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PSYCH 100 > Chapter 3 Neuroscience and Behavior > Flashcards

Chapter 3 Neuroscience and Behavior Flashcards

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1
Q

Neurons

A

Nerve cells, the basic components of the nervous system.

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2
Q

What distinctive feature do neurons have?

A

they can communicate with each other across long distances

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3
Q

Dendrites

A

A cluster of fibers at one end of a neuron that receive messages from other neurons.

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4
Q

Axon

A

The part of the neuron that carries messages to other neurons.

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5
Q

Terminal buttons

A

The part of the axon that sends messages to other neurons. They look like a small bulge at the end of the axon.

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6
Q

Myelin sheath

A

A protective coat of fat and protein that wraps around the axon to prevent messages from short-circuiting one another.

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7
Q

The myelin sheath also serves to….

A

increase the velocity with which electrical impulses travel through axons. (Ex: hand touches very hot stove, the pain signal is passed through axons in the hand to the brain so that you can react quickly.)

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8
Q

all or none law

A

neurons either fire or don’t. on or off.

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9
Q

action potential

A

An electric nerve impulse that travels through a neuron’s axon when it is set off by a “trigger,” changing the neuron’s charge from negative to positive

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10
Q

resting state

A

(before a neuron is triggered) The state in which there is a negative electrical charge of about –70 millivolts within a neuron.

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11
Q

mirror neurons

A

Specialized neurons that fire not only when a person enacts a particular behavior but also when a person simply observes another individual carrying out the same behavior.

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12
Q

synapse

A

The space between two neurons where the axon of a sending neuron communicates with the dendrites of a receiving neuron by using chemical messages.

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13
Q

neurotransmitters

A

Chemicals that communicate messages from one neuron to another neuron across the synapse.

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14
Q

excitatory message

A

A chemical message that makes it more likely that a receiving neuron will fire and an action potential will travel down its axon.

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15
Q

inhibitory message

A

A chemical message that prevents or decreases the likelihood that a receiving neuron will fire.

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16
Q

reuptake

A

The reabsorption of neurotransmitters by a terminal button.

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17
Q

why do psychologists study the brain and nervous system?

A

Because all behavior is controlled by the central nervous system, biological psychologists seek to understand how the brain functions in order to understand behavior.

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18
Q

what are the basic elements of the nervous system?

A

neurons, the most basic elements of the nervous system carry nerve impulses from one part of the body to another. information in the neuron follows a route that begins with dendrites, continues into the cell body, and leads ultimately down the tube like extension, the axon.

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19
Q

endorphins

A

chemical signals in the brain that block the perception of pain and increase feelings of wellbeing.

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20
Q

behavioral neuroscientists

A

Psychologists who specialize in considering the ways in which the biological structures and functions of the body affect behavior.

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21
Q

central nervous system

A

The part of the nervous system that includes the brain and spinal cord.

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22
Q

spinal cord

A

A bundle of neurons that leaves the brain and runs down the length of the back and is the main means for transmitting messages between the brain and the body.

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23
Q

reflex

A

An automatic, involuntary response to an incoming stimulus.

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24
Q

sensory (afferent) neurons

A

Neurons that transmit information from the perimeter of the body to the nervous system and brain.

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25
Q

motor (efferent) neurons

A

Neurons that communicate information from the brain and nervous system to muscles and glands.

26
Q

peripheral nervous system

A

The part of the nervous system that includes the autonomic and somatic subdivisions; made up of neurons with long axons and dendrites, it branches out from the spinal cord and brain and reaches the extremities of the body.

27
Q

somatic division

A

The part of the peripheral nervous system that specializes in the control of voluntary movements and the communication of information to and from the sense organs.

28
Q

autonomic division

A

The part of the peripheral nervous system that controls involuntary movement of the heart, glands, lungs, and other organs

29
Q

sympathetic division

A

The part of the autonomic division of the nervous system that acts to prepare the body for action in stressful situations, engaging all the organism’s resources to respond to a threat

30
Q

parasympathetic division

A

The part of the autonomic division of the nervous system that acts to calm the body after an emergency has ended.

31
Q

evolutionary psychology

A

The branch of psychology that seeks to identify behavior patterns that are a result of our genetic inheritance from our ancestors.

32
Q

behavioral genetics

A

The study of the effects of heredity on behavior.

33
Q

endocrine system

A

A chemical communication network that sends messages throughout the body via the bloodstream. (Module 8)

34
Q

horomones

A

Chemicals that circulate through the blood and regulate the functioning or growth of the body.

35
Q

pituitary gland

A

The major component of the endocrine system, or “master gland,” that secretes hormones that control growth and other parts of the endocrine system.

36
Q

the central nervous system is composed of the…

A

brain and spinal cord

37
Q

In the peripheral nervous system the _______ controls voluntary movements

A

somatic division

38
Q

The _________ controls organs that keeps us alive and function without our awareness

A

autonomic divison

39
Q

The ______ is the fundamental element of the nervous system

A

neuron

40
Q

Neurons receive information through their______

A

dendrites

41
Q

Neurons send messages through their______

A

axons

42
Q

axons are insulated by a coating called______

A

myelin sheath

43
Q

the gap between two neurons is bridged by a chemical connection called_____

A

synapse

44
Q

endorphins are one kind of _____ , the chemical “messenger” between neurons.

A

neurotransmitter

45
Q

central core

A

The “old brain,” which controls basic functions such as eating and sleeping and is common to all vertebrates.

46
Q

cerebellum

A

The part of the brain that controls bodily balance.

47
Q

reticular formation

A

The part of the brain extending from the medulla through the pons; it is related to changes in the level of arousal of the body.

48
Q

thalamus

A

The part of the brain located in the middle of the central core that acts primarily to relay information about the senses.

49
Q

hypothalamus

A

A tiny part of the brain, located below the thalamus, that maintains homeostasis and produces and regulates vital behavior, such as eating, drinking, and sexual behavior.

50
Q

limbic system

A

The part of the brain that controls eating, aggression, and reproduction.

51
Q

cerebral cortex

A

The “new brain,” responsible for the most sophisticated information processing in the brain; contains four lobes

52
Q

lobes

A

The four major sections of the cerebral cortex: frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital.

53
Q

motor area

A

The part of the cortex that is largely responsible for the body’s voluntary movement.

54
Q

sensory area

A

The site in the brain of the tissue that corresponds to each of the senses, with the degree of sensitivity related to the amount of tissue.

55
Q

association areas

A

One of the major regions of the cerebral cortex; the site of the higher mental processes, such as thought, language, memory, and speech.

56
Q

neuroplasticity

A

The brain’s ability to change throughout the life span through the addition of new neurons, new interconnections between neurons, and the reorganization of information-processing areas.

57
Q

hemispheres

A

Symmetrical left and right halves of the brain that control the side of the body opposite to their location.

58
Q

lateralization

A

The dominance of one hemisphere of the brain in specific functions, such as language.

59
Q

biofeedback

A

A procedure in which a person learns to control through conscious thought internal physiological processes such as blood pressure, heart and respiration rate, skin temperature, sweating, and the constriction of particular muscles.

60
Q

each hemisphere controls the ______ side of the body

A

opposite

61
Q

nonverbal realms, such as emotions and music, are controlled by the ______ hemisphere of the brain

A

right

62
Q

the ____ hemisphere of the brain is more responsible for speaking and reading.

A

Left

PSYCH 100 (1 decks)

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