Chapter 2 Key Terms Flashcards
1
Q
Ill fated theory created by Franz Gall that claimed bumps on skull could reveal mental abilities and character traits
A
phrenology
2
Q
a branch of psychology concerned with the links b/w biology and behavior
A
biological psychology
3
Q
a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system. consists of a cell body and its branching fibers
A
neuron
4
Q
bushy, branching extensions of a neuron that receive messages & conduct impulses toward the cell body
A
dendrite
5
Q
the extension of a neuron, ending in branching terminal fibers, through which messages pass to other neurons or to muscles or glands
A
axon
6
Q
__ speak, __ listen
A
axondendrites
7
Q
layer of 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
A
myelin sheath
8
Q
disorder where myelin sheath degenerates
A
multiple sclerosis
9
Q
a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon. generated by the movement of positively charged atoms in and out of channels in the axon’s membrane
A
action potential
10
Q
electrically charged atoms
A
ions
11
Q
positive-outside/negative-inside
A
resting potential
12
Q
selective about what it allows in
A
selectively permeable
13
Q
positive ions flood through membrane to negative inside of axon
A
depolarizes
14
Q
resting pause where neuron pumps positively charge ions back outside
A
refractory period
15
Q
pushing a neuron’s accelerator
A
excitatory signal
16
Q
pushing a neuron’s brake
A
inhibitory signal
17
Q
level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse
A
threshold
18
Q
neurons fire or they don’t
A
all-or-none response
19
Q
the junction b/w the axon tip of the sending neuron & the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron
A
synapse
20
Q
tiny gap at the synapse junction
A
synaptic gap (cleft)
21
Q
chemical messengers that traverse the synaptic gaps b/w neurons. when released by sending neuron, they travel across the synapse & bind to receptor sites on the receiving neuron, thereby influencing whether that neuron will generate a neural impulse
A
neurotransmitters
22
Q
sending neuron normally reabsorbs excess neurotransmitter molecules
A
reuptake
23
Q
neurotransmitter that enables learning & memory and also triggers muscle contraction
A
Acetylcholine (ACh)
24
Q
disease where ACh producing neurons deteriorate
A
Alzheimer’s disease
25
neurotransmitter that influences movement, learning, attention, and emotion
dopamine
26
neurotransmitter that affects mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal
serotonin
27
neurotransmitter that helps control alertness and arousal
norepinephrine
28
major inhibitory neurotransmitter
Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)
29
major excitatory neurotransmitter involved in memory
glutamate
30
excess dopamine linked to __, starved of dopamine linked to ___ ___
schizophreniaParkinson's disease
31
"morphine-within" natural opiate like neurotransmitter linked to pain control and to pleasure
endorphins
32
excite; can mimic neurotransmitter's effects or block its reuptake
agonists
33
inhibit neurotransmitter's release, or occupy its receptor site & block its effect, but not similar enough to stimulate the receptor
antagonists
34
enables brain to fence out unwanted chemicals circulating in the blood
blood-brain barrier
35
poison that occupies & blocks ACh receptor sites involved in muscle movement
curare
36
the body's speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral & central nervous systems
nervous system
37
the brain and spinal cord
central nervous system (CNS)
38
the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body
Peripheral nervous system (PNS)
39
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
nerves
40
neurons that carry incoming information from the sense receptors to the central nervous system
sensory neurons
41
neurons that carry outgoing information from the central nervous system to the muscles and glands
motor neurons
42
central nervous system neurons that internally communicate and intervene b/w the sensory inputs and motor outputs
interneurons
43
the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's skeletal muscles
somatic nervous system
44
the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs
autonomic nervous system
45
the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations
sympathetic nervous system
46
the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy
parasympathetic nervous system
47
a simple, autonomic, inborn response to a sensory stimulus
reflex
48
interconnected neural cells. w/ experience, can learn, as feedback strengthens or inhibits connections that produce certain results
neural network
49
the body's slow chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream
endocrine system
50
chemical messengers, mostly those manufactures by the endocrine glands, that are produced in one tissue & affect another
hormones
51
affects metabolism, among other things
thyroid gland
52
helps regulate the level of calcium in the blood
parathyroids
53
regulates the level of sugar in the blood
pancreas
54
secretes female sex hormones
ovary
55
secretes male sex hormones
testis
56
a pair of endocrine glands just above the kidneys; secrete the hormones epinephrine (___) and norepinephrine (___), which help to arouse the body in times of stress
adrenal glandsadrenalinenoradrenaline
57
the endocrine system's most influential gland. under the influence of the hypothalamus, it regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands
pituitary gland
58
a naturally or experimentally caused destruction of brain tissue
lesion
59
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
Electroencephalogram (EEG)
60
visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task
PET (position emission tomography) scan
61
technique that uses magnetic fields & radiowaves to produce computer-generated images that distinguish among different types of soft tissue; allows us to see structures within the brain
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
62
a technique for revealing blood flow & therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans
fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging)
63
oldest part & central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; responsible for automatic survival functions
brainstem
64
the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat & breathing
medulla
65
just above the medulla which helps coordinate movements
pons
66
a nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal
reticular formation
67
brain's sensory switchboard, located on top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex & transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla
thalamus
68
the "little brain" attached to the rear of the brainstem; its functions include processing sensory input & coordinating movement output & balance
cerebellum
69
a doughnut-shaped system of neural structures at the border of the brainstem & cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions such as fear & aggression, & drives such as those for food & sex. includes the hippocampus (process memory), amygdala, and hypothalamus
limbic system
70
two lima bean sized neural clusters that are components of the limbic system & are linked to emotion (rage & fear)
amygdala
71
a neural structure lying below the thalamus; it directs several maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temperature), helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland & is linked to emotion
hypothalamus
72
the intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells that covers the cerebral hemispheres; body's ultimate control & information processing center
cerebral cortex
73
cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, & protect neurons; may also play a role in learning and thinking
glial cells
74
geographic subdivisons of the brain
lobes
75
folds on the brain
fissures
76
the portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking & muscle movements & in making plans & judgements
frontal lobes
77
the portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head & toward the rear; receives sensory input for touch and body position
parietal lobes
78
the portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes the visual areas, which receive visual information from the opposite visual field
occipital lobe
79
the portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory areas, each of which receives auditory information primarily from the opposite ear
temporal lobes
80
brain's capacity for modification, as evident in brain reorganization following damage (especially in children) & in experiments on the effects of experience on brain development
plasticity
81
large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres & carrying messages b/w them
corpus callosum
82
condition in which the two hemispheres of the brain are isolated by cutting the connecting fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) b/w them
split brain
83
hemispheric specialization
lateralization
84
who found in 1993 that as age increases, lefthanders decrease?
Coren
85
in the 1960s, the left hemisphere was described as __ and the right hemisphere as __
dominant (major)subordinate (minor)
86
most severed neurons will not regenerate, but some neural tissue can __ in response to __
reorganizedamage
87
an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements
motor cortex
88
the area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers & processes body touch & movement sensations
sensory cortex
89
areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions; rather, they're involved in higher mental functions such as learning, thinking, and speaking
association areas
90
impairment of language, usually created by left hemisphere damage either to Broca's area or to Wernicke's area
aphasia
91
controls language expression- an area of the frontal lobe, usually in the left hemisphere, that directs the muscle movements involved in speech
Broca's area
92
controls language reception- a brain area involved in language comprehension & expression; usually in the left temporal lobe
Wernicke's area
93
transforms visual representations into an auditory code
angular gyrus
94
more sensitive body regions have __ area of the sensory cortex devoted to it
larger
95
genetically disposed deficiency in the natural brain systems for pleasure & well-being that leads people to crave whatever provides that missing pleasure or relieves negative feelings
reward deficiency syndrome
96
part of brain with increased activity associated with lying
anterior cingulate cortex
