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

Unit 4: Biological Bases of Psychology Flashcards

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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
Q

afferent neurons (sensory)

A

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

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26
Q

efferent neurons (motor)

A

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

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27
Q

interneurons

A

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

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28
Q

somatic nervous system

A

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

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29
Q

autonomic nervous system

A

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

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30
Q

sympathetic nervous system

A

the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing it’s energy in stressful situations

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31
Q

parasympathetic nervous system

A

the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving it’s energy

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32
Q

reflex

A

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

33
Q

endocrine system

A

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

34
Q

hormones

A

chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands that travel through the bloodstream and affect other tissues

35
Q

adrenal glands

A

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

36
Q

pituitary gland

A

endocrine system’s most influential gland; regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands

37
Q

lesion

A

tissue destruction

38
Q

EEG

A

amplified recording of waves of electrical activity in the brain

39
Q

CT scan

A

series of x-rays from different angles that make a representation of the brain

40
Q

PET scan

A

display of brain activity shown through a radioactive form of glucose

41
Q

MRI

A

technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to show images of soft tissue in the brain

42
Q

FMRI

A

technique for revealing blood flow and brain activity

43
Q

brainstem

A

oldest part of the brain responsible for automatic survival functions

44
Q

medulla

A

at the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing

45
Q

thalamus

A

brain’s sensory control center; directs messages to sensory receiving areas

46
Q

reticular formation

A

a nerve network that travels through the brainstem and thalamus that controls arousal

47
Q

cerebellum

A

the “little brain” that controls your balance

48
Q

limbic system

A

neural system located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotion

49
Q

amygdala

A

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

50
Q

hypothalamus

A

a neural structure lying below the thalamus; directs several maintenance activities and helps govern the endocrine system; linked to emotions and rewards

51
Q

cerebral cortex

A

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

52
Q

glial cells

A

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

53
Q

frontal lobes

A

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

54
Q

parietal lobes

A

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

55
Q

occipital lobes

A

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

56
Q

temporal lobes

A

portion of the cerebral cortex lying above the ears; interprets auditory information

57
Q

motor cortex

A

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

58
Q

somatosensory cortex

A

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

59
Q

plasticity

A

the brain’s ability to change. especially during childhood by reorganizing and building pathways

60
Q

neurogenesis

A

the formation of new neurons

61
Q

corpus callosum

A

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

62
Q

split brain

A

a condition resulting from surgery that isolates the hemispheres

63
Q

consciousness

A

our awareness of ourselves and our environment

64
Q

cognitive neuroscience

A

interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition

65
Q

dual processing

A

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

66
Q

evolutionary psychology

A

the study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection

67
Q

natural selection

A

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
Q

mutation

A

a random error in gene replication that leads to change

69
Q

biopsychosocial approach

A

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
Q

Broca’s area

A

area of brain responsible for spoken language

71
Q

Wernicke’s area

A

area of brain responsible for language comprehension

72
Q

left brain

A
  • language
  • math
  • literal interpretations
  • speaking
  • controls right side of body
73
Q

right brain

A
  • perceptual tasks
  • making inferences
  • modulating speech
  • visual perception
  • recognizing emotion
  • controlling left side of body
74
Q

parallel processing

A

processes many parts of the problem at the same time

75
Q

sequential processing

A

figuring out a problem in steps

76
Q

heritability

A

to what extent we can attribute genetics to a person’s traits

77
Q

molecular genetics

A

study of the molecular structure

78
Q

molecular behavioral genetics

A

how the structure and function of genes affects behavior

79
Q

epigenetics

A

to what extent your environment determines genes

AP Psychology (10 decks)

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