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Unit 2 Vocab - Biological Bases Flashcards

1
Q

biological psychology

A

branch of psychology that studies the links between biological (neuroscience + behavior genetics) and psychological processes

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2
Q

neuron

A

nerve cell; basic building block of nervous system

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3
Q

dendrite

A

bushy branching extension of a neauron that receives messages and conducts impulses towards the cells of the body

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4
Q

axon

A

extension of a neuron ending in branching terminal fivers that pass messages to other neurons/muscles/glands

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5
Q

myelin sheath

A

a layer of fatty tissue segmentally encasing the fivers of neurons (white matter)
enables greater transmission speed of neural impulses as the pulse hope from node to node

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6
Q

action potential

A

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

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7
Q

threshold

A

level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse

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8
Q

synapse

A

the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and dendrite/cell of the receiving neuron; tiny gap left at junction called the synaptic gap/synaptic cleft

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9
Q

neurotrasmitters

A

chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gap between neurons
when released by sending neuron neurotransmitters travel across the synapse and bind to receptor sites on receiving neuron influencing whether or not that neuron will generate a neural impulse

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10
Q

acetylcholine (ACh)

A

most common type of neurotransmitter that activates muscles to move
found in peripheral nervous system, spinal cord, areas of the brain

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11
Q

endorphins

A

“morphine within” natural, opiatelike neurotransmitter linked to pain control and pleasure

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12
Q

nervous system

A

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

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13
Q

central nervous system (CNS)

A

the brain and spinal cord

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14
Q

peripheral nervous system (PNS)

A

the sensory and motor neurons that connect the CNS to the rest of the body

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15
Q

nerves

A

bundled axons that form neural cables connecting the CNS with muscles, glands, and sense of organs

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16
Q

sensory neurons

A

neurons that carry incoming information from the sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord

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17
Q

motor neurons

A

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

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18
Q

interneurons

A

neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and intervene between sensory inputs and motor outputs

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19
Q

somatic nervous system (SNS)

A

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

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20
Q

autonomic nervous system (ANS)

A

part of the PNS that controls the glands and muscles of the internal organs
sympathetic division arouses, parasympathetic division calms

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21
Q

sympathetic nervous system

A

division of the ANS that arouses the body to mobilize energy in stressful situations

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22
Q

parasympathetic nervous system

A

division of the ANS that calms the body to conserve energy

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23
Q

reflex

A

simple automatic response to a sensory stimulus

24
Q

neural networks

A

technique for stimulating the neuronal changes in the brain that underpin cognition and perception
involves connecting a large number of hypothetical neural units

25
endocrine system
the body's "slow" chemical communication system set of glands secrete hormones into the bloodstream for transport
26
hormones
chemical messengers manufactured by the endocrine glands travel through the bloodstream to affect other tissues
27
adrenal glands
pair of endocrine glands that sit just above the kidneys that help arouse the boy in times of stress (adrenaline)
28
pituitary gland
most influential gland in the endocrine system; under the influence of the hypothalamus regulate growth and controls other endocrine glands
29
lesion
tissue destruction brain lesions cause destruction of brain tissue and are either naturally occurring or occur experimentally
30
electroencephalogram
amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain's surface waves measured by electrodes placed on the scalp
31
positron emission tomography scan (PET scan)
visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task
32
magnetic resonance image (MRI)
technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce a computer-generated image of soft tissue shows brain anatomy
33
functional MRI
technique used to reveal bloodflow and brain activity by cmparing successive MRI scans shows brain function
34
brainstem
oldest part +central core of the brain begins where spinal cord swells as it enters the skull responsible for automatic survival functions
35
medulla
base of the brainstem controls heartbeat and breathing
36
reticular formation
nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal
37
thalamus
the brain's sensory switchboard located on top of the brainstem directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex, transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla
38
cerebellum
"little brain" located at the rear of the brainstem processes sensory input + coordination of movement output and balance
39
limbic system
doughnut shaped neural system (includes hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalumus) located below the cerebral hemispheres associated with emotions and drives
40
amygdala
two lima bean sized neural clusters in the limbic system linked to emotions
41
hypothalamus
neural structure lying below the thalamus directs maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temp.) helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland linked to emotion and reward
42
cerebral cortex
intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the cerebral hemispheres the body's ultimate control and info processing center
43
glial cells
cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons
44
frontal lobes
portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead involved in speaking and muscle movements, making plans and judgements
45
parietal lobes
portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head toward the rear receives sensory input for touch and body posistion
46
occipital lobes
portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head includes areas responsible for receiveing info from the visual fields
47
temporal lobes
portion of the cerebral cortex above the ears includes auditory areas that receive info primarily from the opposite ear
48
motor cortex
an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements
49
sensory cortex
area at the front of the parietal lobes that register and process body touch and movement sensations
50
association areas
areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor/sensory function they are involved in higher mental functions like learning. remembering, thinking, and speaking
51
aphasia
impairment of language; usually caused by left hemisphere damage either to Broca's area (impairing speaking), or to Wernicke's area (impairing understanding)
52
Broca's Area
controls language expression - an area usually in the left frontal lobe that directs the muscle movements invovled in speech
53
Wernicke's Area
controls language reception - a brain area involved in language comprehension and expression; usually in the left temporal lobes
54
plasticity
the brain's ability to change, epsecially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage/ by building new pathways based on experience
55
corpus callosum
the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres + carries messages between them
56
split brain
condition resulting from surgery that isolate the brain's two hemispheres by cutting the fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum connect them together)

Psychology (19 decks)

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