Chapter 2- Bio Unit (1st Half) Flashcards
Biological Perspective
A branch of psychology concerned with the links between biology and behavior.
Phrenology
The study of the structure of the skull to determine a persons character and mental capacity.
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.
Mylein Sheath
A layer of fatty tissue segmentally encasing the fibers of many neurons; enables greater transmission speed of neural impulses as the impulse hops from one node to the next.
Action potential
A neural impulse; a brief electrical charge 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 membrane.
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. The tiny gap at this junction is called synaptic gap or cleft.
Neurotransmitters
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. Thereby, influencing whether that neuron will generate a neural impulse.
Acetylcholine, Ach
A neurotransmitter that enables learning and memory. Also triggers muscle contractions. Linked to Alzheimer’s disease.
Dopamine
A neurotransmitter, a chemical released by nerve cells to send to other nerve cells. Reward motivated behavior, mood, learning, movement. Linked to schizophrenia and Parkinson’s disease.
Serotonin
A neurotransmitter, regulates intestinal movements. Regulates mood, appetite, sleep, memory, learning. It’s the “happy” chemical. Not enough of it can cause depression.
Endorphins
“Morphine from within”. Natural opiate like transmitters linked to pain, control, and pleasure.
Nervous system
The body’s speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous system.
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 peripheral nervous system, connect the central nervous system with muscles, glands and sense organs.
Sensory neurons
Neurons that carry incoming information form the sense receptors to the central nervous system.
Motor neurons
Neurons that carry outgoing information from the central nervous system to the muscles and glands.
Interneurons
Central nervous system neurons that internally communicate and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs.
Somatic nervous system
A 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 organs ( like the heart). It’s sympathetic division arouses/stresses and the parasympathetic division clams after the arousal.
Sympathetic nervous system
The division of the automatic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations.
