Psychology Unit 4 Flashcards
Nervous System
Body’s communication network that consists of all nerve cells; “Body’s Electrical Wiring”
Peripheral nervous system
outer region; sensory and motor nerves that connect the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body
central nervous system
the brain and spinal cord, encased in bone for protection
Peripheral - autonomic
controls self regulated action of internal organs and glands
peripheral - somatic
controls voluntary movement of skeletal muscles
peripheral - autonomic sympathetic
arouses body to deal with perceived threats; “fight, flight or freeze response”; accelerate heartbeat, raise BP, slow digestion, raise blood sugar
peripheral - autonomic parasympathetic
calms the body, “rest and digest response”; reduces body arousal, decreases blood sugar, decreases heart rate
neuron
“nerve cell”, basic building block for nervous system
dendrites
receive information and conduct impulses toward the cell body
axon
“talker”, neural impulses are sent
myelin sheath
fatty substance that protects axon from damage, speeds neural message
axon terminals
neurotransmitters are stores
neurotransmitters
chemical messengers that carry, boost, and balance signals between neurons and other cells; fast acting and temporary
dopamine
“reward”; pleasure/reward neurotransmitter; known as the feel good neurotransmitter; person will repeat behaviors that lead to release of dopamine
nuclear accumbens
role in the reward circuit of the brain; adolescents release more dopamine than adults; doing anything rewarding = increase in dopamine levels
serotonin
“mood”; connected to regulation; regulates sleep cycle with melatonin and intestinal movements; major part of drug treatments for depression and anxiety
explain hormones in teenagers.
teenagers do not have higher hormone levels than adults, they just react differently to hormones
endocrine system
one of the body’s communication center; a set of glands produces hormones
hormones
chemical messenger produced by the endocrine glands
describe hormones.
slower to take effect but tend to be long lasting; hormones don’t rage, they rise in teenagers
pituitary gland
“master gland and most influential”; controls other endocrine glands; regulates stress, growth, and reproduction; connected to the hypothalumus
thyroid gland
located inside lower necks, secretes “thyroxin” (regulates metabolism, growth, appetite)
what happens if the thyroid gland is damaged?
poor sleep, poor concentration, fatigue, depression
adrenal glands
two glands on top of each kidney; involved in stress response
what do the adrenal glands release
epinephrine and norepinephrine (adrenaline) when people are stressed; they increase heart rate, bloop pressure, and blood sugar
gonads
sex glands; regulate sexual hormones, behavior, and characteristics
female gonads
ovaries, release estrogen
male gonads
testis, release testostorone
neuroplasticity learning
the ability to change structure and function of cells in brain in response to experience and trauma
synaptic pruning
“editing”; getting rid of neuronal connections that may have been made in childhood but are no longer needed; gray matter is pruned away; effective pruning increases brain efficiency
myelination
“sped up”; myelin enables remaining and connected neurons to communicate with each other with more speed and coordination
learning with teens
brains are learning at peak efficiency; IQ can change during teen years
