Module 9 exam 2 Flashcards
biological psychology
the scientific study of the links between biological (genetic, neural, hormonal) and psychological processes. (Some biological psychologists call themselves behavioral neuroscientists, neuropsychologists, behavior geneticists, psychological psychologists, or biopsychologists)
neuron
a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system.
dendrites
a neuron’s bushy, branching extensions that receive messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body.
axon
the neuron extension that passes messages through it’s branches to other neurons or to 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 sausage-like node to the next.
action potential
a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon.
refractory period
a period of inactivity after a neuron has fired
synapse
the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the recieving neuron, the tiny gap at this junction is called the synaptic gap or synaptic cleft.
neurotransmitters
chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons. When released by the sending neuron, neurotransmitters travel across the sunapse and bind to receptor sites on the recieving neuron, thereby influencing whether that neuron will generate a neural impulse.
reuptake
a neurotransmitter’s reabsorption bu the sending neuron
threshold
the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse
all-or-none response
a neuron’s reaction of either firing (with a full-strength response) or not firing
endorphins
“morphine within”-natural, opiate-like neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure
agonist
a molecule that, by binding to a receptor site, stimulates a response.
antagonist
a molecule that, by binding to a receptor site, inhibits or blocks a response.
