Unit 1 Vocab Flashcards
(185 cards)
the transmission of traits from parents to their offspring
hereditary
every nongenetic influence, from prenatal nutrition to the people and things around us
environment
the controversy over the relative importance of contributions of genes or experience
nature-nurture issue
a tendency for certain traits to be inherited
genetic predisposition
the approach to psychology that focuses on the study of the roots of behavior and mental processes using the principles of natural selection
evolutionary perspective
the principle that the inherited traits enabling an organism to survive and reproduce in a particular environment will most likely be passed on to succeeding generations
natural selection
a social and political philosophy, based loosely on Charles Darwin’s evolutionary theory and Francis Galton’s research on hereditary genius, that seeks to eradicate genetic defects and improve the genetic makeup of populations through selective human breeding
euenics
research utilizing twins. The purpose of such research is usually to assess the relative contributions of heredity and environment to some attribute
twin study
research conducted among siblings, parents, or children to assess evidence for genetic links for characteristics or outcomes, often related to health or disease. The extent to which performance on a given measure varies as a function of genetic similarity is used as an indication of the heritability of that measure
family study
a research design that investigates the relationships among genetic and environmental factors in the development of personality, behavior, or disorder by comparing the similarities of biological parent–child pairs with those of adoptive parent–child pairs
adoption studies
the brain and spinal cord. the entire complex of neurons, axons, and supporting tissue that constitute the brain and spinal cord
central nervous system
the nerves, made up of sensory and motor neurons, that connect the central nervous system (CNS) to the rest of the body
peripheral nervous system
the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs (such as the heart)
autonomic nervous system
the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations
sympathetic nervous system
the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy
parasympathetic nervous system
the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body’s skeletal muscles
somatic Nervous system
the body’s speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems
nervous system
a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon. the change in electric potential that propagates along the axon of a neuron during the transmission of a nerve impulse or the contraction of a muscle
action potential
a neuron’s reaction of either firing (with a full-strength response) or not firing
all-or-nothing
a reduction in the electric potential across the plasma membrane of a cell
depolarization
cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons
glial cells
neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs
interneurons
neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands
motor neurons
a disease of the central nervous system characterized by scarring of the protective myelin sheath of nerves, which damages and destroys the sheath and the underlying nerve, disrupting neural transmission
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)