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AP Psychology > Unit 4: Biological Bases of Psychology > Flashcards

Unit 4: Biological Bases of Psychology Flashcards

1
Q

biological psychology

A

study of links between biological and psychological processes

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2
Q

neuron

A

a nerve cell; basic building block of the nervous system

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3
Q

dendrites

A

a neuron’s bushy, branching extensions that receive messages and conduct impulses

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4
Q

axon

A

the neuron extension that passes messages through it’s to other neurons or muscles/glands

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5
Q

myelin sheath

A

a fatty tissue layer encasing the axon that increases the transmission speed of nerve impulses

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6
Q

action potential

A

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

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7
Q

refractory period

A

a period of inactivity after a neuron has fired

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8
Q

threshold

A

the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural response

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9
Q

all-or-none response

A

a neuron’s reaction of either firing with a full strength response or not firing at all

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10
Q

synapse

A

the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite of the receiving neuron

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11
Q

neurotransmitters

A

chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps

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12
Q

reuptake

A

a neurotransmitter’s reabsorption by the sending neuron

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13
Q

acetylcholine

A

a neurotransmitter; enables muscle action, learning, and memory

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14
Q

dopamine

A

a neurotransmitter; influences movement, learning, attention, and emotion

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15
Q

serotonin

A

a neurotransmitter; affects mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal

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16
Q

norepinephrine

A

a neurotransmitter; helps control alertness and arousal

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17
Q

GABA

A

a major inhibitory neurotransmitter

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18
Q

glutamate

A

a major excitatory neurotransmitter involved in memory

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19
Q

endorphins

A

a neurotransmitter; pain and pleasure perception

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20
Q

agonist

A

a molecule that, by binding to a receptor site stimulates a response

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21
Q

nervous system

A

the body’s electrochemical communication network

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22
Q

central nervous system

A

consists of the spinal cord

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23
Q

peripheral nervous system

A

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

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24
Q

nerves

A

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

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25
afferent neurons (sensory)
neurons that carry incoming information from the sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord
26
efferent neurons (motor)
neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands
27
interneurons
neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and intervene between sensory inputs/motor outputs
28
somatic nervous system
the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's skeletal muscles
29
autonomic nervous system
part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs. It's sympathetic division arouses; it's parasympathetic division calms
30
sympathetic nervous system
the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing it's energy in stressful situations
31
parasympathetic nervous system
the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving it's energy
32
reflex
a simple, automatic response to a sensory stimulus, such as the knee-jerk response
33
endocrine system
the body's "slow" chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the body
34
hormones
chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands that travel through the bloodstream and affect other tissues
35
adrenal glands
a pair of endocrine glands that sit just above the kidneys and secrete hormones that help arouse the body in times of stress
36
pituitary gland
endocrine system's most influential gland; regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands
37
lesion
tissue destruction
38
EEG
amplified recording of waves of electrical activity in the brain
39
CT scan
series of x-rays from different angles that make a representation of the brain
40
PET scan
display of brain activity shown through a radioactive form of glucose
41
MRI
technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to show images of soft tissue in the brain
42
FMRI
technique for revealing blood flow and brain activity
43
brainstem
oldest part of the brain responsible for automatic survival functions
44
medulla
at the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing
45
thalamus
brain's sensory control center; directs messages to sensory receiving areas
46
reticular formation
a nerve network that travels through the brainstem and thalamus that controls arousal
47
cerebellum
the "little brain" that controls your balance
48
limbic system
neural system located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotion
49
amygdala
two lima-bean sized neural clusters in the limbic system; linked to emotion
50
hypothalamus
a neural structure lying below the thalamus; directs several maintenance activities and helps govern the endocrine system; linked to emotions and rewards
51
cerebral cortex
the intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the cerebral hemispheres; the body's ultimate control and information processing center
52
glial cells
cells in the nervous system that support, nourish and protect neurons; play a role in learning and thinking
53
frontal lobes
portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgements
54
parietal lobes
portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head towards the rear; receives sensory input for tough and body position
55
occipital lobes
portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes areas that receive information from visual fields
56
temporal lobes
portion of the cerebral cortex lying above the ears; interprets auditory information
57
motor cortex
an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls the voluntary movements
58
somatosensory cortex
area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations
59
plasticity
the brain's ability to change. especially during childhood by reorganizing and building pathways
60
neurogenesis
the formation of new neurons
61
corpus callosum
the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them
62
split brain
a condition resulting from surgery that isolates the hemispheres
63
consciousness
our awareness of ourselves and our environment
64
cognitive neuroscience
interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition
65
dual processing
the principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracts
66
evolutionary psychology
the study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection
67
natural selection
the principle that, among the range of inherited trait variations, those contributing to reproduction and survival will most likely be passed on to succeeding generations
68
mutation
a random error in gene replication that leads to change
69
biopsychosocial approach
biological: - shared human genome - genetic variation - prenatal environment - sex-related genes, hormones, and physiology Psychological: - gene/environment interaction - neurological effect of early experience - personality/gender - beliefs/feelings Social-cultural: - parents - peers - cultural attitudes/norms - gender norms
70
Broca's area
area of brain responsible for spoken language
71
Wernicke's area
area of brain responsible for language comprehension
72
left brain
- language - math - literal interpretations - speaking - controls right side of body
73
right brain
- perceptual tasks - making inferences - modulating speech - visual perception - recognizing emotion - controlling left side of body
74
parallel processing
processes many parts of the problem at the same time
75
sequential processing
figuring out a problem in steps
76
heritability
to what extent we can attribute genetics to a person's traits
77
molecular genetics
study of the molecular structure
78
molecular behavioral genetics
how the structure and function of genes affects behavior
79
epigenetics
to what extent your environment determines genes

AP Psychology (10 decks)

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