CHAPTER 2 Vocab (A-E) Flashcards
A brief change in a neuron electrical charge
Action Potential
An inherited characteristic that increased in a population (through natural selection) because it helped solve a problem of survival or reproduction during the time it emerged
Adaptation
Research studies that assess hereditary influence by examining the resemblance between adopted children and both their biological and their adoptive parents
Adoption studies
Axons that carry information inwards to the central nervous system from the periphery of the body
Afferent nerve fibers
A chemical that mimics the actions of a neurotransmitter
Agonist
A chemical that opposes the action of a neurotransmitter
Antagonist
The system of nerves that connects to the heart blood vessels, smooth muscles, and glands
Autonomic nervous system (ANS)
A long, thin fiber that transmits signals away from the neuron cell body to other neurons, or to muscles or glands
Axon
Any overt (observable) behavior response or activity by an organism
Behavior
An interdisciplinary field that studies the influence of genetic factors on behavioral traits
Behavioral genetics
The brain and the spinal cord
Central nervous system (CNS)
The convoluted outer layer of the cerebrum
Cerebral cortex
The right and left halves of the cerebrum
Cerebral hemispheres
A solution that fills the hollow cavities (ventricles) of the brain and circulates around the brain and spinal cord
Cerebrospinal fluid
Threadlike strands of DNA and molecules that carry genetic information
Chromosomes
The structure that connects the two cerebral hemispheres
Corpus callosum
A limited time span in the development of an organism when it is optimal for certain capacities to emerge because the organism is especially responsive to certain experiences
Critical period
Branchlike parts of a neuron that are specialized to receive information
Dendrites
A gene that is expressed when paired genes are heterozygous
Dominant gene
Axons that carry information outward from the central nervous system to the periphery of the body
Efferent nerve fibers
Sending a weak electric current into a brain structure to stimulate it
Electrical stimulation of the brain (ESB)
A device that monitors the electrical activity of the brain over time by means of recording electrodes attached to the surface of the scalp
Electroencephalograph
A group of glands that secrete chemicals into the bloodstream that help control bodily functioning
Endocrine system
The entire family of internally produced chemicals that resemble opiates in structure and effects
Endorphins
Theoretical perspective that examines behavioral processes in terms of their adaptive value for a species over the course of many generations
Evolutionary psychology
An electric potential that increases the likelihood that a postsynaptic neuron will fire action potentials
Excitatory PSP
People who tend to be interested in the external world of people and things
Extroverts
