Chapter 2 Flashcards
Why are psychologists concerned with human biology?
psychologists working from a biological perspective study the links between biology and behavior.
what do phrenology and biological psychology have in common?
They share a focus on the links between the brain and behavior.
Biological psychology
the scientific study of the links between biological (genetic, neural, hormonal) and psychological processes.
Plasticity
the brains ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experiences.
How do biology and experiences react?
plasticity enables our brain to adjust to new experiences, thereby being sculpted by both genes and life. This is life long ability, greatest in childhood. with practice, our brain develops unique patterns that reflect out life experiences.
What are neurons, and how do they transmit information?
Neurons are a nerve cells; they are the basic building block of the nervous system; they transmit information with chemical and electrical signals.
Cell body
The parts of the neuron that contains the nucleus; the cells life support center.
Dendrites
A neurons often bushy, branching extensions that receive and integrate messages, conducting impulses toward the cell body.
Axon
The neuron extension that passes messages through its branches to other neurons, or muscles, or glands.
Myelin Sheath
A fatty tissue layer segmentally encasing the axons of some neurons; enables vastly greater transmission speed as neural impulses hop from one nod to another.
Glial Cells
Cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons; they also play a role in thinking, learning, and memory.
Action potential
A neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down the axon.
When a neuron fires an action potential, the information travels through the axon, the dendrites, and the cell body, but not in that order. Explain the order of sequence these three structures are in.
Dendrites, cell body, then the information travels through the axon.
How does our nervous system allow us to experience the difference between a slap and a tap on the back?
Stronger stimuli (the slap) cause more neurons to fire and to fire more frequently than happens with a weaker stimuli (the tap)
Threshold
the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse.
How do nerve cells communicate with other nerve cells?
Nerve cells or neurons communicate with each other by releasing specific molecules in the gap between them, the synapses. The sending neuron passes on messages through packets of chemicals called neurotransmitters, which are picked up by the receiving cell with the help of receptors on its surface.
Refractory period
Period of inactivity after a neuron has fired
All-or-none response
A neuron’s reaction of either firing (with a full-strength response) or not firing
Neuro transmitters
Chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons. When released by the sending neuron, neurotransmitters travel across the synapse and bind to receptor sites on the receiving neuron, thereby influencing whether that neuron will generate a neural impulse.
Reuptake
A neurotransmitters reabsorption by the sending neuron.
What happens in the synaptic gap?
Neurons send neurotransmitters (chemical messengers) across this tiny space between ones neurons terminal branch and the next neurons dendrite or cell body.
What is reuptake? What two other things can happen to excess neurotransmitters after a neuron reacts?
Reuptake occurs when excess neurotransmitters are reabsorbed by the sending neuron. They can drift away or be broken down by enzymes.
Serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins are all chemical messengers called?
Neurotransmitters
What role does acetylcholine play?
Learning, and memory
