Chapter 2 Flashcards
Biological Psychology
a branch of psychology concerned with the links between biology and behavior, also known as behavioral neuroscientists, neuropsychologists, behavior geneticists etc
Phrenology
theory that claimed bumps on the skull could reveal our mental abilities and or character traits
neuron
a nerve cell, the basic building block of the nervous system
dendrite
the bushy branching extensions of a neuron that receive messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body
axon
the extension of a neuron ending in branching terminal fibers, through which messages pass to other neurons or to muscles or glands
myelin
a layer or fatty tissue segmentally encasing the fibers of many neurons, enables vastly greater transmission speed of neural impulses as the impulse hops from one node to the next
action potential
a neural impulse, a brief electrical charges that travels down an axon, the action potential is generated by the movement of positively charged atoms in and out of channels in the axons membranes
threshold
the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse
synapse
the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron, is called the synaptic gap or cleft
neurotransmitters
chemical messengers that travers the synaptic gaps between neurons, when released by the sending neuron they travel across the synapse and bind to receptor sites on the receiving neuron, influencing whether that neuron will generate a neural impulse
acetylcholine
a neurotransmitter that enables learning and memory and also trigger muscle contractions
Endorphins
morphine within, natural opiate like neurotransmitter, linked to pain control and pleasure
nervous system
the body’s speedy electrochemical communication network consisting of all the nerve sells of the peripheral and central nervous systems
central nervous system
the brain and spinal cord
peripheral nervous system
the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body
nerves
neural cables containing many axons, these bundled axons which are part of the PNS connect the central nervous system with muscles glands and sense organs
sensory neurons
neurons that carry incoming information from the sense receptors to the central nervous system
motor neurons
neurons that carry outgoing info from the CNS to the muscles and glands
internerons
CNS neurons that internally communicate and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs
somatic nervous system
the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body’s skeletal muscles, also called the skeletal nervous system
autonomic nervous system
the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organ
sympathetic nervous system
the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations
parasympathetic nervous system
the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body and conserves its energy
reflex
a simple automatic inborn response to a sensory stimulus
lesion
tissue destruction, a brain lesion is a naturally or experimentally caused destruction of the brain tissue
neural networks
interconnected neural cells. with experience networks can learn as feedback strengthens or inhibits connections that produce certain results. can be seen by computer simulations
dopamine
influences movement, learning, attention and emotion, excess can lead to schizophrenia, lack can produce parkinsons
serotonin
affects mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal, lack can lead to depression, prozac can raise serotonin levels
endocrine system
the body’s slow chemical communication system, a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream
hormones
chemical messengers mostly those manufactured by the endocrine gands, that are produced in one tissue and affect another
adrenal glands
a pair of endocrine glands just above the kidneys. They secrete the hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine (adreniline) which help to around the body in times of stress
pituitary glands
the endocrine system’s most influential gland. Under the influence of the hypothalamus, the pituitary regulates growth and controls the other endocrine glands
Electroencephalogram (EEG)
an amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brains surface. These waves are measure by electrodes place on the scalp
Positron Emission Tomography PET
scan a visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive from of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task
Magnetic Resonance Imaging MRI
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
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging FMRI
a technique for revealing blood flow and therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. MRI scans show brain anatomy fMRI scans show brain function
