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AP Psych > Unit 2: Biological Bases of Behavior > Flashcards

Unit 2: Biological Bases of Behavior Flashcards

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1
Q

a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon

A

action potential

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2
Q

a pair of endocrine glands that sit just above the kidneys and secrete hormones that help arouse the body in times of stress

A

adrenal glands

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3
Q

a molecule that increases a neurotransmitter’s action

A

agonist

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4
Q

a neuron’s reaction of either firing (with a full-strength response) or not firing

A

all-or-none response

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5
Q

two lima-bean-sized neural clusters in the limbic system; linked to emotion

A

amygdala

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6
Q

a molecule that inhibits or blocks a neurotransmitter’s action

A

antagonist

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7
Q

areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions; rather, they are involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking

A

association areas

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8
Q

the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs

A

autonomic nervous system (ANS)

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9
Q

the neuron extension that passes messages through its branches to other neurons or to muscles or glands

A

axon

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10
Q

the study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior

A

behavior genetics

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11
Q

a condition in which a person can respond to visual stimulus without consciously experiencing it

A

blindsight

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12
Q

the oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull

A

brainstem

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13
Q

the part of a neuron that contains the nucleus; the cell’s life-support center

A

cell body

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14
Q

the brain and spinal cord

A

central nervous system (CNS)

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15
Q

the “little brain” at the rear of the brainstem; functions include processing sensory input, coordinating movement output and balance, and enabling nonverbal learning and memory

A

cerebellum

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16
Q

the intricate fabric of interconnected neural cell covering the cerebral hemispheres; the body’s ultimate control and information-processing center

A

cerebral cortex

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17
Q

threadlike structures made of DNA molecules that contain the genes

A

chromosomes

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18
Q

the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking, memory, and language)

A

cognitive neuroscience

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19
Q

our subjective awareness of ourselves and our environment

A

consciousness

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20
Q

the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them

A

corpus callosum

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21
Q

a series of x-ray photographs taken from different angles and combined by computer into a composite representation of a slice of the brain’s structure

A

CT scan

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22
Q

a neuron’s often bushy, branching extensions that receive and integrate messages, conducting impulses toward the cell body

A

dendrites

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23
Q

a complex molecule containing the genetic information that makes up the chromosomes

A

DNA

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24
Q

the principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks

A

dual processing

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25
Q

an amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity sweeping across the brain’s surface; these waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp

A

EEG

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26
Q

the body’s “slow” chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream

A

endocrine system

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27
Q

neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure

A

endorphins

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28
Q

every nongenetic influence, from prenatal nutrition to the people and things around us

A

environment

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29
Q

the study of environmental influences on gene expression that occur without a DNA change

A

epigenetics

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30
Q

the study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection

A

evolutionary psychology

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31
Q

a technique for revealing bloodflow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans

A

fMRI

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32
Q

develop from separate fertilized eggs

A

fraternal twins

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33
Q

the portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgement

A

frontal lobes

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34
Q

the biochemical units of heredity that make up chromosomes; segments of DNA capable of synthesizing proteins

A

genes

35
Q

the complete instructions for making an organism, consisting of all the genetic material in that organism’s chromosomes

A

genome

36
Q

cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons; they also play a role in learning, thinking, and memory

A

glial cells

37
Q

the genetic transfer of characteristics from parents to offspring

A

heredity

38
Q

the proportion of variation among individuals in a group that we can attribute to genes

A

heritability

39
Q

a neural center located in the limbic system; helps process for storage explicit (conscious) memories of facts and events

A

hippocampus

40
Q

chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands, travel through the bloodstream, and affect other tissues

A

hormones

41
Q

a neural structure lying below the thalamus; it directs several maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temp), it helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion and reward

A

hypothalamus

42
Q

develop from a single fertilized egg that splits in two

A

identical twins

43
Q

the interplay that occurs when the effect of one factor (such as environment) depends on another factor (such as heredity)

A

interaction

44
Q

neurons within the brain and spinal cord; they communicate internally and process info between the sensory inputs and motor outputs

A

interneurons

45
Q

tissue destruction

A

lesion

46
Q

neural system (including the amygdala, hypothalamus, and hippocampus) located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions and drives

A

limbic system

47
Q

the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing

A

medulla

48
Q

a brain imaging technique that measures magnetic fields from the brain’s natural electrical activity

A

MEG

49
Q

the study of how the structure and function of genes interact with our environment to influence behavior

A

molecular behavior genetics

50
Q

the subfield of biology that studies the molecular structure and function of genes

A

molecular genetics

51
Q

an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements

A

motor cortex

52
Q

neurons that carry outgoing info from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands

A

motor neurons

53
Q

a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images of soft tissue

A

MRI

54
Q

a random error in gene replication that leads to a change

A

mutation

55
Q

a fatty tissue layer segmentally encasing the axons of some neurons; enables vastly greater transmission speed as neural impulses hop from one node to the next

A

myelin sheath

56
Q

the principle that inherited traits that better enable an organism to survive and reproduce in a particular environment will (in competition with other trait variations) most likely be passed on to succeeding generations

A

natural selection

57
Q

bundled axons that form neural cables connecting the central nervous system with muscles, glands, and sense organs

A

nerves

58
Q

the body’s speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems

A

nervous system

59
Q

the formation of new neurons

A

neurogenesis

60
Q

a nerve cell, the basic building block of the nervous system

A

neuron

61
Q

chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons

A

neurotransmitters

62
Q

the portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes areas that receive info from the visual fields

A

occipital lobes

63
Q

processing many aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain’s natural mode of into processing for many functions

A

parallel processing

64
Q

the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy

A

parasympathetic nervous system

65
Q

the portion if the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; receives sensory input for touch and body position

A

parietal lobes

66
Q

the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body

A

peripheral nervous system (PNS)

67
Q

a visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task

A

PET scan

68
Q

the endocrine system’s most influential gland; under the influence of the hypothalamus, it regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands

A

pituitary gland

69
Q

the brain’s ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience

A

plasticity

70
Q

a simple, automatic response to a sensory stimulus, such as the knee-jerk response

A

reflex

71
Q

(1) in neural processing, a brief resting pause that occurs after a neuron has fired; subsequent action potentials cannot occur until the axon returns to its resting state
(2) in human sexuality, a resting period that occurs after orgasm, during which a person cannot achieve another orgasm

A

refractory period

72
Q

a nerve network that travels through the brainstem into the thalamus and plays an important role in controlling arousal

A

reticular formation

73
Q

a neurotransmitter’s reabsorption by the sending neuron

A

reuptake

74
Q

neurons that carry incoming info from the body’s tissues and sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord

A

sensory neurons

75
Q

processing one aspect of a problem at a time; generally used to process new info or to solve difficult problems

A

sequential processing

76
Q

a culturally modeled guide for how to act in various situations

A

social script

77
Q

the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body’s skeletal muscles

A

somatic nervous system

78
Q

an area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations

A

somatosensory cortex

79
Q

a condition resulting from surgery that isolates the brain’s two hemispheres by cutting the fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) connecting them

A

split brain

80
Q

the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy

A

sympathetic nervous system

81
Q

the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron

A

synapse

82
Q

the portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory areas, each receiving information primarily from the opposite ear

A

temporal lobes

83
Q

the brain’s sensory control center, 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

A

thalamus

84
Q

the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse

A

threshold

AP Psych (6 decks)

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