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Psychology ap Unit 3 Vocabulary Flashcards

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5620283972biological psychologiststhe scientific study of the links between biological and psychological processes.0
5620283973neurona nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system.1
5620283974dendritesthe bushy, branching extensions of a neuron that receive messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body.2
5620283975axonthe neuron extension that passes and electrical messages through its branches to other neurons or to muscles or glands.3
5620283976myelin 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
5620283977action potentiala neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon.5
5620283978refractory perioda period of inactivity after a neuron has fired.6
5620283979thresholdthe level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse.7
5620283980all-or-nothing responsea neuron's reaction of either firing or not firing.8
5620283981synapsethe junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron.9
5620283982neurotransmitterschemical 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
5620283983reuptakea neurotransmitter's reabsorption by the sending neuron.11
5620283984endorphins"morphine within"—natural, opiate-like neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure.12
5620283985AgonistA chemical that mimics the action of a neurotransmitter.13
5620283986AntagonistsChemical substances that block or reduce a cell's response to the action of other chemicals or neurotransmitters.14
5620283987nervous systemthe body's speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems.15
5620283988Central nervous system (CNS)the brain and the spinal cord16
5620283989Peripheral nervous system (PNS)the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body17
5620283990nervesbundled axons that form neural "cables" connecting the central nervous system with muscles, glands, and sense organs.18
5620283991sensory (afferent) neuronsneurons that carry incoming information from the sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord.19
5620283992motor (efferant) neuronsneurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands.20
5620283993interneuronsneurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs.21
5620283994Somatic nervous systemthe division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's skeletal muscles (skeletal nervous system)22
5620283995Autonomic 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
5620283996Sympathetic nervous systemthe division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations. (If you get scared)24
5620283997Parasympathetic nervous systemthe division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy (Your PARents come home and calm you down)25
5620283998Reflexessimple, automatic responses to sensory stimuli, such as the knee-jerk response26
5620283999Endocrine systemthe body's "slow" chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream27
5620284000Hormoneschemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands, travel through the bloodstream, and affect other tissues28
5620284001Adrenal 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
5620284002Pituitary 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
5620284003Lesiontissue destruction. It can occur naturally or experimentally by the caused distruction/remove of brain tissues31
5620284004Electroencephalogram (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
5620284005CT (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
5620284006(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
5620284007MRI (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
5620284008fMRI (functional MRI)A technique for revealing bloodflow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. fMRI scans show brain function.36
5620284009Brainstemthe oldest part and central core of brain. AKA reticular formation, or reticular activating system. In charge of automatic survival functions37
5620284010MeduallaThe base of the brainstem. Controls heartbeat and breathing.38
5620284011Ponssleep and arousal39
5620284012Thalamusthe brains 'sensory switch board' Located at top of brainstem; directs messages to the sensory areas and transmits them to cerebellum and medulla.40
5620284013Reticular FormationPlays an important role in controlling arousal.41
5620284014Cerebellum"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
5620284015Limbic 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
5620284016Amygdala2Lima bean sized neural clusters in the limbic system, linked to emotion. Includes rage and fear.44
5620284017HippocampusLimbic system. Learning and memory matcher.45
5620284018hypothalamousA 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
5620284019Cerebral 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
5620284020Glial CellsCells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons.48
5620284021Frontal Lobethe portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgements.49
5620284022Parietal lobeThe 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
5620284023Occipital lobethe 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
5620284024Temporal lobeThe 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
5620284025motor cortexan area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements.53
5620284026somatosensory cortexthe area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations.54
5620284027association 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
5620284028PlasticityThe brain's ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience.56
5620284029NeurogenesisFormation of new neurons57
5620284030Corpus CallosumLarge band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them.58
5620284031Consciousnessour awareness of ourselves and our environment.59
5620284032environmentevery 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.60
5620284033chromosomesthreadlike structure made of DNA molecules that contain the genes61
5620284034DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) .(deoxyribonucleic acid) a complex molecule containing the genetic information that makes up the chromosomes62
5620284035genesThe segment of a chromosome that encodes the directions for the inherited physical and mental characteristics of an organism; the functional units of a chromosome.63
5620284036identical twins (monozygotic)twins who develop from a single fertilized egg that splits in two, creating two genetically identical organisms64
5620284037fraternal twins (dizygotic)twins who develop from separate fertilized eggs; no genetically closer than brothers and sisters, but they share a fetal environment65
5620284038heritabilitythe proportion of variation among individuals that we can attribute to genes; this may vary depending on population range and the environment being studied66
5620284039interactionthe interplay that occurs when the effect of one factor (such as environment) depends on another factor (such as heredity)67
5620284040epigeneticsThe study of environmental influences on gene expression that occur without a DNA change.68
5620284041natural 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 generations69
5620284042mutationsA random error in gene replication that leads to a change70
5620284043DopamineNeurotransmitter. Pleasure & reward; Imbalance = Schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease71
5620284044SerotoninNeurotransmitter. Regulates sleep, mood, pain, aggression, appetite, and sexual behavior; imbalance = depression, anxiety72
5620284045norepinephrineNeurotransmitter; Controls heart rate, sleep, stress, appetite; imbalance = depression; high blood pressure73
5620284046Acetylcholine (Ach)Neurotransmitter; learning and memory; imbalance = alzheimer's and some muscular disorders74
5620284048Glutamateneurotransmitter; excitatory; learning and memory; imbalance = brain damage (after stroke)75
5620284049Endorphinsneurotransmitter; pleasure and pain; imbalance = lowered levels can result from opiate addiction76
5620337825Cognitive Neurosciencethe interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking, memory, and language)77
5620348408Dual Processingthe principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks78
5620354377Behavior Geneticsthe study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior79
5620359841Environmentevery external influence, from prenatal nutrition to the people and things around us80
5620365263Genomethe complete instructions for making an organism, consisting of all the genetic material in that organisms chromosomes81
5620372266Molecular Geneticsthe subfield of biology that studies the molecular structure and function of genes82
5620378750Evolutionary Psychologythe study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection83

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