Chapter 2 Vocab Flashcards
Biological psychology
A branch of psychology concerned with the links between biology and behaviour
Phrenology
A popular but ill-fated theory that claimed bumps on the skull could reveal our mental abilities and our character traits
Neuron
A nerve cell; he 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 fibres, through which messages pass to other neurons or to muscles or glands
Myelin sheath
A layer of fatty tissue segmentally encasing the fibres 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 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 axon’s 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 the 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 and also triggers muscle contraction
Dopamine
Influences movement, learning, attention, and emotion
Serotonin
Affects mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal
Endorphins
“Morphine within”– natural, opiate-like neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure
Nervous system
The body’ speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems
Central nervous system (CNS)
The brain and spinal cord
Peripheral nervous system (PNS)
The sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system (CNS) to the rest of the body
Nerves
Neural “cables” containing many axons. The bundled axons, which are part of the peripheral nervous system, connect the central nervous system with muscles, glands, and sense organs
Sensory neurons
Neurons at carry incoming information from 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
The division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body’s skeletal muscles. Also called the “skeletal nervous system”
Autonomic nervous system
The npart of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs (such as the heart). Its sympathetic division arouses; its parasympathetic division calms
Sympathetic nervous system
The division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilising its energy in stressful situations
Parasympathetic nervous system
The division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy
Reflex
A simple, automatic, inborn response to a sensory stimulus, such as the knee-jerk response
Lesions
Tissue destruction. A brain lesion is a naturally or experimentally caused destruction of brain tissue
Neural networks
Interconnected neural cells. With experience, networks can learn, as feedback strengthens or inhibits connections that produce certain results. Computer simulations of neural networks show analogous learning
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 glands, that are produced in one tissue and affect another
Adrenal glands
A pair of endocrine glands just above the kidneys. The adrenals secrete the hormones epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (noradrenaline), which help to arouse the body in times of stress
Pituitary gland
The endocrine system’s most influential gland. Under the influence of the hypothalamus, the pituitary regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands
EEG (electroencephalogram)
An amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain’s surface. These waves are measured by electrodes place on the scalp
PET (positron emission tomography) scan
A visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
A technique that uses magnetic field and radio waves to produce computer-generated images that distinguish among different types of soft tissue; allows to see structures within the brain
fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging)
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
Brainstem
The oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; the brainstem is responsible for automatic survival functions
Medulla
The base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing
Reticular formation
A nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important part in controlling arousal
Thalamus
The brain’s sensory switchboard, located on the top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla
Hippocampus
A structure in the limbic system linked to memory
