AP psychology Flashcards

13930233521	cerebral cortex	the intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the cerebral hemispheres, the body's ultimate control and info processing center	0
13930233522	frontal lobe	A region of the cerebral cortex that has specialized areas for movement, abstract thinking, planning, memory, and judgement	1
13930233523	parietal lobe	portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; receives sensory input for touch and body position	2
13930233524	occipital lobe	A region of the cerebral cortex that processes visual information	3
13930233525	temporal lobe	An area on each hemisphere of the cerebral cortex near the temples that is the primary receiving area for auditory information	4
13930233526	motor cortex	an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements	5
13930233527	somatosensory cortex	area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations	6
13930233528	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	7
13930233529	Plasticity	the brain's ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience	8
13930233530	neurogenesis	the formation of new neurons	9
13930233531	lesion	tissue destruction. A brain lesion is a naturally or experimentally caused destruction of brain tissue	10
13930233532	Neuron	a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system	11
13930233533	cell body	contains nucleus	12
13930233534	Dendrites	a neuron's bushy, branching extensions that receive messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body	13
13930233535	Axon	the neuron extension that passes messages through its branches to other neurons or to muscles or glands	14
13930233536	myelin sheath	a fatty tissue layer segmentally encasing the axons of some neurons; enables vastly greater transmission speed as neural impulses hop from one node to the next	15
13930233537	glial cells (glia)	cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons: they also play a role in thinking and memory	16
13930233538	action potential	a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon	17
13930233539	threshold	the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse	18
13930233540	refactory period	The "recharging phase" when a neuron, after firing, cannot generate another action potential.	19
13930233541	all-or-none response	a neuron's reaction of either firing (with a full-strength response) or not firing.	20
13930233542	Synapse	the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron	21
13930233543	Neurotransmitters	chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons	22
13930233544	Reuptake	a neurotransmitter's reabsorption by the sending neuron	23
13930233545	Endorphins	"morphine within"—natural, opiate-like neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure.	24
13930233546	Agonist	a molecule that increases a neurotransmitter's action	25
13930233547	Antagonist	a molecule that inhibits or blocks a neurotransmitter's action	26
13930233548	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.	27
13930233549	MEG (magnetoencephalography)	technique that measures brain activity by detecting tiny magnetic fields generated by the brain	28
13930233550	CT (computed tomography) 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. Also called CAT scan.	29
13930233551	PET (positron emission tomography) scan	a visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task	30
13930233552	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.	31
13930233553	fMRI (functional MRI)	A technique for revealing blood flow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. fMRI scans show brain function.	32
13930233554	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	33
13930233555	Medulla	the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing	34
13930233556	thalamus	the brain's sensory control center, 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	35
13930233557	reticular formation	a nerve network that travels through the brainstem and thalamus and plays an important role in controlling arousal	36
13930233558	Cerebellum	the "little brain" at the rear of the brainstem; functions include processing sensory input and coordinating movement output and balance	37
13930233559	limbic system	neural system (including the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus) located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions and drives.	38
13930233560	Amygdala	two lima bean-sized neural clusters in the limbic system; linked to emotion.	39
13930233561	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.	40
13930233562	Hippocampus	a neural center located in the limbic system; helps process explicit memories for storage	41
13930233563	unconditioned response	in classical conditioning, an unlearned, naturally occurring response to an unconditioned stimulus	42