Unit 3 Vocab

Question 1

the scientific study of the links between biological and psychological processes.

Answer 1

biological psychologists

Question 2

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

Answer 2

neuron

Question 3

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

Answer 3

dendrites

Question 4

the neuron extension that passes and electrical messages through its branches to other neurons or to muscles or glands.

Answer 4

axon

Question 5

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

Answer 5

myelin sheath

Question 6

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

Answer 6

action potential

Question 7

a period of inactivity after a neuron has fired.

Answer 7

refractory period

Question 8

the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse.

Answer 8

threshold

Question 9

a neuron’s reaction of either firing or not firing.

Answer 9

all-or-nothing response

Question 10

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.

Answer 10

synapse

Question 11

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.

Answer 11

neurotransmitters

Question 12

a neurotransmitter’s reabsorption by the sending neuron.

Answer 12

reuptake

Question 13

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

Answer 13

endorphins

Question 14

A chemical that mimics the action of a neurotransmitter.

Answer 14

Agonist

Question 15

Chemical substances that block or reduce a cell’s response to the action of other chemicals or neurotransmitters.

Answer 15

Antagonists

Question 16

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

Answer 16

nervous system

Question 17

the brain and the spinal cord

Answer 17

Central nervous system (CNS)

Question 18

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

Answer 18

Peripheral nervous system (PNS)

Question 19

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

Answer 19

nerves

Question 20

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

Answer 20

sensory (afferent) neurons

Question 21

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

Answer 21

motor (efferant) neurons

Question 22

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

Answer 22

interneurons

Question 23

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

Answer 23

Somatic nervous system

Question 24

the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs. It’s sympathetic system arouses and parasympathetic calms.

Answer 24

Autonomic nervous system

Question 25

the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations. (If you get scared)

Answer 25

Sympathetic nervous system

Question 26

the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy (Your PARents come home and calm you down)

Answer 26

Parasympathetic nervous system

Question 27

simple, automatic responses to sensory stimuli, such as the knee-jerk response

Answer 27

Reflexes

Question 28

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

Answer 28

Endocrine system

Question 29

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

Answer 29

Hormones

Question 30

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

Answer 30

Adrenal glands

Question 31

"THE MASTER GLAND" the endocrine system's most influential gland under the influence of the hypothalamus, the pituitary regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands

Answer 31

Pituitary gland

Question 32

tissue destruction. It can occur naturally or experimentally by the caused distruction/remove of brain tissues

Answer 32

Lesion

Question 33

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.

Answer 33

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

Question 34

a series of x-ray photographs taken from different angles and combined by computer into a composite representaion of a slice through the body. Aslo called a CAT scan

Answer 34

CT (computed tomography) scan

Question 35

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

Answer 35

(PET) Positron emission tomography scan

Question 36

a TECHNIQUE THAT USES MAGNETIC FIELDS AND RADIO WAVES TO PRODUCE COMPUTER generated images that distinguish among different types of soft tissues.

Answer 36

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)

Question 37

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

Answer 37

fMRI (functional MRI)

Question 38

the oldest part and central core of brain. AKA reticular formation, or reticular activating system. In charge of automatic survival functions

Answer 38

Brainstem

Question 39

The base of the brainstem. Controls heartbeat and breathing.

Answer 39

Medualla

Question 40

sleep and arousal

Answer 40

Pons

Question 41

the brains 'sensory switch board' Located at top of brainstem; directs messages to the sensory areas and transmits them to cerebellum and medulla.

Answer 41

Thalamus

Question 42

Plays an important role in controlling arousal.

Answer 42

Reticular Formation

Question 43

"little brain" at the rear of the brainstem; functions including processing sensory input, coordinating movement output and balance, and enabling nonverbal learning and memory.

Answer 43

Cerebellum

Question 44

A system of neural structures at the border of brainstem. Associated with emotions like fear, agression, and drives such as those for food and sex. Includes the Hippocampus, Amygdala and hypothalamus.

Answer 44

Limbic system

Question 45

2Lima bean sized neural clusters in the limbic system, linked to emotion. Includes rage and fear.

Answer 45

Amygdala

Question 46

Limbic system. Learning and memory matcher.

Answer 46

Hippocampus

Question 47

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.

Answer 47

hypothalamous

Question 48

Fabric of interconnected neuron cells. Higher order thinking. Takes meaning and puts it to focus. The body's ultimate control and information-processing center.

Answer 48

Cerebral cortex

Question 49

Cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons.

Answer 49

Glial Cells

Question 50

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

Answer 50

Frontal Lobes

Question 51

The portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; includes the sensory cortex. Receives sensory input for touch and body position.

Answer 51

Parietal lobes

Question 52

the portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes the visual areas, which receive visual info from the opposite visual feild.

Answer 52

Occipital lobes

Question 53

The portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughyl above the ears; includes the auditory areas, each of which revieves aditory info primarily from the opposite end.

Answer 53

Temporal lobes

Question 54

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

Answer 54

motor cortex

Question 55

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

Answer 55

somatosensory cortex

Question 56

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

Answer 56

association areas

Question 57

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

Answer 57

Plasticity

Question 58

Formation of new neurons

Answer 58

Neurogenesis

Question 59

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

Answer 59

Corpus Callosum

Question 60

A conditioning resulting from surgery that isolates the brain's two hemispheres by cutting the fibers connecting them.

Answer 60

Split Brain

Question 61

our awareness of ourselves and our environment.

Answer 61

Consciousness

Question 62

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

Answer 62

Cognitive Neuroscience

Question 63

a phenomenon can occur in two different ways, or as a result of two different processes, The principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks

Answer 63

Dual Processing

Question 64

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

Answer 64

behavior genetics

Question 65

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

Answer 65

environment

Question 66

threadlike structure made of DNA molecules that contain the genes

Answer 66

chromosomes

Question 67

(deoxyribonucleic acid) a complex molecule containing the genetic information that makes up the chromosomes

Answer 67

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)

Question 68

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

Answer 68

genes

Question 69

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

Answer 69

genome

Question 70

twins who develop from a single fertilized egg that splits in two, creating two genetically identical organisms

Answer 70

identical twins (monozygotic)

Question 71

twins who develop from separate fertilized eggs; no genetically closer than brothers and sisters, but they share a fetal environment

Answer 71

fraternal twins (dizygotic)

Question 72

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

Answer 72

molecular geneticists

Question 73

the proportion of variation among individuals that we can attribute to genes; this may vary depending on population range and the environment being studied

Answer 73

heritability

Question 74

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

Answer 74

interaction

Question 75

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

Answer 75

epigenetics

Question 76

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

Answer 76

evolutionary psychologists

Question 77

the principle that, among range of inherited trait variations, those that lead to increased reproduction and survival will most likely be passed on to succeeding generations

Answer 77

natural selection

Question 78

A random error in gene replication that leads to a change

Answer 78

mutations