Unit 3A vocab Flashcards
a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system
neuron
a branch of psych concerned with the links between biology and behavior
biological psych
aka: behavioral neuroscientists, neuropsychologists, behavior geneticists, physiological psychologists, biophysiologists
neurons that carry incoming info from the sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord
sensory neurons
neurons that carry outgoing info from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands
motor neurons
neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs
interneurons
the bushy, branching extensions of a neuron that receive messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body
dendrite
the extension of a neuron, ending in branching terminal fibers, through which messages pass to other neurons or to muscles and glands
axon
a layer of fatty tissue segmentally encasing the fibers of many neurons; enables vastly greater transmission speed of neural impulses as the impulse hops from one node to the next
myelin sheath
a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down the axon
action potential
the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse
threshold
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
synapse
chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons. when released by the sending neuron, these go thru synapse and bind to receptors on the receiving neuron, influencing whether that neuron will generate a neural impulse
neurotransmitter
a neurotransmiter’s reabsorption by the sending neuron
reuptake
morphine within
natural, opiatelike neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure
endorphins
the body’s speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems
nervous system
brain and spinal cord
central nervous system CNS
the sensory and motor neurons that connect the CNS to rest of body
peripheral nervous system PNS
bundled axons that form neural “cables” connecting the central nervous system with muscles, glands and sense organs
nerves
the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body’s skeletal muscles
somatic nervous system
aka skeletal nervous system
the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs (like heart) its sympathetic division arouses; its parasympathetic division calms
autonomic nervous system
the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations
sympathetic nervous system
the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy
parasympathetic nervous system
a simple, automatic response to a sensory stimulus, such as the knee-jerk response
reflex
the body’s “slow” chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream
endocrine system
chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands, travel through the bloodstream, and affect other tissues
hormones
a pair of endocrine glands that sit just aove the kidneys and secrete hormones (epinephrine and norepinephrine) that help arouse the body in times of stress
adrenal glands
the endocrine system’s most influential gland. under the influence of the hypothalamus, this gland regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands
pituitary glands
NT enables muscle action, learning and memory
acetylcholine
NT influences movement, learning, attention and emotion
dopamine
NT affects mood, hunger, sleep and arousal
serotonin
NT helps control alertness and arousal
norepinephrin
NT a major inhibitory nt
GABA
gamma-aminobutyric acid
NT a major excitatory nt
involved in memory
glutamate
