Biological Psychology Flashcards
A period of inactivity after a neuron has fired
Refractory Period
Level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse
Threshold
Meeting point between neurons
Synapse
Chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons
Neurotransmitters
A neurotransmitters reabsorption by the sending neuron
Reuptake
A molecule that stimulates a response
Agonist
A molecule that inhibits or blocks a response
Antagonist
Brain and spinal chord
Central Nervous System
Sensory and motor neurons that connect the cns to the body
Peripheral Nervous System
Neurons that carry incoming info from sensory receptors to brain and spinal chord
Sensory Neurons
Neurons that carry outgoing info from brain to muscles and glands
Motor Neurons
The division if the peripheral nervous system that controls the body’s skeletal muscles
Somatic Nervous System
Controls glands and muscles
Automatic Nervous System
Arouses body
Sympathetic Nervous System
Calms body
Parasympathetic Nervous System
Slow chemical communication system
Endocrine System
Endocrine glands that sit above kidneys
Adrenal glands
Regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands
Pituitary Gland
Base of brainstem; controls heart beat and breathing
Medulla
Sensory control center; top of brainstem
Thalamus
Two lima bean clusters in limbic system linked to emotion
Amygdala
Lies under the thalamus directs maintenance activities
Hypothalamus
Body’s ultimate control and info processing center
Cerebral Cortex
Band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them
Corpus Callosum
