Chapter 3 Terms Flashcards
Action Potential
The electrical signal that moves down through a neuron’s axon.
Agonist
A drug that mimics or strengthens the effects of a neurotransmitter.
The All-or-None Principle
This phenomenon is that an incoming signal from another neuron is either sufficient or insufficient to reach the threshold of excitation.
Amygdala
A structure in the limbic system that is involved in our experience of emotion and tying emotional meaning to our memories.
Antagonist
A drug that blocks or impedes the normal activity of a given neurotransmitter.
Auditory Cortex
A strip of cortex in the temporal lobe that is responsible for processing auditory information
Automatic Nervous System
A part of the nervous system that controls all our inner organs and glands.
Axon
The major extension of the soma.
Biological Perspective
A view that psychological disorders like depression and schizophrenia are associated with imbalances in one or more neurotransmitter systems.
Broca’s Area
A region in the left hemisphere of the brain that is essential for language production.
Central Nervous System (CNS)
Part of the Nervous System is the brain and the spinal cord.
Cerebellum
A hindbrain structure that controls our balance, coordination, and motor skills, and it is said that it might be important in processing some types of memories.
Cerebral Cortex
The surface of the brain which is associated with our highest mental capabilities.
Computerized Tomography Scan (CT Scan)
An imaging technique in which a computer coordinates and integrates multiple X-rays of a given area
Corpus Callosum
A thick band of neural fibers connecting the brain’s two hemispheres
