Chapter 2 1st Half

Question 1

Phrenolgoy

Answer 1

A popular by ill-fated theory that claimed bumps on the skull could reveal our mental abilities and our character traits

Question 2

Biological Psychology

Answer 2

A branch of psychology concerned with the links between biology and behavior

Question 3

Neuron

Answer 3

A nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system

Question 4

Dendrite

Answer 4

(listen) - the bushy, branching extensions of a neuron that receive messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body

Question 5

Axon

Answer 5

(speaks) - The extension of a neuron, ending in branching terminal fibers, through which messages pass to other neurons or to muscles or glands

Question 6

Myelin Sheath

Answer 6

A layer of fatty tissue encasing the fibers of many neurons, enables greater transmission speed of neural impulses as the impulse hops from one node to the next

Question 7

Action Potential

Answer 7

A neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon

Question 8

Threshold

Answer 8

The level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse

Question 9

Synapse

Answer 9

The junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron

Question 10

Neurotransmitters

Answer 10

Chemical messengers that traverse the synaptic gaps between neurons. When released by the sending neuron, neurotransmitters travel across the synapse and bind to receptor sites on the receiving neuron, influencing whether that neuron will generate a neural impulse

Question 11

Acetylcholine, Ach

Answer 11

A neurotransmitter that enables learning, memory and also triggers muscle contraction

Question 12

Dopamine

Answer 12

Influences movement, learning, attention and emotion

Question 13

Serotonin

Answer 13

Affects mood, hunger, sleep and arousal

Question 14

Endorphins

Answer 14

“Morphine within” - natural, opiate like neurotransmitters liked to pain control and to pleasure

Question 15

Nervous System

Answer 15

The body’s speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems

Question 16

Central Nervous System

Answer 16

The brain and spinal cord

Question 17

Peripheral Nervous System

Answer 17

The sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body

Question 18

Nerves

Answer 18

Neural “cables” containing many axons. Those bundled axons, which are part of the peripheral nervous system, connect the central nervous system with muscles, glands and sense organs

Question 19

Sensory Neurons

Answer 19

Carry incoming information from the sense receptors to the CNS

Question 20

Motor Neurons

Answer 20

Carry outgoing information from the CNS to the muscles and glands

Question 21

Interneurons

Answer 21

Connect the two neurons

Question 22

Somatic Nervous System

Answer 22

The division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body’s skeletal muscles

Question 23

Autonomic Nervous System

Answer 23

The part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs (such as heart)

Question 24

Sympathetic Nervous System

Answer 24

The division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations

Question 25

Parasympathetic Nervous System

Answer 25

The division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body conserving its energy

Question 26

Reflex

Answer 26

A simple, automatic, inborn response to a sensory stimulus, such as the knee-jerk response

Question 27

Lesions

Answer 27

Tissue destruction. A brain lesion is a naturally or experimentally caused destruction of brain tissue

Question 28

Neural Networks

Answer 28

Interconnected neural cells. With experience, networks can learn, as feedback strengthens or inhibits connections that produce certain results.

Question 29

Endocrine System

Answer 29

The body’s “slow” chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream

Question 30

Hormones

Answer 30

Chemical messengers, mostly those manufactured by the endocrine glands, that are produced in one tissue and affect another

Question 31

Adrenal Glands

Answer 31

A pair of endocrine glands just above the kidneys. They secrete the hormones epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (nonadrenaline), which helps to arouse the body in times of stress

Question 32

Pituitary Glands

Answer 32

The endocrine system’s most influential gland. Under the influence of the hypothalamus, the pituitary regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands

Question 33

EEG

Answer 33

An amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain’s surface. These waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp.

Question 34

PET Scan

Answer 34

A visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task

Question 35

MRI

Answer 35

A technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images that distinguish among different types of soft tissue; allows us to see structures within the brain
-show brain anatomy!!

Question 36

fMRI

Answer 36

A technique for revealing blood flow and therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans
-show brain function!!