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AP Psychology > Chapter 2 > Flashcards

Chapter 2 Flashcards

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1
Q

dendrite

A

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

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2
Q

axon

A

the extension of a neuron, ending in branching terminal fibers, through which messages pass to other neurons or to muscles or glands

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3
Q

myelin sheath

A

a layer of fatty tissue sentimentally encasing the fibers of many neurons; enables vastly greater transmission speed of neural impulses as the impulse hops from one node to the next

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4
Q

action potential

A

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

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5
Q

threshold

A

the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse

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6
Q

synapse

A

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

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7
Q

neuron

A

a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system

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8
Q

neurotransmitters

A

chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons. when released by the sending neuron, they travel across the synapse and bind to receptor sites on the receiving neuron, thereby influencing whether that neuron will generate a neural impulse

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9
Q

endorphins

A

“morphine within” - natural, opiate like neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure

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10
Q

nervous system

A

the body’s speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous system

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11
Q

central nervous system ( CNS )

A

“center”, the brain and spinal cord

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12
Q

peripheral nervous system ( PNS )

A

the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body

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13
Q

nerves

A

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

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14
Q

sensory neurons

A

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

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15
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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16
Q

motor neurons

A

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

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17
Q

autonomic nervous system

A

part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs ( heart ). sympathetic division arouses; its parasympathetic division calms

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18
Q

sympathetic nervous system

A

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

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19
Q

parasympathetic nervous system

A

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

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20
Q

reflex

A

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

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21
Q

endocrine system

A

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

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22
Q

hormones

A

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

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23
Q

adrenal glands

A

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

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24
Q

pituitary gland

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A

the endocrine system’s most influential gland. under the influence of the hypothalamus, it regulates growth and control other endocrine glands

25
glial cells
cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons
26
lesion
tissue destruction, a brain lesion of a naturally or experimentally caused destruction of brain tissue
27
PET Scan ( position emission tomography ) scan
a visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task
28
MRI ( magnetic resonance imaging )
a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer generated images of soft tissue, they show the brains anatomy
29
brainstem
the oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; the brainstem is responsible for automatic surivial functions
30
sensory cortex
area of the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations
31
motor cortex
an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements
32
temporal lobes
portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory areas, each receiving information primarily from the opposite ear, "temple"
33
occipital lobes
portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes areas that receive information form the visual fields
34
parietal lobes
portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; receives sensory input for touch and body position
35
frontal lobes
portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgements
36
cerebral cortex
the intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the cerebral hemispheres; the body's ultimate control and information-processing center
37
medulla
the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing
38
reticular formation
a nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal, between the medulla and brainstem. altertness, attention, some reflexes like breathing, coughing, sneezing, and vomiting
39
thalamus
the brain's sensory switchboard, located on top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla
40
cerebellum
the "little brain" at the rear of the brainstem; functions include processing sensory input and coordinating movement output and balance
41
limbic system
neural system ( hippocampus, amygdala and hypothalamus ) located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions and drives
42
amygdala
two lima bean-sized neural clusters in the limbic system; linked to emotion
43
hypothalamus
a neural structure lying below the thalamus; it directs several maintenance activities ( eating, drinking, body temperature , help govern the endocrine system via the pituitary glands, and is linked to emotion and reward
44
electroencephalogram ( EEG )
an amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain's surface. these waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp
45
association areas
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
46
split brain
a condition resulting from surgery that isolates the brain's two hemispheres by cutting the fibers ( mainly those of the corpus callosum ) connecting them
47
plasticity
the brain's ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience
48
neurogenesis
refers to the process by which neurons or nerve cells are generated in the brain. most active during prenatal development, when a baby's brain is being formed
49
reuptake
re absorption of a secreted substance by the cell that originally produced and secreted it
50
biological psychology
study of physiological, genetic, and developmental mechanisms of behavior in humans and other animals
51
corpus callosum
a broad band of nerve fibers joining the two hemispheres of the brain
52
Wernicke's area
region of the brain concerned with the comprehension of language, located in the cortex of the dominant temporal lobe. damage, can cause grammatical speech, inability to use/understand more than the most basic nouns and verbs
53
broca's area
area of the cerebral motor cortex in the frontal lobe of the brain that is responsible for speech development. damage can cause speech disorders, including apraxia and dyspraxia of speech
54
aphasia
disorder affecting speech and language skills and is caused by damage to the brain, either by injury or illness. symptoms can be difficulty speaking, writing, reading, comprehending speech
55
CAT Scan ( computerized axial tomography )
an x-ray technique that produce a film representing detailed cross section of tissue structure
56
neural networks
artificial network/mathematical model for information processing based on how neurons/synapses work in the human brain. using human brain as a model, it connects simple neurons
57
skeletal nervous system
consists of the bones in the skeleton, the muscles attached to them, and the nervous system that controls the movements of both. only works when the bones, muscles, and nervous system work together
58
acetylcholine
the first neurotransmitter to be identified. it is a chemical transmitter in both the peripheral nervous system and central nervous system in many organisms including humans

AP Psychology (17 decks)

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