Module #4 Vocab Flashcards
Biological psychology
the scientific study of the links between biological (genetic, neural, hormonal) and psychological processes
Neuroplasticity
the brain’s ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience
Neuron
a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system
Cell body
the part of a neuron that contains the nucleus; the cell’s life-support center
Dendrites
a neuron’s often bushy, branching extensions that receive and integrate messages from axons, conducting impulses toward the cell body
Axon
the segmented neuron extension that passes messages through its branches to other neurons, muscles, or glands
Myelin Sheath
a fatty tissue layer segmentally encasing the axons of some neurons; enables vastly greater transmission speed as neural impulses hop from one node to the next
Glial cells
cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons; they also play a role in learning, thinking, and memory
Action potential
a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon
Threshold
the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse
Refractory period
a brief resting pause that occurs after a neuron has fired; subsequent action potentials cannot occur until the axon returns to its resting state
All-or-none response
a neuron’s reaction of either firing (with a full-strength response) or not firing
Synapse
the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron
Neurotransmitters
chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gap between neurons
Reuptake
a neurotransmitter’s reabsorption by the sending neuron
