Biological Psychology Flashcards
Autonomic nervous system
Division of the PNS that controls glands & muscles of internal organs
Peripheral nervous system
Sensory & motor neurons connect the CNS to the rest of the body
Parasympathetic nervous system
Division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body
Occipital lobes
Back of the head
Corpus callosum
Neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres & carrying messages between them
MRI
Use of magnetic fields & radio waves to produce computer generated images
Wernicke’s Area
Language reception; left temporal lobe
PET
A visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task
cerebellum
Processes sensory input & coordinating movement output & balance
neuron
A nerve cell
amygdala
Component of the limbic system linked to emotion
endorphins
Opiate like neurotransmitters linked to pain control and pleasure
Frontal lobes
The portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead
electroencephalogram
Amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain�s surface
Motor cortex
Rear of frontal lobes
Neural networks
Interconnected neural cells
Parietal lobes
Top of the head towards the rear
myelin
Layer of fatty tissue segment ally encasing the fibers of many neurons
Sensory neurons
Neurons that carry incoming information from the sense receptors to the CNS
Somatic nervous system
The division of the PNS that controls the body�s skeletal muscles
brainstem
Responsible for automatic survival functions
synapse
Junction between axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite of the receiving neuron
Glial cells
Cells in the nervous system that support, nourish and protect neurons
Biological psychology
A branch of psychology concerned with the links between biology & behavior
Split brain
Two hemispheres of the brain are isolated by cutting the connecting fibers
Adrenal glands
Glands that release epinephrine & norepinephrine
Action potential
Brief electrical charge that travels down the axon
Association areas
Areas not involved in primary motor or sensory functions
lesion
Tissue destruction
hypothalamus
Directs several maintenance activities, governs endocrine system via pituitary gland & is linking to emotion
medulla
Base of the brainstem
Pituitary gland
Regulates growth & controls other endocrine glands
cerebral
Interconnected neural cells that covers the cerebral hemispheres
Reticular formation
A nerve network in the brainstem
plasticity
Brain�s capacity for modification
Motor neurons
Neurons that carry outgoing information from the CNS to the muscles & glands
Temporal lobes
Above the ears
acetylcholine
A neurotransmitter that enables learning & memory & triggers muscle contraction
Endocrine system
The body�s chemical communication
Sympathetic nervous system
Division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body in stressful situations
neurotransmitters
Chemical messengers that traverse the gap
axon
Extension of a neuron, ending in branching terminal fibers
threshold
The level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse
aphasia
Impairment of language
dendrite
Branching extensions of a neuron that receives messages
Limbic system
Associated with emotions such as fear, aggression & drives for sex
nerves
Neural �cables� containing many axons
reflex
A simple, automatic, inborn response to a sensory stimulus
interneurons
CNS neurons that internally communicate and intervene between the sensory & motor neurons
Sensory cortex
Front of the partial lobes
hormones
Chemical messengers produced in one tissue that affect another
Nervous system
The body�s electrochemical communication network
thalamus
Directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex & transmits replies to the cerebellum & medulla
Central nervous system
The brain and the spinal chord
Broca’s Area
Controls language expression; frontal lobe: left hemisphere
fMRI
A technique for revealing blood flow
