6670686829 | Biological Psychology | a branch of psychology that studies the links between biological (including neuroscience and behavior genetics) and psychological processes | 0 | |
6670686830 | Neurons | A nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system. | 1 | |
6670686831 | Dendrites | A neuron's bushy, branching extensions that receive messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body. | 2 | |
6670686832 | Axon | A long, thin fiber that transmits signals away from the neuron cell body to other neurons, or to muscles or glands. | 3 | |
6670686833 | 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. | 4 | |
6670686834 | Action Potential | A neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon. | 5 | |
6670686835 | Refractory Period | a period of inactivity after a neuron has fired | 6 | |
6670686836 | Threshold | The level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse | 7 | |
6670686837 | All-or-None Response | a neuron's reaction of either firing (with a full-strength response) or not firing. | 8 | |
6670686838 | Synapse | The 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 cleft. | 9 | |
6670686839 | Neurotransmitters | Chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons. | 10 | |
6670686840 | Reuptake | a neurotransmitter's reabsorption by the sending neuron | 11 | |
6670686841 | Endorphins | "morphine within"--natural, opiate like neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure. | 12 | |
6670686842 | Agonist | a molecule that, by binding to a receptor site, stimulates a response | 13 | |
6670686843 | Antagonist | a molecule that, by binding to a receptor site, inhibits or blocks a response | 14 | |
6670686844 | Nervous System | the body's speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems. | 15 | |
6670686845 | Central Nervous System (CNS) | The brain and spinal cord | 16 | |
6670686846 | Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) | the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body | 17 | |
6670686847 | Nerves | Bundled axons that form neural "cables" connecting the central nervous system with muscles, glands, and sense organs. | 18 | |
6670686848 | Sensory (afferent) neurons | Neurons that carry incoming information from he sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord | 19 | |
6670686849 | Motor (efferent) neurons | Neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands | 20 | |
6670686850 | Interneurons | Neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs. | 21 | |
6670686851 | Somatic Nervous System | the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's skeletal muscles | 22 | |
6670686852 | 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. | 23 | |
6670686853 | Sympathetic Nervous System | The division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations. | 24 | |
6670686854 | Parasympathetic Nervous System | the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy | 25 | |
6670686855 | Reflexes | A simple, automatic, inborn response to a sensory stimulus, such as the knee-jerk response. | 26 | |
6670686856 | Adrenal Glands | A pair of endocrine glands that sit just above the kidneys and secrete hormones that help arouse the body in times of stress. | 27 | |
6670686857 | Pituitary Glands | The endocrine system's most influential gland. Under the influence of the hypothalamus, the pituitary regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands. | 28 | |
6670686858 | 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. | 29 | |
6670686859 | CT (computed tomography) scan | A series of X-ray photographs taken from different angles and combined by computer into a composite representation of a slice of the brain's structure | 30 | |
6670686860 | PET (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 | |
6670686861 | MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) | a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer generated images of soft tissue. show brain anatomy | 32 | |
6670686862 | fMRI (functional MRI) | a technique for revealing blood flow and therefore brain activity by comparing successive scans. scans show brain function | 33 | |
6670686863 | Brainstem | The oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; the brainstem is responsible for automatic survival functions. | 34 | |
6670686864 | Medulla | Base of brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing | 35 | |
6670686865 | 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. | 36 | |
6670686866 | Reticular Formation | A nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal. | 37 | |
6670686867 | Cerebellum | The "little brain" at the rear of the brainstem; functions include processing sensory input coordinating movement output and balance, and enabling nonverbal learning and memory | 38 | |
6670686868 | Limbic System | Neural system (including the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus) located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions and drives. | 39 | |
6670686869 | Amygdala | A limbic system structure involved in memory and emotion, particularly fear and aggression. | 40 | |
6670686870 | Hypothalamus | A 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. | 41 | |
6670686871 | Cerebral Cortex | The intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the cerebral hemispheres; the body's ultimate control and information-processing center. | 42 | |
6670686872 | Glial Cells | Cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons. | 43 | |
6670686873 | Frontal Lobes | portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgements. | 44 | |
6670686874 | 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. | 45 | |
6670686875 | Occipital Lobes | the portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes the visual areas, which receive visual information from the opposite visual field | 46 | |
6670686876 | Temporal Lobes | portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory areas, each receiving information primarily from the opposite ear. | 47 | |
6670686877 | Motor Cortex | an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements | 48 | |
6670686878 | Somatosensory Cortex | area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations. | 49 | |
6670686879 | 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 | 50 | |
6670686880 | Plasticity | the brain's ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience. | 51 | |
6670686881 | Neurogenesis | the formation of new neurons | 52 | |
6670686882 | Corpus Callosum | The large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them. | 53 | |
6670686883 | Split Brain | a condition in which the two brain hemispheres are isolated by cutting the corpus callosum | 54 | |
6670686884 | Consciousness | our awareness of ourselves and our environment | 55 | |
6670686885 | Cognitive Neuroscience | the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking, memory, and language) | 56 | |
6670686886 | Dual Processing | the principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks. | 57 | |
6670686887 | Behavior Genetics | the study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior | 58 | |
6670686888 | Environment | Every non genetic influence, from prenatal nutrition to the people and things around us. | 59 | |
6670686889 | Chromosomes | A threadlike, gene-carrying structure found in the nucleus. Each chromosome consists of one very long DNA molecule and associated proteins. | 60 | |
6670686890 | DNA | A complex molecule containing the genetic information that makes up the chromosomes. | 61 | |
6670686891 | Genes | The biochemical units of heredity that make up the chromosomes; segments of DNA capable of synthesizing a protein. | 62 | |
6670686892 | Genome | All the genetic information in an organism; all of an organism's chromosomes. | 63 | |
6670686893 | Identical Twins | twins who develop from a single fertilized egg that splits in two, creating two genetically identical organisms | 64 | |
6670686894 | Fraternal Twins | twins who develop from separate fertilized eggs. They are genetically no closer than brothers and sisters, but they share a fetal environment. | 65 | |
6670686895 | Molecular Genetics | the subfield of biology that studies the molecular structure and function of genes | 66 | |
6670686896 | Heritability | The proportion of variation among individuals that we can attribute to genes. The heritability of a trait may vary, depending on the range of populations and environments studied. | 67 | |
6670686897 | Interaction | the interplay that occurs when the effect of one factor (such as environment) depends on another factor (such as heredity). | 68 | |
6670686898 | Epigenetics | the study of influences on gene expression that occur without a DNA change | 69 | |
6670686899 | Evolutionary Psychology | the study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection. | 70 | |
6670686900 | Natural Selection | The principle that, among the range of inherited trait variations, those contributing to reproduction and survival will most likely be passed on to succeeding generations. | 71 | |
6670686901 | Mutations | A random error in gene replication that leads to a change | 72 |
Myers' AP Psychology 2nd Edition (Unit 3) Flashcards
Primary tabs
Need Help?
We hope your visit has been a productive one. If you're having any problems, or would like to give some feedback, we'd love to hear from you.
For general help, questions, and suggestions, try our dedicated support forums.
If you need to contact the Course-Notes.Org web experience team, please use our contact form.
Need Notes?
While we strive to provide the most comprehensive notes for as many high school textbooks as possible, there are certainly going to be some that we miss. Drop us a note and let us know which textbooks you need. Be sure to include which edition of the textbook you are using! If we see enough demand, we'll do whatever we can to get those notes up on the site for you!