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Psychology > Ch 3 - Vocab > Flashcards

Ch 3 - Vocab Flashcards

1
Q

Physiological explanation

A

Describes the mechanisms that produce a behavior.

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2
Q

Developmental explanation

A

deals with changes over age

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3
Q

Neurons

A

enormous number of separate cells

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4
Q

Glia

A

which support the neurons in many ways such as insulating them, synchronizing activity among neighboring neurons, and removing waste products.

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5
Q

cell body

A

contains the nucleus of the cell

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6
Q

dendrites

A

widely branching structures that receive input from other neurons

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7
Q

axon

A

a single, long, thin, straight fiber with branches near its tip

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8
Q

myelin

A

an insulating sheath that speeds up the transmission of impulses along an axon.

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9
Q

action potential

A

an excitation that travels along an axon at a constant strength, no matter how far it must travel

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10
Q

What a rule of an axon transmitting?

A

An axon transmits information to other cells, and the dendrites or cell body receives that information. That information can either be excitatory or inhibitory.

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11
Q

resting potential

A

an electrical polarization across the membrane (or covering) of an axon.

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12
Q

Synapse

A

The specialized junction between one neuron and another, a neuron releases a chemical that either excites or inhibits the next neuron.

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13
Q

terminal bourton

A

a little bulge at the end of a typical axon.

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14
Q

neurotransmitter

A

a chemical that activates receptors on other neurons

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15
Q

postsynaptic neuron

A

the neuron on the receiving end of the synapse.

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16
Q

Parkinson’s disease

A

a condition that affects about 1% of people over the age of 50. The main symptoms are difficulty in initiating voluntary movement, slow movement, tremors, rigidity, and depressed mood.

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17
Q

dopamine

A

a neurotransmitter

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18
Q

psychoactive drugs

A

have analogous effects on behavior. They enhance certain experiences, weaken others, and garble thinking and speech by their effects on synapses.

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19
Q

Stimulants

A

Drugs that increase energy, alertness, and activity.

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20
Q

Depressants

A

drugs that decrease arousal, such as alcohol and anxiolytics (anxiety-reducing drugs).

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21
Q

alcohol

A

a class of molecules that includes methanol, ethanol, propyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol), and others.

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22
Q

anxiolytic drugs, tranquilizers

A

help people relax

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23
Q

narcotics

A

drugs that produce drowsiness, insensitive to pain, and decreased responsiveness.

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24
Q

Opiates

A

natural drugs derived from the opium poppy or synthetic drugs with a chemical structure resembling natural opiates.

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25
Q

Endorphins

A

bind to the opiate receptors

26
Q

Hallucinogens

A

drugs that induce sensory distortions

27
Q

MDMA, Ecstasy

A

produces stimulant effects similar to amphetamine at low doses and hallucinogenic effects similar to LSD at higher doses

28
Q

Central nervous system

A

the brain and the spinal cord

29
Q

peripheral nervous system

A

bundles of nerves between the spinal cord and the rest of the body

30
Q

somatic nervous system

A

connects to the skin and muscles

31
Q

autonomic nervous system

A

connects to the heart, stomach, and other organs

32
Q

hemispheres

A

left and right

33
Q

cerebral cortex

A

outer covering of the fore-brain

34
Q

occipital lobe

A

rear of the head, is specialized for vision

35
Q

temporal lobe

A

of each hemisphere, located toward the left and right sides of the head, is the main area for hearing and some of the complex aspects of vision.

36
Q

amygdala

A

a sub-cortical structure deep within the temporal lobe, responds strongly to emotional situations

37
Q

parietal lobe

A

just anterior (forward) from the occipital lobe, is specialized for the body senses, including touch, pain, temperature, and awareness of the location of body parts in space

38
Q

the somatosensory cortex

A

a strip in the anterior portion of the parietal lobe, has cells sensitive to touch in different body areas

39
Q

frontal lobe

A

at the anterior (forward) pole of the brain

40
Q

primary motor cortex

A

important for the planned control of fine movements

41
Q

prefrontal cortex

A

anterior sections of the frontal lobe

42
Q

mirror neurons

A

are active when you make a movement and also when you watch someone else make a similar movement

43
Q

hypothalamus

A

located just below the thalamus, is important for hunger, thirst, temperature regulation, sex, and other motivated behaviors

44
Q

pons and medulla

A

which control the muscles of the head (e.g., for chewing, swallowing, breathing, and talking).

45
Q

spinal cord

A

which controls the muscles from the neck down

46
Q

reflex

A

a rapid, automatic response to a stimulus

47
Q

cerebellum

A

part of the hind-brain

48
Q

electroencephalograph (EEG)

A

uses electrodes on the scalp to record rapid changes in brain electrical activity

49
Q

Positron-emission tomography (PET)

A

records radioactivity of various brain areas emitted from injected chemicals

50
Q

functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

A

uses magnetic detectors outside the head to compare the amounts of hemoglobin with and without oxygen in different brain areas

51
Q

autonomic nervous system

A

closely associated with the spinal cord, controls the internal organs such as the heart

52
Q

sympathetic nervous system

A

increase heart rate, breathing rate, sweating, and other processes that are important for vigorous fight-or-flight activities

53
Q

parasympathetic nervous system

A

decrease heart rate, increases digestive activities, and in general, promotes activeness of the body that take place during rest and relation.

54
Q

endocrine system

A

a set of glands that produce hormones and release them into the blood

55
Q

Hormones

A

chemicals released by glands and conveyed via the blood to alter activeness in various organs.

56
Q

plasticity

A

change as a result of experience

57
Q

stem cells

A

differential cells

58
Q

corpus callosum

A

a set of axons that connect the left and right hemispheres of the cerebral cortex

59
Q

epilepsy

A

a condition in which cells somewhere in the brain emit abnormal rhythmic, spontaneous impulses

60
Q

binding problem

A

the question of how separate brain areas combine forces to produce a unified perception of a single object

Psychology (11 decks)

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