Psych unit 2 Flashcards
Biological psychology
branch of psychology concern w/ link btw biology & behavior.
neuron
nerve cell
dendrite
the bushy, branching extensions of a neuron, receive messages and conduct impulses toward cell body
axon
extension of a neuron, ending in terminal fibers through which messages pass to other neurons or to muscle/glands, passes message away from the cell body to other neurons, muscle, glands..
myelin
covers the axon of some neurons and help speed neural impulses
action potential
a neural impulse, electrical charge that travels down an axon. the action potential is generated by the movement of positively charged atoms in & out of channels in the axon’s membrane.
threshold
the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse
synapse
the junction btw the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite/ cell body of receiving neuron. tiny gap at this junction is called the synaptic gap
neurotransmitter
chemical messengers that traverse the synaptic gap. when released by the sending neurons, they travel across the synapse and bind to receptor sites.
acetylcholine
a neurotransmitter that triggers muscle contraction
endorphin
natural neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure
somatic nervous system, part of the peripheral nervous system
controls the movement of skeletal muscles
autonomic nervous system, part of the peripheral nervous system
controls the glands & the muscles of internal organ
sympathetic nervous system
the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situation
parasympathetic nervous system
the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body
reflex
a simple, automatic, inborn response to a sensory stimulus,
lesion
tissue destruction.
electroencephalogram (EEG)
detects brain waves through electrical output used mainly in sleep research
computed tomography (CT)(CAT)
3-D x-ray of brain, good for tumor locating, but tells nothing about function
positron emission tomography (PET)
shows brain function through blood flow measures how much of a chemical a brain is using.
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
more detailed pic of brain than a CAT scan. uses radio waves and magnetic field to generate images of the anatomy, take still pics.
brainstem
oldest part and central core of the brain. responsible for automatic survival action. begins where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull.
medulla
the base of the brainstem, controls heartbeat and breathing
reticular formation
a nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal.
thalamus
located on top of the brainstem. it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla.
cerebellum
attached to the rear of the brainstem, coordinate voluntary balance.
limbic system
at the border of the brainstem and cerebral hemispheres; emotions and drives. includes the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus.
amygdala
2 almond-shaped neural clusters that are components of the limbic system and are linked to emotion. influence aggression and fear.
hypothalamus
a neural structure lying below the thalamus; it directs several maintenance activities ( eating drinking body temperature), helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion.
cerebral cortex
the intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells that covers the cerebral hemispheres, control and information-processing center
glial cells
cells in the nervous system that supports, nourish, and protect neurons
frontal lobes
portion of the cerebral cortex lying behind the forehead, involve in speaking and muscle movement and in making plans & judgement.
parietal lobes
portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and rear, includes the sensory cortex
occipital lobes
portion of cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes the visual areas, which receive visual information from opposite visual fields
temporal lobes
portion of the cerebral cortex lying above ears, includes the auditory areas, each receive auditory info from opposite ears.
motor cortex
an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements
sensory cortex
the area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body sensation
association areas
areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor/ sensory functions; rather, they are involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking.
aphasia
impairment of language, usually caused by left hemisphere damage either to Broca’s area (impairing speaking) or to Wernicke’s area (impairing understanding)
Broca’s area
controls language expression- an area of the frontal lobe, usually left hemisphere, that directs muscle movements involved in speech
Wernicke’s area
controls language reception- a brain area involved in language comprehension and expression, usually left temporal lobe.
plasticity
the brain’s capacity for modification, as evident in brain reorganization following damaged and in experiments on the effects of experience on brain development.
corpus callosum
the large band of neural fibers connecting the 2 brain hemispheres and carrying messages btw them.
Split brain
a condition in which the two hemispheres of the brain are isolated by cutting of the connecting fiber (mainly the corpus callosum) between them
endocrine system
the body’s slow chemical communication system; set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream
hormones
chemical messengers, mostly those manufactured by the endocrine glands, that are produced in one tissue and affect another.
adrenal glands
a pair of endocrine glands just above the kidneys. the adrenals secrete the hormones epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (noradrenaline), which help to arouse the body in times of stress
pituitary gland
the endocrine system’s most influential gland. under the influence of the hypothalamus, the pituitary regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands
