chapter 1 - intro to biological psychology Flashcards
Mind-body dualism
A philosophical perspective put forward by Rene Descartes in which the body is mechanistic, whereas the mind is separate and nonphysical
biological psychology
The branch of psychology in which the biological foundations of behaviour, emotions, and mental processes are studied
Monism
(MON-nizm) A philosophical perspective characteristic of the neurosciences in which the mind is viewed as the product of activity in the brain and nervous system
Phrenology
The pseudoscientific notion that the skull contours indicate personality and character traits
Histology
The study of cells and tissues on the microscopic level
Microtome
A device used to make very thin slices of tissue for histology
Golgi silver strain
A strain developed by Camillo Golgi used to observe single neurons
Nissl strain
A stain used to view populations of cell bodies
Myelin strain
A strain used to trace neural pathways
Horseradish peroxidase
A strain used to trace axon pathways from their terminals to points of origin
Autopsy
The examination of body tissues following death
Computerized tomography (CT)
An imaging technology in which computers are used to enhance X-ray images
Positron emission tomography (PET)
An imaging technique that provides information regarding the localization of brain activity
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
An imaging technique that provides very high resolution structural images
Voxel
Short for “volume Pixel.” A pixel is the smallest distinguishable square part of a two dimensional image. A voxel is the smallest distinguishable box shaped part of a three dimensional image
