PSYC 2015 Ch 03: Biological Psychology Flashcards
action potential
electrical SIGNAL that moves down the neuron’s axon triggering the release of neurotransmitters
adrenal gland
TISSUE atop the kidneys and secretes hormones involved in the stress response (adrenaline and cortisol; during emotional arousal)
amygdala
structure in the limbic system involved in
-our experience of emotion and
-tying emotional meaning to our memories
-modulates attention, perception, and memory based on emotions
autonomic nervous system
part of the nervous system controlling the involuntary actions of organs and glands,
* which along with the limbic system, participates in emotion regulation
(system) controls our internal organs and glands
axon
major EXTENSION of the soma that sends signals
Broca’s area
REGION in the left hemisphere (prefrontal cortex) that is essential for speech production and articulation
coordinates muscles of the lips, tongue, and throat to form words and se
absolute refractory period
TIME during which another action potential is impossible; limits maximal firing rate
adoption study
ANALYSIS of how traits vary in individuals raised apart from their biological relatives
association cortex
REGIONS of the cerebral cortex that integrate simpler functions to perform more complex functions
basal ganglia
STRUCTURES in the forebrain that help to control movement
brain stem
PART of the brain between the spinal cord and cerebral cortex that contains the
-midbrain,
-pons and
-medulla
central nervous system (CNS)
(system) brain and spinal cord; controls the mind and behavior
cerebellum
hindbrain STRUCTURE that controls our
-balance,
-coordination,
-movement and motor skills, and
-Is thought to be important in processing some types of memory
cerebral cortex
SURFACE of the brain (outermost part of the forebrain) that is responsible for
-analyzing sensory information
-higher brain functions
cerebral hemispheres
two HALVES of the cerebral cortex, with distinct yet highly integrated functions
cerebral ventricles
POCKETS in the brain that
-contain cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and
-provide nutrients and
-cushion against injury
chromosome
long STRAND of genetic information inside a cell’s nucleus
-caries genes
computerized tomography (CT) scan
imaging TECHNIQUE in which a computer coordinates and integrates multiple x-rays of a given area to construct 3D images
corpus callosum
thick BAND of neural fibers connecting the two cerebral hemispheres
deep brain stimulation (DBS)
technique in which electrodes and a battery source are implanted in the brain to deliver electricity to specific brain areas
-used to treat Parkinsons, OCD, Tourette Syndrome, epilepsy, cluster headaches, pain disorders
dendrite
branch-like extension of the soma that receives signals
dominant gene
(dominant allele)
gene (or allele) that:
-masks other genes’ effects
-will be expressed in an idividual that posseses that gene
electroencephalograph (EEG)
medical test that measures the electrical activity of the brain via electrodes on the scalp
-helps diagnose and monitor: seizures/epilepsy, brain inhuries, Alzheimers, tumors, narcolepsy, anesthesia, brain death, etc.
endocrine system
system of glands that secrete hormones that act as chemical messengers
epigenetics
study of gene-environment interactions that affect gene expression
-ex: how the same genotype leads to different phenotypes
fitness
an organism’s ability/capacity to survive and reproduce in its environment; to pass on their genes
forebrain
topmost and largest part of the brain that allows advanced intellectual abilities
contains: cerebral cortex, cerebrum, the limbic system, etc.
frontal lobe
part of the cerebral cortex that ; is responsible for
* motor fxn & control,
* language,
* decision making
* planning
contains the motor cortex
functional MRI
(fMRI)
MRI that shows changes in metabolic activity over time
(technique that uses magnetic fields to visualize brain activity using changes in blood oxygen level)
gene
genetic material comprised of DNA
genotype
genetic makeup of an individual
glial cell
Nervous system cell that provides physical and metabolic support to the neurons including
* neuronal insulation (myelin sheath and blood-brain barrier)
* neuronal communication
* nutrient and waste transport
heritability
percentage of the variability in a trait across individuals that is the result of genes
hindbrain
region below the midbrain that contains the
* cerebellum,
* pons, and
* medulla
hippocampus
part of the brain that plays a role in spatial memory
hormone
chemical messenger released by endocrine glands
hypothalamus
forebrain structure that serves as an interface between the nervous system and the endocrine system; regulates
* sexual motivation and behavior
* homeostatic processes
interneuron
**neuron ** that sends messages to other nearby neurons
lateralization
concept that certain cognitive functions rely more on one side of the brain than the other; that each hemisphere is associated with specialized functions
limbic system
a network of regions involved in
* processing emotions
* motivation
* learning
* memory
magnetic resonance imaging
(MRI)
imaging technique that uses magnetic field to indirectly visualize brain structure
magnetoencephalography
(MEG)
technique that measures brain activity by detecting tiny magnetic fields generated by the brain
medulla
a hindbrain structure, part of the brain stem, that controls basic fxns like
* breathing
* blood pressure
* heart rate
midbrain
part of the brainstem that contributes to:
* movement
* tracking of visual stimuli and
* reflexes triggered by sound
- located b/t the forebrain and the hindbrain;
- contains the reticular formation
motor cortex
part of frontal lobe responsible for body movement; strip of cortex involved in planning and coordinating movement
myelin sheath
glial cells wrapped around axons that act as insulators of the neuron’s signal
neurogenesis
creation of new neurons in the adult brain
neurotransmitter
chemical messenger specialized for communication from neuron to neuron
occipital lobe
back part of the cerebral cortex specialized for vision
* associated w/ visual processing
* contains the primary visual cortex
parasympathetic nervous system
division of autonomic nervous system that controls rest and digestion
* associated with routine, day-to-day operations of the body
phenotype
individual’s inheritable physical traits; out observable traits
pituitary gland
master gland that, under control of the hypothalamus, directs other glands of the body
plasticity
tha nervous system’s ability to change
pons
part of the brain stem (hindbrain structure) that connects the cortex with the cerebellum
* between the midbrain and the medulla
positron emission tomography
(PET)
imaging technique that measures consumption of glucose-like molecules, yielding a picture of neural activity in different regions of the brain
prefrontal cortex
part of the frontal lobe responsible for higher-level cognitive functioning including:
* thinking,
* planning and
* language
receptor site
specific location on a receptor protein that uniquely recognizes a neurotransmitter
recessive gene
gene that is expressed only in the absence of a dominant gene
reflex
automatic motor response to sensory stimulus
resting potential
electrical charge difference (-60 mV) across the neuronal membrane when the neuron is not being stimulated or inhibited
(2e: the state of readiness of a neuron membrane’s potential between signals)
reticular activating system
(RAS)
(a component of the reticular formation) brain area that plays a key role in
* arousal,
* alertness,
* the sleep/wake cycle
reuptake
means of recycling neurotransmitters
(NT is pumped back into the neuron that released it)
somatic nervous system
part of the nervous system that conveys information between the CNS and the body, controlling and coordinating voluntary movement
relays sensory and motor info to and from the CNS
somatosensory cortex
regions of the cerebral cortex that initially process sensory information (ex: touch, temperature, pain)
spinal cord
thick bundle of nerves that conveys signals between the brain and the body
split-brain surgery
procedure that involves severing the corpus callosum to reduce the spread of epileptic seizures
stem cell
a cell, often originating in embryos, having the capacity to differentiate into a more specialized cell
sympathetic nervous system
division of the autonomic nervous system engaged during a crisis or after actions requiring fight or flight
involved in stress-related activities and fxns
synapse
space between two connecting neurons through which messages are transmitted chemically
synaptic cleft
a gap into which neurotransmitters are released from the axon terminal
small gap where communication occurs b/t two neurons
synaptic vesicle
spherical sac containing neurotransmitters
vesicle/storage site for NTs
temporal lobe
lower part of cerebral cortex; associated w/
* hearing,
* understanding language, and
* memory
* contains primary auditory cortex
thalamus
gateway from the sense organs to the somatosensory cortex
sensory relay for the brain
threshold of excitation
membrane potential necessary to trigger an action potential
lvl of charge in the membrane that causes the neuron to become active
transcranial magnetic stimulation
(TMS)
technique that applies strong and quickly changing magnetic fields to the surface of the skull that can either enhance or interrupt brain function
twin study
analysis of how traits differ in monozygotic (genetically identical) versus dizygotic (genetically different) twins
Wernicke’s area
part of the temporal lobe responsible for language comprehension and lexical selection processing
understand & produce meaningful verbal communication
