Unit 3- Bio Psych Flashcards
medulla
the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing
pons
gives information to the cerebellum and to the rest of the brain
reticular formation
a nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal (consciousness)
thalamus
sensory control center (all senses except smell)
cerebellum
balance, coordination, movement
hippocampus
ability to create new memories
amygdala
emotional processing
hypothalamus
reward system - tells body it’s hungry, thirsty, etc.
frontal lobe
associated with reasoning, planning, parts of speech, movement, emotions, and problem solving
parietal lobe
receives sensory input for touch and body position
occipital lobe
responsible for vision
temporal lobe
hearing (opposite ear)
motor cortex
controls voluntary movements (any movement)
somatosensory cortex
registers and processes body touch and movement sensations
association areas
mental functions - learning, remembering, thinking, speaking
corpus callosum
joins the two hemispheres of the brain
left hemisphere
controls the right side of the body; analytical, language, math
right hemisphere
controls the left side of the body; creative, intuitive, spacial
Broca’s area
speech production, left frontal lobe
Wernicke’s area
language comprehension, left temporal lobe
endocrine system
the body’s “slow” chemical communication system (releases hormones)
pituitary gland
master gland (controls other glands)- releases growth hormone
pineal gland
releases melatonin (sleep hormone)
pancreas
an organ that releases insulin hormone (controlled by hypothalamus)
adrenal glands
release epinephrine and norepinephrine
thyroid gland
regulates metabolism- help control energy levels
Acetylcholine (ACh)
neurotransmitter- enables muscle action, learning, and memory
Dopamine
neurotransmitter that regulates motor behavior, motivation, pleasure, and emotion (creates addictions)
epinephrine and norepinephrine
neurotransmitter- fight-or-flight responses, wakefulness, alertness
serotonin
neurotransmitter which affects mood and motivation
GABA
neurotransmitter - helps calm you down (too much can make you too relaxed)
endorphins
neurotransmitters- influence the perception of pain or pleasure
REM Sleep
sleep stage where vivid dreams occur. Restorative sleep, locks in memory.
Informational processing
dream theory: help sort through day’s events and consolidates or memories
Manifest v. Latent content
manifest content is the symbolic remembered story line of a dream
latent content is the underlying meaning of a dream (unconscious drives and wishes)
Stimulants
drugs that excite neural activity and speed up body functions
types of stimulants: nicotine, cocaine, amphetamines, methamphetamine, ecstasy,
depressants
drugs that slow down neural activity and body functions
types of depressants: alcohol, tranquilizers/barbiturates, opiates
Agonists
molecule that increases a neurotransmitters action
Antagonists
molecule that inhibits or blocks a neurotransmitters action
EEG
function- looks at brain waves
MEG
function- find out what part of brain is activated during certain activities or tasks
CT
location- an x-ray of the brain; reveals damage
PET
function- shows where radioactive glucose goes when brain performs a certain task
MRI
location- use magnetic fields to produce images; show brain anatomy
fMRI
location & function- reveals blood flow and how quickly brain cells absorb oxygen (shows anatomy and physiology of brain)
