AP Notes, Outlines, Study Guides, Vocabulary, Practice Exams and more!

Unit 2 AP Psychology Flashcards

Terms : Hide Images
13714567439biological psychologiststhe scientific study of the links between biological and psychological processes.0
13714567440neurona nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system.1
13714567441dendritesthe bushy, branching extensions of a neuron that receive messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body.2
13714567442axonthe neuron extension that passes and electrical messages through its branches to other neurons or to muscles or glands.3
13714567443myelin 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
13714567444action potentiala neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon.5
13714567445refractory perioda period of inactivity after a neuron has fired.6
13714567446thresholdthe level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse.7
13714567447all-or-nothing responsea neuron's reaction of either firing or not firing.8
13714567448synapsethe 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
13714567449neurotransmitterschemical 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
13714567450reuptakea neurotransmitter's reabsorption by the sending neuron.11
13714567451endorphins"morphine within"—natural, opiate-like neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure.12
13714567452AgonistA chemical that mimics the action of a neurotransmitter.13
13714567453AntagonistsChemical substances that block or reduce a cell's response to the action of other chemicals or neurotransmitters.14
13714567454nervous systemthe body's speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems.15
13714567455Central nervous system (CNS)the brain and the spinal cord16
13714567456Peripheral nervous system (PNS)the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body17
13714567457nervesbundled axons that form neural "cables" connecting the central nervous system with muscles, glands, and sense organs.18
13714567458sensory (afferent) neuronsneurons that carry incoming information from the sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord.19
13714567459motor (efferant) neuronsneurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands.20
13714567460interneuronsneurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs.21
13714567461Somatic nervous systemthe division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's skeletal muscles (skeletal nervous system)22
13714567462Autonomic 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
13714567463Sympathetic nervous systemthe division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations. (If you get scared)24
13714567464Parasympathetic nervous systemthe division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy (Your PARents come home and calm you down)25
13714567465Reflexessimple, automatic responses to sensory stimuli, such as the knee-jerk response26
13714567466Endocrine systemthe body's "slow" chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream27
13714567467Hormoneschemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands, travel through the bloodstream, and affect other tissues28
13714567468Adrenal 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
13714567469Pituitary 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
13714567470Lesiontissue destruction. It can occur naturally or experimentally by the caused distruction/remove of brain tissues31
13714567471Electroencephalogram (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
13714567472CT (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
13714567473(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
13714567474MRI (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
13714567475fMRI (functional MRI)A technique for revealing bloodflow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. fMRI scans show brain function.36
13714567476Brainstemthe oldest part and central core of brain. AKA reticular formation, or reticular activating system. In charge of automatic survival functions37
13714567477MeduallaThe base of the brainstem. Controls heartbeat and breathing.38
13714567478Ponssleep and arousal39
13714567479Thalamusthe brains 'sensory switch board' Located at top of brainstem; directs messages to the sensory areas and transmits them to cerebellum and medulla.40
13714567480Reticular FormationPlays an important role in controlling arousal.41
13714567481Cerebellum"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
13714567482Limbic 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
13714567483Amygdala2Lima bean sized neural clusters in the limbic system, linked to emotion. Includes rage and fear.44
13714567484HippocampusLimbic system. Learning and memory matcher.45
13714567485hypothalamousA 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
13714567486Cerebral 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
13714567487Glial CellsCells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons.48
13714567488Frontal Lobesthe portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgements.49
13714567489Parietal 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
13714567490Occipital 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
13714567491Temporal 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
13714567492motor cortexan area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements.53
13714567493somatosensory cortexthe area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations.54
13714567516association 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
13714567494PlasticityThe brain's ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience.56
13714567495NeurogenesisFormation of new neurons57
13714567496Corpus CallosumLarge band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them.58
13714567497Split BrainA conditioning resulting from surgery that isolates the brain's two hemispheres by cutting the fibers connecting them.59
13714567498Consciousnessour awareness of ourselves and our environment.60
13714567499Cognitive NeuroscienceThe interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition. (including perception, thinking, memory and language.)61
13714567500Dual 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
13714567501behavior geneticsthe study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior63
13714567502environmentevery 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
13714567503chromosomesthreadlike structure made of DNA molecules that contain the genes65
13714567504DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) .(deoxyribonucleic acid) a complex molecule containing the genetic information that makes up the chromosomes66
13714567505genesthe biochemical units of heredity that make up the chromosomes; segments of DNA capable of synthesizing a protein67
13714567506genomethe complete instructions for making an organism, consisting of all the genetic material in that organism's chromosomes68
13714567507identical twins (monozygotic)twins who develop from a single fertilized egg that splits in two, creating two genetically identical organisms69
13714567508fraternal twins (dizygotic)twins who develop from separate fertilized eggs; no genetically closer than brothers and sisters, but they share a fetal environment70
13714567509molecular geneticistssubfield of biology that study the molecular structure and function of genes71
13714567510heritabilitythe proportion of variation among individuals that we can attribute to genes; this may vary depending on population range and the environment being studied72
13714567511interactionthe interplay that occurs when the effect of one factor (such as environment) depends on another factor (such as heredity)73
13714567512epigeneticsThe study of environmental influences on gene expression that occur without a DNA change.74
13714567513evolutionary psychologistsThe study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection.75
13714567514natural 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
13714567515mutationsA random error in gene replication that leads to a change77

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!