Module 2

Question 1

Epigenetics

Answer 1

studies how the same genotype can be expressed in different ways

Question 2

2 basic cell types making up the nervous system

Answer 2

glial cells and neurons

Question 3

Glial cells

Answer 3

allow neuronal communication, provide insulation to neurons, transport nutrients and waste products

Question 4

Neurons

Answer 4

serve as interconnected information processors that are essential for all of the tasks of the nervous system

Question 5

Soma

Answer 5

body of the cell

Question 6

Dendrites/axon

Answer 6

receive/send signals

Question 7

Terminal buttons

Answer 7

chemical messengers

Question 8

Synapse

Answer 8

space between two neurons

Question 9

Receptor

Answer 9

proteins on the cell surface where neurotransmitters attach

Question 10

Myelin sheath

Answer 10

coats the axon and acts as an insulator, increasing the speed at which the signal travels

Question 11

Reuptake

Answer 11

once the signal is delivered, excess neurotransmitters in the synapse drift away, are broken down into inactive fragments, or are reabsorbed

Question 12

Biological perspective

Answer 12

focus on the physiological causes of behavior; asserts that psychological disorders are associated with imbalances in one or more neurotransmitter systems

Question 13

Psychotropic medications

Answer 13

drugs that treat psychiatric symptoms by restoring neurotransmitter balance

Question 14

Agonists

Answer 14

chemicals that mimic a neurotransmitter at the receptor site and, thus, strengthen its effects

Question 15

Antagonists

Answer 15

blocks or impedes the normal activity of a neurotransmitter at the receptor

Question 16

Central Nervous System

Answer 16

brain and spinal cord

Question 17

Peripheral Nervous System

Answer 17

nerves that connect the CNS to everything else

Question 18

Somatic nervous system

Answer 18

part of PNS; conscious or voluntary activities; motor/efferent neurons (away from CNS); sensory/afferent neurons (to the CNS)

Question 19

Autonomic nervous system

Answer 19

outside the realm of voluntary control; sympathetic (preparing the body for stress-related activities); parasympathetic (returning the body to routine, day-to-day operations)

Question 20

Cerebral cortex

Answer 20

the surface of the brain; consciousness, thought, emotion, reasoning, language, and memory

Question 21

Forebrain

Answer 21

largest part of the brain; contains cerebral cortex, thalamus, hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and the limbic system

Question 22

4 lobes of the brain

Answer 22

frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital

Question 23

Frontal lobe

Answer 23

involved in reasoning, motor control, emotion, and language

Question 24

Parietal lobe

Answer 24

involved in processing information from the body’s senses

Question 25

Temporal lobe

Answer 25

located on the side of the head and is associated with hearing, memory, emotion, and some aspects of language

Question 26

Occipital lobe

Answer 26

back of the brain; contains the primary visual cortex, which is responsible for interpreting incoming visual information

Question 27

Thalamus

Answer 27

sensory relay; all senses except smell are routed through here before being directed to other areas

Question 28

Limbic system

Answer 28

processes emotion and memory; contains hippocampus, thalamus, amygdala, and hypothalamus

Question 29

Hippocampus

Answer 29

essential structure for learning and memory

Question 30

Amygdala

Answer 30

involved in our experience of emotion and in tying emotional meaning to our memories

Question 31

Hypothalamus

Answer 31

regulates a number of homeostatic processes, including the regulation of body temperature, appetite, and blood pressure

Question 32

Reticular formation

Answer 32

important in regulating the sleep/wake cycle, arousal, alertness, and motor activity

Question 33

Cerebellum

Answer 33

controls balance, coordination, movement, and motor skills

Question 34

Endocrine system

Answer 34

glands that produce hormones which are controlled through the hypothalamus and pituitary gland

Question 35

Pituitary gland

Answer 35

messenger hormones control all the other glands in the endocrine system

Question 36

Thyroid gland

Answer 36

releases hormones that regulate growth, metabolism, and appetite

Question 37

Adrenal glands

Answer 37

sit atop our kidneys and secrete hormones involved in the stress response

Question 38

Pancreas

Answer 38

secretes hormones that regulate blood sugar levels: insulin and glucagon

Question 39

Gonads

Answer 39

secrete sexual hormones, which are important in reproduction, and mediate both sexual motivation and behavior