Ap Psych Module 9

Front 1

biological psychologists

Back 1

the scientific study of the links between biological (genetic, neural, hormonal) and psychological processes

Front 2

neuron

Back 2

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

Front 3

dendrites

Back 3

a neuron's bushy, branching extensions that receive messages and conduct impulses toward the body

Front 4

axon

Back 4

the neuron extension that passes through its branches to other neurons or to muscles or glands

Front 5

myelin sheath

Back 5

a fatty tissue layer segmentally encasing the axons of some neurons; enables vastly greater transmission speed as neural impulses hop from one sausage-like node to the next

Front 6

action potentional

Back 6

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

Front 7

What happens during a neuron's chemistry-to-electricity process?

Back 7

Ions (electrically charged atoms) are exchanged. The fluid outside an axon's membrane has positively charged ions where the interior has negatively charged ions

Front 8

What happens when a neuron fires?

Back 8

The first section of the axon opens its gates and positively charged sodium ions flood through the cell membrane. This depolarizes that axon section causing another axon channel to open

Front 9

refractory period

Back 9

neurons pump the positively charged sodium ions back outside

Front 10

exitatory signals

Back 10

pushing a neuron's accelerator

Front 11

inhibitory signals

Back 11

pushing a neuron's brake

Front 12

threshold

Back 12

the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse

Front 13

What happens when excitatory signals exceed inhibitory signals by minimum intensity (or threshold)?

Back 13

The combined signals trigger an action potential (think of in a class vote: majority rules)

Front 14

all-or-none-response

Back 14

a neuron's reaction of either firing (with a fullstrength response) or not firing

Front 15

synapse

Back 15

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 if called the synaptic gap or synaptic cleft

Front 16

What happens when an action potential reaches the knob-like terminals at an axon's end?

Back 16

It triggers the release of chemical messages called neurotransmitters

Front 17

acetylcholine (ACh)

Back 17

Enables muscle action, learning, and memory. (malfunctions include Alzheimer's disease, ACh- producing neurons deteriorate

Front 18

dopamine

Back 18

Influences movement, learning, attention, and emotion. (malfunctions include schizophrenia (oversupply) and tremors and decreased mobility in Parkinson's (undersupply))

Front 19

serotonin

Back 19

Affects mood hunger, sleep, and arousal (malfunctions include depression (undersupply))

Front 20

norepinephrine

Back 20

Helps control alertness and arousal. (undersupply can depress mood)

Front 21

GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid)

Back 21

A major inhibitory neurotransmitter (undersupply linked to seizures, tremors, and insomnia)

Front 22

glutamate

Back 22

A major excitatory neurotransmitter; involved in memory (oversupply can overstimulate the brain, producing migraines or seizures)

Front 23

endorphins

Back 23

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

Front 24

agonist

Back 24

a molecule that, by binding to a receptor site, stimulates a response

Front 25

antagonists

Back 25

a molecule that, by binding to a receptor site, inhibits or blocks a response