Mod 4-6

Question 1

biological psychology

Answer 1

a branch of psychology concerned witht he links between biology and behavior (some biological psychologists call themselves behavioral neuroscientists, neuropsychologists, behavior geneticists, physiological psychologists, or biopsychologists.)

Question 2

neuron

Answer 2

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

Question 3

sensory neurons

Answer 3

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

Question 4

motor neurons

Answer 4

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

Question 5

interneurons

Answer 5

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

Question 6

dendrite

Answer 6

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

Question 7

axon

Answer 7

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

Question 8

myelin sheath

Answer 8

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

Question 9

action potential

Answer 9

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

Question 10

threshold

Answer 10

the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse

Question 11

synaps

Answer 11

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

Question 12

neurotransmitters

Answer 12

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

Question 13

reuptake

Answer 13

a neurotransmitter’s reabsorption by the sending neuron

Question 14

endorphins

Answer 14

morphine within- natural, opiatelike neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure

Question 15

nervous system

Answer 15

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

Question 16

central nervous system (CNS)

Answer 16

the brain and spinal cord

Question 17

peripheral nervous system (PNS)

Answer 17

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

Question 18

nerves

Answer 18

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

Question 19

somatic nervous system

Answer 19

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

Question 20

autonomic nervous system

Answer 20

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

Question 21

sympathetic nervous system

Answer 21

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

Question 22

parasympathetic nervous system

Answer 22

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

Question 23

reflex

Answer 23

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

Question 24

endocrine system

Answer 24

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

Question 25

hormones

Answer 25

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

Question 26

adrenal glands

Answer 26

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

Question 27

pituitary gland

Answer 27

the endocrine system's most influential gland. Under the influence of the hypothalamus, the pituitary regulates growth and controls endocrine glands.

Question 28

lesion

Answer 28

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

Question 29

electroencephalogram (EEG)

Answer 29

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.

Question 30

PET positron emission tomography scan

Answer 30

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

Question 31

MRI magnetic resonance imaging

Answer 31

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

Question 32

fMRI functional MRI

Answer 32

a technique for revealing bloodflow and therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. f MRI scans show brain function.

Question 33

brainstem

Answer 33

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

Question 34

medulla

Answer 34

the base of the brainstem' controls heartbeat and breathing

Question 35

reticular formation

Answer 35

a nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal

Question 36

thalamus

Answer 36

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 emdulla

Question 37

cerebellum

Answer 37

the little brain at the rear of the brainstem functions include processing sensory input and coordinating movement output and balance

Question 38

limbic system

Answer 38

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

Question 39

amygdala

Answer 39

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

Question 40

hypothalamus

Answer 40

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

Question 41

cerebral cortex

Answer 41

the intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the cerbral hemispheres; the body's ultimate control and information processing center

Question 42

glial cells (glia)

Answer 42

cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons

Question 43

frontal lobes

Answer 43

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

Question 44

parietal lobes

Answer 44

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

Question 45

occipital lobes

Answer 45

portion of the cerbral cortex lying at the back of the head' includes areas that receive information form the visual fields

Question 46

temporal lobes

Answer 46

portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory areas,, each receiving information primarily form the opposite car.

Question 47

motor cortex

Answer 47

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

Question 48

sensory cortex

Answer 48

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

Question 49

association areas

Answer 49

areas of the cerebral corte that are not involved in primary motor or sensory fucntions' rather, they are involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking ,and speaking

Question 50

plasticity

Answer 50

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

Question 51

neurogenesis

Answer 51

the formation of new neurons

Question 52

corpus callosum

Answer 52

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

Question 53

split brain

Answer 53

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