Ap Psych Ch 2 Brain

Front 1

Biological Psychologists

Back 1

Study Links between biological activity and psychological events

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Neuron

Back 2

Nerve cells; a specialized cell transmitting nerve impulses

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Dendrite

Back 3

Fibers on nerve cells that receive information and conduct it toward the cell body

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Axon

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Passes messages along from the cell body to other neurons or to muscles or glands

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Myelin Sheath

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A layer of fatty tissue located around the axon that allows greater transition speeds of the electrical impulses that carry messages

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Action Potential

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

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Threshold

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The minimum level of stimulation required for a signal to be sent in a neuron

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Synapse

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The tiny gap between an axon tip and dendrite, where neurotransmitters carry chemical messages

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Neurotansmitter

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Chemical messengers used by neurons to carry messages across the synapse

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ACh

Back 10

Enables muscle action, learning, and memory

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Endorphine

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Natural, opiate-like neurotransmitters linked to pain control and pleasure

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Dopamine

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Influences movement, learning, attention, and emotion

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Agonist

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Molecules that mimic or block neurotransmitters effects

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Antagonists

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Block a neurotransmitters functioning

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Autonomic Nervous System

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Controls our gland and the muscles of our internal organs, influencing such functions as glandular activity, heartbeat, and digestion. (Self-regulating Systems)

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Sympathetic Nervous System

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Arouses the body, mobilizing its energy stressful situations

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Parasympathetic Nervous System

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Calms the body, conserving its energy

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Somatic Nervous System

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Enables voluntary control of our skeletal muscles

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Central Nervous System

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The brain and spinal cord

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Peripheral Nervous System

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

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Reflexes

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A simple, automatic response to a sensory stimulus

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Neural Networks

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Neural clusters that work together and fire during similar conditions

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Endocrine System

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

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Hormones

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Chemical messengers that travel through the bloodstream and affect other tissues

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Adrenal Glands

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Two glands that secrete hormones that help arouse the body in times of stress

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Pituitary Gland

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Regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands

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EEG (Electroencephalogram)

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An amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brains surface

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PET (Position Emission Tomography) Scan

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

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MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)

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A technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves o produce computer generated images of soft tissue

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fMRI (Functional MRI)

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A technique for revealing blood flow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. Shows function as well as structure

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Brainstem

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Responsible for automatic survival functions

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Medulla

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The base of the brain stem; controls heartbeat and breathing

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Reticular Formation

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A nerve network that plays an important role in helping to control arousal

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Pons

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Helps to coordinate movements

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Thalamus

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Directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla

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Cerebellum

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Processes sensory input and coordinates movement output and balance

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Limbic System

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Neural system associated with emotions and drives

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Amygdala

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Two neural clusters in the limbic system associated with emotion. Esp. aggression and fear

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Hypothalamus

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Directs several maintenance activities and helps govern the endocrine system through the pituitary gland

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Hippocampus

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Neural center that helps process explicit memories for storage, linked to memory and emotion

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Cerebral Cortex

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The body's ultimate control and information-processing center

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Glial Cells

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Protect, support, and nourish neurons

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Parietal Lobe

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Receives sensory input for touch and body position

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Frontal Lobe

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Involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgments. Also linked to some memory and personality

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Occipital Lobe

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Includes areas that receive information from the visual fields

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Temporal Lobe

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Includes auditory areas, each receiving information primarily from the opposite ear

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Motor Cortex

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Area of the rear Frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements

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Sensory Cortex

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Registers and processes body touch and movement sensations

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Association Areas

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Involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking

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Broca's Area

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Controls language expression; directs muscle movement involved in speech

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Wernicke's Area

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Controls language reception; comprehension and expression

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Plasticity

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The brains ability to change by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience

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Corpus Callosum

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

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Right Hemisphere

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Controls the left side of the body; generally the more creative artistic side

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Left Hemisphere

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Controls the right side of the body; controls all language; more logical and organizational side of the brain

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Lesion

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Tissue destruction, naturally or experimentally

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Reuptake Mechanism

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Neurotransmitters reabsorption by sending neuron

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Brain Lateralization

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The hemispheric specialization of the left and right sides of the brain

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Split-Brain

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A condition resulting from surgery that isolates the brain's two hemispheres. Research has found that split brain patients were very normal, having both their personality and intellect intact

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Paul Broca

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French Physician that discovered Broca's area and its affects on speech

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Micheal Gazzaniga

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Studied people with split brains and provided a key to understanding the two brain hemispheres complementary functions

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Roger Sperry

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Studied split brains with Gazzaniga and helped provide a key to understanding the two brain hemispheres complementary functions

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Carl Wernicke

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Discovered Wernickes area and found that it influences speech comprehension and expression

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Frontal Association Area

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Enables judgments, planning. and the processing of new memories; Also personality traits

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Sensory Neurons

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Carry incoming information from the sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord

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Motor Neurons

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Carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands

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Interneurons

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

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Neurogenesis

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The formation of new neurons

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Neuroplasticity

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The brains ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience