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AP PSYCH > Unit 3: Biological Bases of Behavior > Flashcards

Unit 3: Biological Bases of Behavior Flashcards

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1
Q

terminal branches

A

the ends of the axon containing terminal buttons which hold synaptic vesicles that store neurotransmitters

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2
Q

neuron

A

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

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3
Q

cell body

A

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

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4
Q

dendrites

A

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

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5
Q

axon

A

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

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6
Q

myelin sheath (my-uh-lin)

A

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

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7
Q

glial cells (glia)

A

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

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8
Q

action potential

A

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

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9
Q

threshold

A

the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse

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10
Q

refractory period

A

in neural processing, a brief resting pause occurs after a neuron has fired; subsequent action potentials cannot occur until the axon returns to its resting state

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11
Q

all-or-none response

A

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

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12
Q

synapse (sin-aps)

A

the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron. the tiny gap at this junction is called the synaptic gap or synaptic cleft

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13
Q

neurotransmitters

A

chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons. when released by the sending neuron, neurotransmitters travel across the synapse and bind to receptor sites on the receiving neuron, thereby inflecting whether that neuron will generate a neural impulse

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14
Q

reuptake

A

a neurotransmitter’s reabsorption by the sending neuron

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15
Q

endorphins (en-dor-fins)

A

“morphine within” - natural, opiate-like neutrotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure

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16
Q

agonist

A

a molecule that increases a neurotransmitter’s actions

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17
Q

antagonist

A

a molecule that inhibits or blocks a neurotransmitter’s action

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18
Q

nervous system

A

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

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19
Q

central nervous system (CNS)

A

the brain and the spinal cord

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20
Q

peripheral nervous system (PNS)

A

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

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21
Q

nerves

A

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

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22
Q

sensory (afferent) neurons

A

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

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23
Q

motor (efferent) neurons

A

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

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24
Q

interneurons

A

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

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25
Q

somatic nervous system

A

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

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26
Q

autonomic (aw-tuh-nahm-ik_ nervous system (ans)

A

the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs (such as the heart). its sympathetic division arouses; its parasympathetic division calms

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27
Q

sympathetic nervous system

A

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

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28
Q

parasympathetic nervous system

A

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

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29
Q

reflex

A

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

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30
Q

endocrine (en-duh-krin) system

A

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

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31
Q

adrenal (ah-dreen-el) glands

A

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

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32
Q

pituitary gland

A

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

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33
Q

gate-control theory

A

the theory that the spinal cord contains a neurological “gate” that blocks pain signals or allows them to pass on to the brain. the “gate” is opened by the activity of pain signals traveling up small nerve fibers and is closed by activity in larger fibers and closed by activity in larger fibers or by information coming from the brain

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34
Q

olfaction

A

the sense of smell

35
Q

kinesthesia (kin-ehs-thee-zhuh)

A

our movement sense - our system for seeing the position and movement of individual body arts

36
Q

vestibular sense

A

our sense of body movement and position that enables our sense of balance

37
Q

sensory interaction

A

the principle that one sense may influence another, as when the smell of food influences its taste

38
Q

embodied cognition

A

the influence of bodily sensations, gestures, and other states on cognitive preferences and judgments

39
Q

lesion (lee-zhuhn)

A

tissue destruction; a brain lesion is a naturally or experimentally caused destruction of brain tissue

40
Q

EEG (electroencephalogram)

A

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

41
Q

MEG (magnetoencephalography)

A

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

42
Q

CT (computed tomography) scan

A

a series of X-ray photographs taken from different angles and combined by computer into a composite presentation of a slice of the brain’s structure (also called CAT scan)

43
Q

PET (positron emission tomography) scan

A

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

44
Q

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)

A

a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images of soft tissue. MRI scans show brain anatomy

45
Q

fMRI (functional MRI)

A

a technique for revealing blood flow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. fMRI scans show brain function as well as structure

46
Q

brainstem

A

the oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; the brainstem is responsible for automatic survival functions

47
Q

medulla (muh-duh-uh)

A

the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing

48
Q

pons

A

above the medulla; controls sleep and helps coordinate movements

49
Q

thalamus (thal-uh-muss)

A

the brain’s sensory control center, located on stop of the brainstem, it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmitted replies to the cerebellum and medulla

50
Q

reticular formation

A

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

51
Q

cerebellum (ser-uh-bell-um)

A

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

52
Q

limbic system

A

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

53
Q

amygdala (uh-mig-duh-la)

A

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

54
Q

hypothalamus (hi-po-thal-uhmuss)

A

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

55
Q

cerebral cortex

A

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

56
Q

frontal lobes

A

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

57
Q

parietal lobes

A

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

58
Q

occipital lobes

A

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

59
Q

temporal lobes

A

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

60
Q

motor cortex

A

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

61
Q

somatosensory cortex

A

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

62
Q

association areas

A

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

63
Q

plasticity

A

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

64
Q

neurogenesis

A

the formation of new neurons

65
Q

corpus callosum

A

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

66
Q

split brain

A

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

67
Q

consciousness

A

our subjective awareness of ourselves and our environment

68
Q

cognitive neuroscience

A

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

69
Q

dual processing

A

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

70
Q

blindsight

A

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

71
Q

parallel processing

A

processing many aspects of a problem simultaneously; generally used to process well-learned information or to solve essay problems

72
Q

behavior genetics

A

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

73
Q

heredity

A

the genetic transfer of characteristics from parents to offspring

74
Q

environment

A

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

75
Q

DNA

A

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

76
Q

genes

A

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

77
Q

genome

A

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

78
Q

identical twins

A

develop from a single fertilized egg that splits in two, creating two genetically identical organisms

79
Q

fraternal twins

A

develop from separate fertilized eggs, they are genetically no closer than ordinary brothers and sisters, but they share a prenatal environment

80
Q

heritability

A

the proportion of variation among individuals in a group that we can attribute to genes; their heritability of a trait may vary, depending on the range of populations and environments studied

81
Q

interaction

A

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

82
Q

molecular genetics

A

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

83
Q

molecular behavior genetics

A

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

84
Q
A

AP PSYCH (1 decks)

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