Unit 1: Biology Bases of Behavior Flashcards
Biological psychology
thoughts, feelings, and emotions that result from neurotransmitter messages traveling between nerve cells.
Neuron
the basic building blocks of the nervous system.
Dendrites
receive natural impulses from neurons and act as a messenger of impulses to the cell body.
Axons
convey impulses away from the cell body and towards other neurons, muscles, or glands.
myelin sheath
increases the speed of transportation of neural impulses, no myelin sheath decreases the rate of impulse transmission.
action potential
an electrical charge that transmits messages to other neurons, muscles, or glands because of the membrane’s electrical charge reaching a stimulation threshold.
Threshold
the lowest point of response in a stimuli
synapse
the space between neurons, (the synaptic gap)
Neurotransmitters
are triggered from action potential reaching the end of an axon; neurotransmitters allow electrically charged atoms to enter neurons that are receiving and create a new action potential.
Acetylcholine (ACh)
facilities memory, learning and how we move our muscles; a deficiency is believed to lead to Alzheimer’s. (Acetylcholine, Alzheimers)
Endorphins
facilitate pain control, pleasure, and memories, exercise makes endorphins
nervous system
is the communication system that carries info using electrochemicals to all parts of the body
central nervous system
is the brain and spinal cord, located in the CENTER of the body, the bodys command center
peripheral nervous system
is nerves and neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of your body, messenger of brain signals to muscles and glands
Nerves
are neurons who have specialized functions; kinds of nerves: receptor cells, sensory neurons, interneurons, motor neurons
Sensory neurons
respond to physical stimuli by sending messages to the brain and nervous system to respond. (Pick up on the color of the stoplight)
Interneurons
are not sensory or motor neurons but still connects neurons within the nervous system
Motor neurons
respond to sensory neurons by transmitting signals to muscles and glands to activate responses to physical stimuli (Allow the driver to press the gas or brake)
somatic nervous system
allows communication with the outside world, connects the PNS to CNS to sensory receptors
autonomic nervous system
sends impulses from Central NS to cardiac muscles, smooth muscles and glands
sympathetic nervous system
activates in times of stress, “fight or flight”, respiratory and heart rates increase, pupils dilate, the body perspires (sweat), and salivation decreases.
parasympathetic nervous system
allows a person to return to being calm after “fight or flight” or sympathetic