Ap Psych Ch 2 People/terms

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Central Nervous System

Back 1

the brain and spinal cord

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Peripheral Nervous System

Back 2

connects the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body

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Sensory

Back 3

sends information from body's tissues to the brain and spinal cord

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Inter-neurons

Back 4

communicate between sensory inputs and motor outputs

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Motor

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carries instructions to the body's muscles and glands

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Somatic Nervous System

Back 6

moves the skeletal muscles

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Autonomic Nervous System

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controls glands and muscles of internal organs

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Sympathetic Nervous System

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nervous system creates arousal - mobilizes energy during stressful situations

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Parasympathetic Nervous System

Back 9

conserves energy, calming you down

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EEG (electroencephalogram)

Back 10

record the waves of electrical activity of the brain - could be used in a sleep study - con: doesn't tell what part of the brain is functioning

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CT (computed tomography)scan

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xray photographs from different angles, helping reveal brain damage - con: doesn't measure amount of activity/effect of brain damage but shows where damage is

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PET (positron emission tomography) scan

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visual display of brain activity using radioactive glucose injections that go to different brain areas and measure radioactivity - allows psychologists to find problem areas, or see which brain areas are stimulated during different activities

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MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)

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using magnetic fields and radio waves, computer generated images reveal and differentiate between types of tissue in the brain and find fluid-filled brain areas - different brain areas light up as we perform various tasks

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Thalamus

Back 14

"sensory switchboard" that receives information from all senses (except smell) and relats it to higher brain regions - it also submits replies to the cerebellum and medulla

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Cerebellum

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helps coordinate voluntary movement and balance - it also helps coordinate nonverbal learning and memory; damage to the cerebellum causes difficulty walking and keeping your balance

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Amygdala

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linked to emotion, particularly rage and fear but does not directly or solely control emotion; damage or lesion to it can turn an angry monkey calm

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Medulla

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controls heartbeat and breathing

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Reticular Formation

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helps to control arousal

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Dendrites

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receive information from other cells and conduct impulses (action potential) toward the cell body - pick up and send signals

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Limbic System

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associated with emotions such as gear and aggression; drives such as hunger and sex; and processing of memories

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Action Potential

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a neural impulse or brieg electrical charge that travels down the axon

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Axon

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pass mesages along to other neurons

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Myelin Sheath

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layer of fatty tissue encasing the fibers of the neuron - speeds up the neural impulses (slip n slide)

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Neutrotransmitters

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chemical messengers - bind to the receptor sites of the receiving neuron - different neurotransmitters have different functions

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Reuptake

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extra neurotransmitters are grabbed up by the sending neuron

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Antagonist

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blocks neurotransmitter - occupies a receptor site and blocks action, but not similar enough to stimulate the receptor - ex: curare poisoning paralyzes its victims by blocking ACh receptors involved in muscle movement

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Agonist

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mimics neurotransmitter - excites - mimics its effects on the receiving neuron - ex: morphine mimics the action of endorphins by stimulating receptors in brain areas involved in mood and pain sensations

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Phrenology

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method based on the belief that certain mental faculties and character traits are indicated by the configurations of the skull

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Biological psychology

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a branch of psychology concerned with the links between biology and behavior

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Neurons

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nerve cells - the basic building blocks of the nervous system

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Refractory period

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a resting period after ograsm, during which a man cannot achieve another orgasm

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Nervous system

Back 32

the body's speedy, electrochemical communication system consisdting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems

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Nerves

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neural "cables" containing many axons - these bundled axons which are part of the peripheral nervous system, connect the central nervous system with muscles, glands and sense organs

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Reflex

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

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Threshold

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the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse

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Synapse

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the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron

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Synaptic gap

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aka synaptic cleft - the tiny gap at the synapse

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Lesion

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tissue destruction - a brain lesion is a narutally or experimentally caused destruction of brain tissue

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Endorphins

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"morphine within" - natural, opiate-like neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure

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Neural networks

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interconnected neural cells - with experience, networks can learn, as feedback strengthens or inhibits connections that produce certain results - computer simulations of neural networks show analogous learning

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Brainstem

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

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Psychosurgery

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surgery that removes or destroys brain tissue in an effort to change behavior