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AP Psychology > Units 3 - 7 > Flashcards

Units 3 - 7 Flashcards

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1
Q

biological psychologists

A

studying the links between biological activity and psychological events

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2
Q

neuron

A

nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system

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3
Q

dendrite

A

a neuron’s bushy, branching extensions that receive messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body.

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4
Q

axon

A

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

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5
Q

myelin sheath

A

a fatty tissue layer segmentally encasing the axons of some neurons; enables vastly greater transmission speed as neural impulses hop from one sausage-like node to the next

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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

resting potential

A

electrical imbalance of inner electrons and their surroundings

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8
Q

refractory period

A

a period of inactivity after a neuron has fired

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9
Q

threshold

A

the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse

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10
Q

all-or-none response

A

a neuron’s reaction of either firing (with a full response) or not firing at all.

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11
Q

synapse

A

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

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12
Q

neurotransmitters

A

chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons.

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13
Q

reuptake

A

a neurotransmitter’s reabsorption by the sending neuron.

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14
Q

acetylcholine

A

enables muscle action, learning, and memory

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15
Q

dopamine

A

influences movement, learning, attention, and emotion

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16
Q

serotonin

A

affects mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal

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17
Q

norepinephrine

A

helps control alertness and arousal

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18
Q

GABA ( gamma-aminobutyric acid )

A

a major inhibitory neurotransmitter

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19
Q

glutamate

A

a major excitatory neurotransmitter; involved in memory.

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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

antagonists

A

a molecule that, by binding to a receptor site, inhibits or blocks a response.

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22
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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23
Q

central nervous system

A

brain and spinal cord

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24
Q

peripheral nervous system

A

responsible for gathering information and for transmitting CNS decisions to other body parts.

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25
Q

Nerves

A

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

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26
Q

sensory (afferent) neurons

A

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

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27
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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28
Q

interneurons

A

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

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29
Q

peripheral nervous system

A

somatic and autonomic

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30
Q

somatic nervous system

A

enables voluntary control of our skeletal muscles

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31
Q

autonomic nervous system

A

controls our glands and the muscles of our internal organs

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32
Q

sympathetic nervous system

A

division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations.

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33
Q

parasympathetic nervous system

A

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

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34
Q

reflexes

A

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

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35
Q

endocrine system

A

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

36
Q

hormones

A

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

37
Q

adrenal glands

A

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

38
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.

39
Q

lesion

A

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

40
Q

electroencephalogram (EEG)

A

an amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity sweeping across the brain’s surface.

41
Q

CT ( computed tomography )

A

a series of X-ray photographs taken from different angles and combined by computer into a composite representation of a slice of the brain’s structure.

42
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.

43
Q

MRI ( magnetic resonance imaging )

A

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

44
Q

fMRI ( functional MRI )

A

a technique for revealing bloodflow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. shows brain function as well as structure.

45
Q

brainstem

A

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

46
Q

medulla

A

the base of the brainstem; controls heart beat and breathing

47
Q

thalamus

A

the brain’s sensory control center, located on top of brainstem; directs messages to sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla.

48
Q

reticular formation

A

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

49
Q

cerebellum

A

“little brain” rear of brainstem; processing sensory input, coordinating movement output and balance, and enabling nonverbal learning and memory.

50
Q

limbic system

A

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

51
Q

amygdala

A

two lima-bean-sized neural clusters in limbic system; aggression and fear

52
Q

hippocampus

A

processes conscious memories

53
Q

hypothalamus

A

help maintain steady internal state; influence hunger, regulate thirst, body temperature, sexual behavior

54
Q

cerebral cortex

A

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

55
Q

glial cells (glia)

A

cells in nervous system support nourish and protect neurons; role in learning and thinking. provide nutrients and insulating myelin, etc

56
Q

frontal lobes (behind your forehead)

A

involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgements

57
Q

parietal lobes (rear of top head)

A

receives sensory input for touch and body position

58
Q

occipital lobes ( back of head )

A

receive information from the visual fields

59
Q

temporal lobes

A

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

area at the front of the parietal 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 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

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

66
Q

split brain

A

a condition resulting from surgery isolating brain’s two hemispheres

67
Q

consciousness

A

our awareness of ourselves and our environment

68
Q

cognitive neuroscience

A

study of brain activity linked with cognition

69
Q

dual proecssing

A

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

70
Q

behavior genetics

A

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

71
Q

environment

A

every external influence

72
Q

chromosomes

A

threadlike structures made of DNA molecules that contain genes

73
Q

DNA

A

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

74
Q

genes

A

the biochemical units of hereditary that make up the chromosomes

75
Q

genome

A

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

76
Q

Identical twins

A

twins who developed from a single fertilized egg that splits in two, creating two genetically identical organisms

77
Q

fraternal twins

A

twins who develop from separate fertilized eggs.

78
Q

molecular genetics

A

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

79
Q

heritability

A

proportion of variation among individuals that we can attribute to genes.

80
Q

interaction

A

the interplay that occurs when the effect of one factor depends on another factor.

81
Q

epigenics

A

the study of environmental influences on gene expression that occur without a DNA change.

82
Q

evolutionary psychology

A

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

83
Q

natural selection

A

the best survive

84
Q

mutation

A

a random error in gene replication that leads to a change

85
Q
A

AP Psychology (8 decks)

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