Terms for neuroscience unit in AP Psychology. Includes structures of the brain, parts of and functions of the neuron, and the nervous system in general.
Terms : Hide Images
| 25398001 | stimulus | environmental feature that provokes a response | |
| 25398002 | receptors | specialized cells that are sensitive to specific types of stimulus energy | |
| 25398003 | central nervous system (CNS) | Division of the nervous system that consists of the brain and spinal cord | |
| 25398004 | peripheral nervous system | division of the nervous system that consists of neural fibers lying outside the brain and spinal cord | |
| 25398005 | somatic division | division of the peripheral nervous system involved in controlling VOLUNTARY muscle & joint movement | |
| 25398006 | neurons | basic cells of the nervous system | |
| 25398007 | sensory (afferent) neurons | neurons that carry information from the receptors to the spinal cord and brain | |
| 25398008 | motor (efferent) neurons | neurons that carry information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles | |
| 25398009 | autonomic nervous system | division of the peripheral nervous system involved in the control of (generally unconscious/automatic) bodily functioning through organs and glands | |
| 25398010 | sympathetic nervous system | subdivision of the autonomic nervous system responsible for mobilizing the body in times of stress, and preparing for flight or fight | |
| 25398011 | parasympathetic nervous system | subdivision of the autonomic nervous system responsible for returning the body to a resting or balanced state | |
| 25398013 | reflex | automatic behavior in response to a specific stimulus; does not involve communication with the brain | |
| 25398014 | lower level structures | oldest of the three main divisions of the brain; its major structures include the medulla, pons, and cerebellum; also known as the "hindbrain" | |
| 25398015 | pons | structure of the hindbrain that allows for communication between the cerebellum, cerebral cortex, & brain stem; has nuclei that are important for sleep and arousal | |
| 25398016 | medulla | structure located in the hindbrain that regulates automatic responses such as breathing, swallowing, and blood circulation | |
| 25398017 | reticular formation | band of nerve fibers that run through the center of the brain stem; important in controlling arousal levels | |
| 25398018 | cerebellum | structure of the hindbrain that coordinates voluntary muscular movements | |
| 25398019 | corpus callosum | wide band of neural fibers that connects the two hemispheres of the brain | |
| 25398021 | limbic system | structures located beneath the cerebral cortex that are involved in regulating emotions and motivated behaviors | |
| 25398022 | thalamus | subcortical structure that relays incoming sensory information to the cerebral cortex and other parts of the brain; a.k.a "sensory switchboard" | |
| 25398023 | EEG (electroenchephalograph) | device that monitors and records electric activity within the brain | |
| 25398024 | PET scan (positron emission tomography) | imaging technique that involves monitoring the metabolic activity of the brain | |
| 25398025 | CT scan (computerized tomography) | imaging technique that involves the production of a large number of X-rays interpreted by a computer | |
| 25398026 | MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) | imaging technique that involves the use of radio waves and a strong magnetic field to produce a signal that can be interpreted by computer | |
| 25398027 | dendrites | short, branchlike structures of a neuron that receive information from receptors and other neurons | |
| 25398028 | fMRI | a modification of the standard MRI procedure that allows both structural and functional images to be gathered | |
| 25398029 | soma | cell body of a neuron | |
| 25398030 | axon | part of a neuron tha transmits information to other neurons and to muscles and glands | |
| 25398031 | myelin sheath | fatty protein substance that covers some axons, increasing speed of transmission | |
| 25398032 | terminal buttons | structures located at the ends of the axon in which neurotransmitters are stored before release | |
| 25398033 | multiple sclerosis | disease caused by degeneration of myelin in the CNS | |
| 25398034 | neurotransmitters | chemical substances, stored in the terminal buttons, that facilitate the transmission of information from one neuron to another | |
| 25398035 | synapse | site where two or more neurons interact but do not touch | |
| 25398036 | reuptake | method of clearing a neurotransmitter from the synaptic cleft, in which the neurotransmitter is taken back into the terminal buttons | |
| 25398037 | synaptic vesicles | small pockets or sacs located in terminal buttons that contain a neurotransmitter | |
| 25398038 | agonist | drug that enhances the operation of a neurotransmitter | |
| 25398039 | antagonist | drug that blocks the operation of a neurotransmitter | |
| 25398040 | endorphins | natural painkillers that are produced by the body | |
| 25398041 | resting potential | electrical charge (negative) of a neuron when it is not firing | |
| 25398042 | action potential | brief electrial charge that travels down the axon; a process also called "depolarization" | |
| 25398043 | threshold | the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse | |
| 25398044 | refractory period | period, after firing, during which the neuron is unable to fire because it is repolarizing | |
| 25398045 | aphasia | loss of ability to speak or understand written or spoken language | |
| 25398046 | endocrine system | system of glands that produce and secrete chemicals | |
| 25398047 | hormones | chemicals produced by the glands of the endocrine system that are carried by the bloodstream to other organs | |
| 25398048 | pituitary gland | gland located below the thalamus and hypothalamus; called the "master gland" because it controls many other glands | |
| 25405786 | biological psychology | branch of psychology concerned with the links between biology and behavior | |
| 25405787 | acetylcholine | a neurotransmitter that enables muscle action, learning and memory; an undersupply is linked with Alzheimer's disease | |
| 25405788 | dopamine | a neurotransmitter that influences movement, learning and attention; overactivity of receptors linked to schizophrenia while an undersupply linked to Parkinson's disease | |
| 25405789 | serotonin | an undersupply of this neurotransmitter is linked with depression; exercise increases production of it | |
| 25408345 | norepinephrine | a neurotransmitter that controls alertness and arousal; undersupply can depress mood | |
| 25408346 | GABA | a major inhibitory neurotransmitter | |
| 25408347 | glutamate | a major excitatory neurotransmitter; oversupply can overstimulate brain, producing migraines or seizures | |
| 25408348 | nerves | neural "cables" containing many axons | |
| 25408349 | interneurons | central nervous system neurons that internally communicate and intervene between sensory inputs and motor outputs | |
| 25408351 | lesion | brain destruction; can be naturally caused or created for experimentation | |
| 25408352 | hippocampus | structure in the limbic system important in processing memories | |
| 25408353 | hypothalamus | structure in the limbic system responsible for directing several maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temp); helps govern endocrine system via the pituitary gland | |
| 89919154 | Paul Broca | responsible for discovering the area on the left frontal lobe responsible for coordinating muscle movements involved in spoken language | |
| 89919155 | Carl Wernicke | discovered a brain area responsible for interpreting meaning of language | |
| 89919156 | depolarization | process of neural firing; when action potential is generated and the neuron briefly takes on a positive charge | |
| 89919157 | all-or-none principle | refers to the fact that a neuron will fire when threshold is reached, but not before | |
| 89919158 | amygdale | the two almond-shaped nerve clusters in the limbic system believed to be responsible for fear and aggressive responses | |
| 89919159 | cerebral cortex | wrinkled, gray covering of the brain that accounts for 80% of brain weight is responsible for complex processing of information, planning, learning, memory storage, etc. | |
| 89919160 | Phineas Gage | famous case study in neuroscience; sustained catastrophic damage to his frontal lobes | |
| 89919161 | motor cortex | located on the back of the frontal lobe; responsible for directing voluntary movement on the opposite side of the body | |
| 89919162 | sensory cortex | located on the front of the parietal lobes; responsible for processing sensory information received by the opposite side of the body | |
| 89919163 | angular gyrus | brain area believed to be important in transferring visual (written) language into sound (auditory) information | |
| 89919164 | occipital lobe | portion of the cerebral cortex at the "back" of the head; contains the visual cortex | |
| 89919165 | temporal lobe | portion of the cerebral cortex located on the "sides" of the brain; contains auditory cortex | |
| 89919166 | Roger Sperry & Michael Gazzaniga | studied split brain patients | |
| 89936551 | phrenology | early, somewhat misguided attempt at studying the functions of parts of the brain; held that bumps on the skull revealed the person's personality traits | |
| 89936552 | Franz Gall | early comparative brain anatomist; developed phrenology | |
| 213364994 | gray matter | outer layer of the cortex; mostly glia, neuronal cell bodies, and axons | |
| 213364995 | white matter | inner layer of the cortex; composed of myelinated axons that reach between the lobes of the cerebral cortex and other parts of the brain | |
| 213364996 | Broca's area | area (usually in the left frontal lobe) that directs the muscle movements involved in speech | |
| 213364997 | Wernicke's area | brain area involved in language comprehension; usually in left temporal lobe | |
| 483790927 | 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 | |
| 483794333 | angular gyrus | transforms visual representations into an auditory code; damage to this leaves the person unable to speak and understand, but able to read | |
| 843976802 | neuroplasticity | Brain's ability to reorganize and change its structure and function throughout the life span, in reponse to injury or new learning | |
| 843976803 | Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) | blow to head or a penetrating head injury that damages brain |
