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AP Psychology > Chapter 3: Biological Bases of Behavior > Flashcards

Chapter 3: Biological Bases of Behavior Flashcards

1
Q

neuron

A

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

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2
Q

cell body

A

the part of a neuron that contains the nucleus; the cell’s life-support center

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3
Q

dendrites

A

a neuron’s often bushy, branching extensions that receive and integrate messages, conducting 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 node to the next

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6
Q

glial cells

A

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

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7
Q

action potential

A

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

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8
Q

threshold

A

the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse

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9
Q

refractory period

A

(1) in neural processing, a brief resting pause that occurs after a neuron has fired; subsequent action potentials cannot occur until the axon returns to its resting state. (2) in human sexuality, a resting period that occurs after orgasm, during which a person cannot achieve another orgasm

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10
Q

all-or-none response

A

a neuron’s reaction of either firing (with a full-strength response) or not firing

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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

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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

endorphins

A

neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure

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15
Q

agonist

A

a molecule that increases a neurotransmitter’s action

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16
Q

antagonist

A

a molecule that inhibits or blocks a neurotransmitter’s action

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17
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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18
Q

central nervous system (CNS)

A

the brain and spinal cord

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19
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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20
Q

nerves

A

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

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21
Q

sensory neurons

A

neurons that carry incoming information from the body’s tissues and sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord

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22
Q

motor neurons

A

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

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23
Q

interneurons

A

neurons within the brain and spinal cord; they communicate internally and process information between the sensory inputs and motor outputs

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24
Q

somatic nervous system

A

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

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25
Q

autonomic nervous system (ANS)

A

the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs

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26
Q

sympathetic nervous system

A

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

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27
Q

parasympathetic nervous system

A

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

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28
Q

reflex

A

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

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29
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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30
Q

hormones

A

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

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31
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

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32
Q

pituitary gland

A

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

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33
Q

lesion

A

tissue destruction

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34
Q

EEG

A

an amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity sweeping across the brain’s surface. These waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp

35
Q

MEG

A

a brain imaging technique that measures magnetic fields from the brain’s natural electrical activity

36
Q

CT scan

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

37
Q

PET scan

A

a visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task

38
Q

MRI

A

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

39
Q

fMRI

A

a technique for revealing bloodflow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans

40
Q

brainstem

A

the oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull

41
Q

medulla

A

the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing

42
Q

thalamus

A

the brain’s sensory control center, 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

43
Q

reticular formation

A

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

44
Q

cerebellum

A

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

45
Q

limbic system

A

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

46
Q

amygdala

A

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

47
Q

hypothalamus

A

a neural structure lying below the thalamus; it directs several maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temperature), helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion and reward

48
Q

hippocampus

A

a neural center located in the limbic system; helps process for storage explicit (conscious) memories of facts and events

49
Q

cerebral cortex

A

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

50
Q

frontal lobes

A

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

51
Q

parietal lobes

A

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

52
Q

occipital lobes

A

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

53
Q

temporal lobes

A

the portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory areas, each receiving information primarily from the opposite ear

54
Q

motor cortex

A

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

55
Q

somatosensory cortex

A

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

56
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

57
Q

plasticity

A

the brain’s ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience

58
Q

neurogenesis

A

the formation of new neurons

59
Q

corpus callosum

A

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

60
Q

split brain

A

a condition resulting from surgery that isolates the brain’s two hemispheres by cutting the fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) connecting them

61
Q

consciousness

A

our subjective awareness of ourselves and our environment

62
Q

cognitive neuroscience

A

the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking, memory, and language)

63
Q

dual processing

A

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

64
Q

blindsight

A

a condition in which a person can respond to a visual stimulus without consciously experiencing it

65
Q

sequential processing

A

processing one aspect of a problem at a time; generally used to process new information or to solve difficult problems

66
Q

behavior genetics

A

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

67
Q

heredity

A

the genetic transfer of characteristics from parents to offspring

68
Q

environment

A

every nongenetic influence, from prenatal nutrition to the people and things around us

69
Q

chromosomes

A

threadlike structures made of DNA molecules that contain the genes

70
Q

DNA

A

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

71
Q

genes

A

the biochemical units of heredity that make up the chromosomes; segments of DNA capable of synthesizing proteins

72
Q

genome

A

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

73
Q

identical twins

A

develop from a single fertilized egg that splits in two

74
Q

fraternal twins

A

develop from separate fertilized eggs

75
Q

heritability

A

the proportion of variation among individuals in a group that we can attribute to genes

76
Q

interaction

A

the interplay that occurs when the effect of one factor (such as environment) depends on another factor (such as heredity)

77
Q

molecular genetics

A

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

78
Q

molecular behavior genetics

A

the study of how the structure and function of genes interact with our environment to influence behavior

79
Q

epigenetics

A

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

80
Q

evolutionary psychology

A

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

81
Q

natural selection

A

the principle that inherited traits that better enable an organism to survive and reproduce in a particular environment will (in competition with other trait variations) most likely be passed on to succeeding generations

82
Q

mutation

A

a random error in gene replication that leads to a change

83
Q

social script

A

a culturally modeled guide for how to act in various situations

84
Q

parallel processing

A

processing many aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain’s natural mode of information processing for many functions

AP Psychology (13 decks)

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