chapter 2 Flashcards
what is evolutionary psychology?
studies how natural selection and adaption help explain behaviour and mental processes
what is neuroscience?
how biological processes relate to behavioural and mental processes
what are neurons?
cells that receive and transmit electrochemical information
what is the all or none law?
either neurons are either on or off
what is the resting state?
when there is negative electrical charge
what is an action potential?
where communication happens. a neural impulse that carries information along the axon
what is a synapse?
the space between two neurons where the axon of a sending neuron communicates with the dendrites of a receiving neutron using chemical messages
what is a neurotransmitter?
chemicals that carry messages across the synaspe to the dendrite
what are excitatory messages?
a message that makes a receiving neuron fire and an action potential travel down the axon
what is an inhibitory message?
a chemical message that prevents or decreases the likelihood that a receiving neuron will fire
what are the three structures of the hindbrain?
medulla, pons and cerebellum
what is the hindbrain?
the part of the brain that controls basic functions like eating and sleeping
what is the medulla?
life survival functions
what is the pons?
breathing, moving, waking, sleeping and dreaming
what is the cerebellum?
balance, muscular movements, perception and cognition (some aspects)
what is the midbrain?
brain structures in the middle of brain that coordinate sleep, arousal and movement patterns
what is the reticular formation?
from the medulla through the pons made up of nerve cells and can produce arousal
what does the forebrain include?
thalamus: sends sensory messages to the cerebral cortex about senses
hypothalamus: has emotions, drives
what is the cerebral cortex?
known as the new brain and has four major sections called lobes (sensations, higher mental processes and motor control)
what is the frontal lobe?
receives and coordinates messages from other lobes and is responsible for motor control, speech production and higher functions
what is the parietal lobes?
located at the top of the brain and interprets bodily sensation
what is the temporal lobes?
responsible for audition, language , memory and some emotion control
what are the occipital lobes?
responsible for vision and visual perception
what is the motor area?
responsible for the bodys voluntary movement
what is the left hemisphere responsible for?
require verbal competence like speaking reading thinking and reasoning
what is the right hemisphere responsible for?
non verbal areas like relationships, music and emotional expression
what are stem cells?
cells that give birth to new specialized cells
what is neuroplasticity?
brain’s lifelong ability to reorganize and change its structure and function
can brain cells be created after childhood?
yes
what are the 5 ways you can strengthen your mind?
you can build concentration, you can detach yourself, mindfulness, self compassion and self understanding
what is the nervous system composed of?
central nervous system, peripheral nervous system
what is the central nervous system composed of?
the brain and spinal cord (transmitting messages between the brain and rest of the body)
what is the spinal cord?
a bundle of neurons that leaves the brain and runs down the length of the back and is the main means for transmitting messages between the brain and the body
what is the peripheral system?
made up of neurons with long axons and dendrites. branches out from the spinal cord and brain to reach the extremities of the body
what is the somatic nervous system?
connects to sensory receptors and controls skeletal muscles (voluntary muscle activation)
what is the autonomic nervous system?
controls involuntary bodily functions and is further divided into the sympathetic nervous system and parasympathetic nervous system.
what is the sympathetic nervous system?
prepares the body for stressful situations (fight or flight response)
what is the parasympathetic nervous system?
calms the body after an emergency has ended (maintaining painting normal functions)
