AP Psychology Unit 3 Flashcards
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| 14557881398 | biological psychology | the scientific study of the links between biological and psychological processes | 0 | |
| 14557883242 | Neuron | a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system | 1 | |
| 14557885001 | Dendrites | Branchlike parts of a neuron that are specialized to receive information. | 2 | |
| 14557885645 | Axon | the extension of a neuron, ending in branching terminal fibers, through which messages pass to other neurons or to muscles or glands | 3 | |
| 14557887166 | myelin sheath | covers the axon of some neurons and helps speed neural impulses | 4 | |
| 14557888679 | action potential | a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon | 5 | |
| 14557891150 | refractory period | a period of inactivity after a neuron has fired | 6 | |
| 14557892315 | Threshold | the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse | 7 | |
| 14557893343 | all-or-none response | a neuron's reaction of either firing (with a full-strength response) or not firing. | 8 | |
| 14557894295 | Synapse | A junction where information is transmitted from one neuron to the next. | 9 | |
| 14557896117 | Neurotransmitters | chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons | 10 | |
| 14557897278 | Reuptake | a neurotransmitter's reabsorption by the sending neuron | 11 | |
| 14557898219 | Endorphins | "morphine within"--natural, opiatelike neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure. | 12 | |
| 14557899326 | Agonist | a molecule that, by binding to a receptor site, stimulates a response | 13 | |
| 14557900093 | Antagonist | a molecule that, by binding to a receptor site, inhibits or blocks a response | 14 | |
| 14557902815 | nervous system | the body's speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems | 15 | |
| 14557905306 | central nervous system | brain and spinal cord | 16 | |
| 14557906563 | peripheral nervous system | the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body | 17 | |
| 14557907892 | Nerves | bundled axons that form neural "cables" connecting the central nervous system with muscles, glands, and sense organs | 18 | |
| 14557908688 | sensory neurons | neurons that carry incoming information from the sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord | 19 | |
| 14557912300 | motor neurons | neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands | 20 | |
| 14557912834 | Interneurons | neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs | 21 | |
| 14557913903 | Somatic Nervous System | the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's skeletal muscles | 22 | |
| 14557915384 | 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 | |
| 14557916409 | Sympathetic Nervous System | the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations | 24 | |
| 14557917752 | parasympathetic nervous system | the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy | 25 | |
| 14557919661 | reflex | a simple, automatic response to a sensory stimulus, such as the knee-jerk response | 26 | |
| 14557920973 | Endocrine System | the body's "slow" chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream | 27 | |
| 14557921583 | Hormones | chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands, travel through the bloodstream, and affect other tissues | 28 | |
| 14557922391 | Adrenal Glands | a pair of endocrine glands that sit just above the kidneys and secrete hormones (epinephrine and norepinephrine) that help arouse the body in times of stress. | 29 | |
| 14557922860 | pituitary gland | The endocrine system's most influential gland. Under the influence of the hypothalamus, the pituitary regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands. | 30 | |
| 14557924120 | Lesion | tissue destruction. A brain lesion is a naturally or experimentally caused destruction of brain tissue | 31 | |
| 14557924595 | 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. | 32 | |
| 14557925163 | CT scan | a series of x-ray photographs taken from different angles and combined by computer into a composite representation of a slice through the body | 33 | |
| 14557926943 | PET | a visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task | 34 | |
| 14557927669 | MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) | a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images of soft tissue. MRI scans show brain anatomy. | 35 | |
| 14557928204 | fMRI (functional MRI) | A technique for revealing bloodflow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. fMRI scans show brain function. | 36 | |
| 14557928870 | 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 | 37 | |
| 14557929339 | Medulla | the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing | 38 | |
| 14557929782 | 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 | 39 | |
| 14557931576 | reticular formation | a nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal | 40 | |
| 14557933134 | Cerebellum | A large structure of the hindbrain that controls fine motor skills. Balance and coordination | 41 | |
| 14557935788 | limbic system | A doughnut-shaped system of neural structures at the border of the brainstem and cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions such as fear and aggression and drives such as those for food and sex. Includes the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus. | 42 | |
| 14557936853 | Amygdala | two lima bean-sized neural clusters in the limbic system; linked to emotion. | 43 | |
| 14557937911 | 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. | 44 | |
| 14557939267 | cerebral cortex | The intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the cerebral hemispheres; the body's ultimate control and information-processing center. | 45 | |
| 14557939632 | glial cells | cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons | 46 | |
| 14557940603 | frontal lobe | associated with reasoning, planning, parts of speech, movement, emotions, and problem solving | 47 | |
| 14557943635 | parietal lobe | receives sensory input for touch and body position | 48 | |
| 14557943998 | occipital lobe | A region of the cerebral cortex that processes visual information | 49 | |
| 14557944589 | Temporal Lobe | A region of the cerebral cortex responsible for hearing and language. | 50 | |
| 14557945503 | Motor Cortex | controls voluntary movements | 51 | |
| 14557945978 | Sensory Cortex | area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations | 52 | |
| 14557946648 | 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 | 53 | |
| 14557947722 | Plascity | ability of one part of the brain to take over the function of another in case of injury | 54 | |
| 14557948133 | neurogenesis | the formation of new neurons | 55 | |
| 14557948919 | corpus callosum | the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them | 56 | |
| 14557950647 | Split Brain | a condition resulting from surgery that isolates the brain's two hemispheres by cutting the fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) connecting them | 57 | |
| 14557951985 | consciousness | our awareness of ourselves and our environment | 58 | |
| 14557952591 | cognitive neuroscience | the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking, memory, and language) | 59 | |
| 14557953798 | Dual Processing | the principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks | 60 | |
| 14557954440 | Behavior Genetics | How much our genes and our environment influence our individual differences | 61 | |
| 14557956391 | Environment | The sum of your surroundings | 62 | |
| 14557957355 | Chromosomes | threadlike structures made of DNA molecules that contain the genes | 63 | |
| 14557958631 | DNA | A complex molecule containing the genetic information that makes up the chromosomes. | 64 | |
| 14557959064 | Genes | DNA segments that serve as the key functional units in hereditary transmission. | 65 | |
| 14557959531 | Genome | the complete instructions for making an organism, consisting of all the genetic material in that organism's chromosomes | 66 | |
| 14557960215 | Identical Twins | twins who develop from a single fertilized egg that splits in two, creating two genetically identical organisms | 67 | |
| 14557961355 | Fraternal Twins | twins who develop from separate fertilized eggs. They are genetically no closer than brothers and sisters, but they share a fetal environment. | 68 | |
| 14557961842 | Molecular Genetics | the subfield of biology that studies the molecular structure and function of genes | 69 | |
| 14557962484 | 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. | 70 | |
| 14557963113 | Interaction | the interplay that occurs when the effect of one factor (such as environment) depends on another factor (such as heredity) | 71 | |
| 14557964269 | Epigenetics | the study of environmental influences on gene expression that occur without a DNA change | 72 | |
| 14557964773 | evolutionary psychology | the study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection | 73 | |
| 14557965722 | natural selection | A process in which individuals that have certain inherited traits tend to survive and reproduce at higher rates than other individuals because of those traits. | 74 | |
| 14557966088 | Mutation | A change in a gene or chromosome. | 75 |