key terms Flashcards
what is the Autonomic nervous system
Governs the brains involuntary activities (e.g. stress, heartbeat) and is self-regulating. It is divided into the sympathetic branch (fight or flight) and the parasympathetic branch (rest and digest)
what is the brain
The part of the central nervous system that is responsible for coordinating sensation, intellectual and nervous
activity
what is the central nervous system
comprises of the Brian and spinal cord. It receives information from the senses and controls the body’s responses
what is the peripheral nervous system
The part if the nervous system which is outside the brain and spinal cord.
what is the somatic nervous system
the part of the peripheral nervous system responsible for carrying sensory and motor information to and from the central nervous system
what is the spinal cord
A bundle of nerve fibres enclosed within the spinal column and which connects nearly all parts of the body with the brain
what is a motor neurone
Form synapses with muscle and control their contractions
what is a neurotransmitter
chemical substance that plays an important part in the workings of the nervous system by transmitting nerve impulses across a synapse
what is a relay neurone
These neurones are the most common type if neurone in the CNS. They allow sensory and motor neurons to communicate with each other
what is a sensory neurone
carry nerve impulses from sensory receptors to the spinal cord and the brain
what is a synapse
The conjunction of the end of the axon of one neurone and the dendrite or cell body of another
what is a synaptic transmission
refers to the process by which a nerve impulse passes across the synaptic cleft from one neurone (presynaptic cleft) to another (postsynaptic cleft)
what is an endocrine gland
special group of cells within the endocrine system whose function is to produce and secrete hormones
what is the endocrine system
a network fo glands throughout the body that manufacture and secrete chemical messengers known as hormones
what is a hormone
the body chemical messengers. They travel through the bloodstream, influencing many different processes including mood, the stress response and bonding between mother and newborn baby
what is a pituitary gland
The ‘master gland’, whose primary function is to influence the release of hormones from other glands.
what is the fight or flight response
a sequence of activity within the body that is triggered when the body prepares itself for defending or attacking (fight) or running away to safety (flight). This activity involves changes in the nervous system and the secretion of hormones that are necessary to sustain arousal.
what is the HPA axis
Describes the sequence of bodily activity in response to stress that involves the hypothalamus, pituitary and adrenal cortex
what is the brooks area
An area of the frontal lobe of the Brian, usually in the left hemisphere, related to speech production
what is localisation of function
Refers to the belief that specific areas of the brain are associated with specific cognitive processes
what is the motor cortex
a region of the brain responsible for the generation of voluntary motor movements
what is the somatosensory cortex
a region of the brain that processes input from sensory receptors in the body that are sensitive to touch
what is the wernicke’s area
An area of the temporal lobe of the brain important in the comprehension of language
what is hemispheric lateralisation
refers to the fact that some mental processes in the brain are mainly specialised to either the left or the right hemisphere
what is split Brain research
Research that studies individuals who have been subjected to the surgical separation of the two hemispheres of the Brian as a result of severing the corpus callosum
what is brain plasticity
refers to the brains ability to modify its own structure and function as a result of experience
what is functional recovery
refers to the recover of abilities and mental processes that have been compromised as a result of brain injury or disease
what is an EEG (electroencephalogram)
A method of recording the changes in the electrical activity of the brain using electrodes attached to the scalp
what is ERP (Event-related potential)
a technique that takes raw EEG data and uses it to investigate cognitive processing of a specific event. It achieves this by taking multiple readings and averaging them ignorer to filter out all Brian activity that is not related to the appearance of the stimulus
what is fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging)
A technique for measuring brain activity. It works by detecting changes in blood oxygenation and the flow that indicate increased neural activity
what is post mortem examinations
ways of examining the brains of people who have shown particular psychological abnormalities prior to their death in attempt to establish the possible neurobiological cause for their behaviour.
what is a circadian rhythm
a pattern of behaviour that occurs or recurs approximately every 24 hours and which I set and reset by environmental light levels (exogenous zeitgebers)
what is the sleep wake cycle
refers to the alternating states of sleep and waking that are dependent on the 24 hour circadian cycle
what is an infradian rhythm
Rhythms that have a duration of over 24 hours, and may be weekly, monthly or even annually (period)
what is an ultradian rhythm
cycles that last less than 24 hours, such as the cycle of sleep stages that occur throughout the night
what is an endogenous pacemaker
mechanism within the body that govern the internal, biological bodily rhythms
what is an exogenous zeitgeber
An environmental cue, such as light. that helps to regulate the biological clock in an organism
