10885973768epigeneticsThe study of environmental influences on gene expression that occur without a DNA change.74
10885973769evolutionary psychologistsThe study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection.75
10885973770natural selectionthe principle that, among range of inherited trait variations, those that lead to increased reproduction and survival will most likely be passed on to succeeding generations76
10885973771mutationsA random error in gene replication that leads to a change77

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