Week 05: Chapters 8 and 9

Question 1

neurons

Answer 1

A cell of the nervous system that receives and transmits information; also called nerve cell.

Question 2

hypothalamus

Answer 2

A complex structure near the lower center of the brain that has direct connections to many other parts of the brain and is involved in the production of psychologically important hormones; thought to be important for mood and motivation.

Question 3

hormone

Answer 3

A biological chemical that affects parts of the body some distance from where it is produced.

Question 4

amygdala

Answer 4

A structure located near the base of the brain that is believed to play a role in emotion, especially negative emotions such as anger and fear.

Question 5

hippocampus

Answer 5

A complex structure deep within the brain, behind the hypothalamus, that plays an important role in memory processes.

Question 6

cortex

Answer 6

The outside portion of an organ (see adrenal cortex); in the context of this book, refers to the outer layers of the brain.

Question 7

neocortex

Answer 7

The outer layer of the cortex of the brain, regarded as uniquely human.

Question 8

frontal cortex

Answer 8

The front part of the cortex of the brain. Divided left and right into the two frontal lobes, this part of the brain is associated with cognitive functioning such
as planning, foresight, and understanding.

Question 9

dopamine

Answer 9

A neurotransmitter in the brain that plays an important role in positive emotions and response to reward.

Question 10

norepinephrine

Answer 10

An important neurotrans- mitter in the brain that is associated with responses to stress; also called noradrenaline.

Question 11

serotonin

Answer 11

A neurotransmitter within the brain that plays an important role in the regulation of emotion and motivation.

Question 12

transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

Answer 12

A brain research technique that uses rap- idly changing magnetic fields to temporarily knock out (turn off) an area of brain activity to create a virtual lesion, allowing
investigation as to whether that area is essential for a psychological task.

Question 13

electroencephalography (EEG)

Answer 13

A technique for measuring the brain’s electrical activity by placing electrode sensors on the outside of the skull.

Question 14

magnetoencephalography (MEG)

Answer 14

A technique for using delicate magnetic sensors on the outside of the skull to detect brain activity.

Question 15

positron emission tomography (PET)

Answer 15

A technique for creating images of brain activity by injecting a radioactive tracer into the blood and then finding with a scanner where in the brain the blood is being metabolized.

Question 16

functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

Answer 16

A technique for imaging brain activity by using a powerful magnet to help detect blood flow in the brain.

Question 17

somatic marker hypothesis

Answer 17

Neurologist Antonio Damasio’s idea that the bodily (somatic), emotional component of thought is a necessary part of problem solving and decision making.

Question 18

corpus callosum

Answer 18

The thick bundle of nerve fibers connecting the right and left halves of the brain.

Question 19

anterior cingulate

Answer 19

The front part of the cingulate, a brain structure that runs from the front to the back of the brain in the middle, just above the corpus callosum. The anterior cingulate is believed to be important for the experience of normal emotion and self-control.

Question 20

neurotransmitters

Answer 20

The chemicals that allow one neuron to affect, or communicate with, another.

Question 21

synapse

Answer 21

The space between two neurons across which impulses are carried by neurotransmitters.

Question 22

hormone

Answer 22

A biological chemical that affects parts of the body some distance from where it is produced.

Question 23

central nervous system

Answer 23

The brain and spinal cord.

Question 24

peripheral nervous system

Answer 24

The system of nerves running throughout the body, not including the brain and spinal cord.

Question 25

gonads

Answer 25

The glands, testes in men and ovaries in women, that (among other effects) produce the sex hormones testosterone and estrogen, respectively.

Question 26

adrenal cortex

Answer 26

The outer layer of the adre- nal gland, atop the kidneys, that secretes several behaviorally important hormones.

Question 27

epinephrine

Answer 27

A neurotransmitter in the brain and also a hormone that is released by the adrenal gland as part of the body’s response to stress; also called adrenaline.

Question 28

oxytocin

Answer 28

A hormone that may have specific effects in women of emotional attachment and calming.

Question 29

testosterone

Answer 29

The male sex hormone.

Question 30

estrogen

Answer 30

The female sex hormone.

Question 31

cortisol

Answer 31

A collective term for the glucocorti- coid hormones, which are released into the bloodstream by the adrenal cortex as a response to physical or psychological stress.

Question 32

personality trait

Answer 32

A pattern of thought, emotion, or behavior that is relatively consistent over time and across situations.

Question 33

allele

Answer 33

A particular variant, or form, of a gene; most genes have two or more alleles.

Question 34

epigenetics

Answer 34

Nongenetic influences on a gene’s expression, such as stress, nutrition, and so forth.

Question 35

mate selection

Answer 35

What a person looks for in the opposite sex.

Question 36

mating strategies

Answer 36

How individuals handle heterosexual relationships.