AP Psychology: Neuroscience Flashcards
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| 9910575429 | phrenology | the study of how bumps on the skull can reveal our mental abilities and our character traits | 0 | |
| 9910575430 | neuron | a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system |  | 1 |
| 9910575431 | dendrite | the bushy, branching extensions of a neuron that receive messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body |  | 2 |
| 9910575432 | axon | the extension of a neuron, ending in branching terminal fibers, through which messages pass to other neurons or to muscles or glands |  | 3 |
| 9910575433 | 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; its degeneration causes multiple sclerosis |  | 4 |
| 9910575434 | action potential | a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon; generated by the movement of positively charged atoms in and out of channels the axon's membrane | 5 | |
| 9910575435 | refractory period | a resting pause in which the neuron pumps the positively charged sodium ions back outside | 6 | |
| 9910575436 | threshold | the level of simulation required to trigger a neural impulse | 7 | |
| 9910575437 | all or none principle | the response in which a neural impulse is triggered or it isn't; increasing the stimulus above the threshold will not increase the action potential's intensity | 8 | |
| 9910575438 | synapse | the gap between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron |  | 9 |
| 9910575439 | neurotransmitters | chemical messengers that traverse the synaptic gaps between neurons; when released by the sending neuron, they travel across the synapse and bind to receptor sites on the receding neuron, thereby influencing whether that neuron will generate a neural impulse |  | 10 |
| 9910575440 | reuptake | process in which excess neurotransmitters are reabsorbed by the sending neuron | 11 | |
| 9910575441 | acetylcholine | a neurotransmitter that enables learning and memory and also triggers muscle contraction; neurotransmitter associated with attention, arousal, muscle action/movement, and memory Associated problems: Alzheimer's | 12 | |
| 9910575442 | endorphins | "morphine within" - natural, opiate-like neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure | 13 | |
| 9910575443 | nervous system | the body's speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems | 14 | |
| 9910575444 | central (nervous system) | this system is made up of the brain and spinal chord | 15 | |
| 9910575445 | peripheral (nervous system) | this system is made up of the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body | 16 | |
| 9910575446 | nerves | neural "cables" containing many axons; these bundled axons, which are part of the peripheral nervous system, connect the central nervous system with muscles, glands, and sense organs | 17 | |
| 9910575447 | sensory neurons | neurons that carry incoming information from the sense receptors to the central nervous system | 18 | |
| 9910575448 | motor neurons | neurons that carry outgoing information from the central nervous system to the muscles and glands | 19 | |
| 9910575449 | interneurons | central nervous system neurons that internally communicate and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs | 20 | |
| 9910575450 | somatic (nervous system) | the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's skeletal muscles | 21 | |
| 9910575451 | autonomic (nervous system) | the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs | 22 | |
| 9910575452 | sympathetic (nervous system) | the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations | 23 | |
| 9910575453 | reflex | a simple, automatic, inborn response to a sensory stimulus, such as the knee-jerk response | 24 | |
| 9910575454 | neural networks | interconnected neural cells; with experience, they can learn, as feedback strengthens or inhibits connections that produce certain results | 25 | |
| 9910575455 | endocrine system | the body's "slow" chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the blood system | 26 | |
| 9910575456 | hormones | chemical messengers, mostly those manufactured by the endocrine glands, that are produced in one tissue and affect another | 27 | |
| 9910575457 | adrenal glands | a pair of endocrine glands just above the kidneys; they secrete the hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline, which help to arouse the body in times of stress | 28 | |
| 9910575458 | pituitary gland | the endocrine system's most influential gland ("master gland"); under the influence of the hypothalamus, it regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands | 29 | |
| 9910575459 | EEG (electroencephalogram) | 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 |  | 30 |
| 9910575460 | PET scan | a visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task |  | 31 |
| 9910575461 | MRI | a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images that distinguish among different types of soft tissue; allows us to see structures within the brain |  | 32 |
| 9910575462 | fMRI | a technique for revealing blood flow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans; MRI scans show brain anatomy and these show brain function |  | 33 |
| 9910575463 | brainstem | the oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; responsible for automatic survival function |  | 34 |
| 9910575464 | medulla | the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing |  | 35 |
| 9910575465 | pons | part of the brainstem that sits above the medulla; it helps coordinate movements |  | 36 |
| 9910575466 | reticular formation | a nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal |  | 37 |
| 9910575467 | 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; transmits messages regarding seeing, hearing, tasting, and touching (not smell) |  | 38 |
| 9910575468 | cerebellum | the "little brain" attached to the rear of the brainstem; its functions include processing sensory input and coordinating movement output and balance; processes implicit memory |  | 39 |
| 9910575469 | limbic system | a donut-shaped system of neural structures at the border of the brainstem and cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotion such as fear and aggression and drives such as those for food and sex; includes the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus |  | 40 |
| 9910575470 | amygdala | two lima bean-sized neural dusters that are components of the limbic system and are linked to emotion, mainly aggression and fear |  | 41 |
| 9910575471 | 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 |  | 42 |
| 9910575472 | cerebral cortex | the intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells that covers the cerebral hemispheres; the body's ultimate control and information-processing center |  | 43 |
| 9910575473 | glial cells | cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons | 44 | |
| 9910575474 | frontal lobe | the portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgments |  | 45 |
| 9910575475 | parietal lobe | the portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; receives sensory input for touch and body position |  | 46 |
| 9910575476 | occipital lobe | 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 |  | 47 |
| 9910575477 | temporal lobe | the portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory areas, each of which receives auditory information primarily from the opposite ear |  | 48 |
| 9910575478 | motor cortex | the area at the rear of the frontal lobe that controls voluntary movements |  | 49 |
| 9910575479 | sensory cortex | the area at the front of the parietal lobe that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations |  | 50 |
| 9910575480 | 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 |  | 51 |
| 9910575481 | aphasia | impairment of language, usually caused by left hemisphere damage either to Broca's area (impairing speaking) or to Wernicke's area (impairing understanding) | 52 | |
| 9910575482 | Broca's area | controls language expression - an area of the frontal lobe, usually in the left hemisphere, that directs the muscle movements involved in speech |  | 53 |
| 9910575483 | Wernicke's area | controls language reception - a brain area involved in language comprehension and expression; usually in the left temporal lobe |  | 54 |
| 9910575484 | angular gyrus | involved with reading aloud; it receives the visual information from the visual area and recodes it into the auditory form, which Wernicke's area uses to derive its meaning |  | 55 |
| 9910575485 | plasticity | the brain's capacity for modification, as evident in brain reorganization following damage (especially in children) and in experiments on the effects of experience on brain development | 56 | |
| 9910575486 | corpus callosum | the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them |  | 57 |
| 9910575487 | split brain | a condition in which the two hemispheres of the brain are isolated by cutting the connecting fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) between them | 58 | |
| 9910575488 | dopamine | neurotransmitter associated with mood/emotion, arousal, and learning; associated closely with the brain's pleasure and reward system Associated problems: Parkinson's, schizophrenia, cocaine, amphetamines | 59 | |
| 9910575489 | norepinephrine | neurotransmitter associated with mood, arousal, and learning; helps control alertness and arousal Associated problems: depression, high blood pressure | 60 | |
| 9910575490 | serotonin | neurotransmitter associated with sleep, hunger, aggression, and arousal Associated problems: depression, anxiety, inhibit dreaming, OCD | 61 | |
| 9910575491 | GABA | neurotransmitter associated with sleep and movement; has a *inhibitory* effect on axons Associated problems: anxiety, Huntington's, epilepsy | 62 | |
| 9910575492 | Roger Sperry | This psychologist is known for developing surgery designed to treat epileptics by severing the corpus callosum. He contributed greatly to understanding the lateralization of brain function. | 63 | |
| 9910575493 | Computed Tomography (CT) scan | 3D X-ray, sees hard tissue damage | 64 | |
| 9910575494 | Association areas | Any area not associated with receiving sensory information or coordinating muscle movements | 65 | |
| 9910575495 | Cerebral Cortex | Made up of 4 lobes: Frontal Lobe, Parietal Lobe, Motor Cortex, and Sensory Cortex | 66 | |
| 9910575496 | Limbic system | Hypothalamus, Hippocampus, amygdala •Bodily Functions, emotions, memory | 67 | |
| 9910575497 | Hind brain | Structure on top of spinal cord •controls basic biological structures | 68 | |
| 9910575498 | Forebrain | What makes us human, largest part of brain | 69 | |
| 9910575499 | Neurogenesis | Creation of new nerves | 70 |