Ap Psychology Chapter 2

Front 1

Biological Psychology

Back 1

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

Front 2

Neuron

Back 2

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

Front 3

Dendrite

Back 3

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

Front 4

Axon

Back 4

the extension of a neuron, ending in branching terminal fibers, through which messages pass to other neurons or to muscles or glands

Front 5

Myelin Sheath

Back 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.

Front 6

Action Potential

Back 6

a neural; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon. The action potential is generated by the movement of positively charged atoms in and out of channels in the axon's membrane.

Front 7

Threshold

Back 7

the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse.

Front 8

Synapse

Back 8

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 cleft.

Front 9

Neurotransmitters

Back 9

chemical messengers that traverse the synaptic gaps between neurons. When released by the sending neurons, neurotransmitters travel across the synapse and bind to receptor sites on the receiving neuron, thereby influencing whether that neuron will generate a neural impulse.

Front 10

Acetylcholine (ACh)

Back 10

a neurotransmitter that enables learning and memory and also triggers muscle contraction.

Front 11

Endorphins

Back 11

"morphine within"-- natural, opiatelike neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure.

Front 12

Nervous System

Back 12

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

Front 13

Central Nervous System

Back 13

the brain and spinal cord.

Front 14

Peripheral Nervous System

Back 14

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

Front 15

Nerves

Back 15

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.

Front 16

Sensory Neurons

Back 16

neurons that carry incoming information from the sense receptors to the central nervous system.

Front 17

Motor Neurons

Back 17

neurons that carry outgoing information from the central nervous system to the muscles and glands.

Front 18

Interneurons

Back 18

central nervous system neurons that internally communicate and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs.

Front 19

Somatic Nervous System

Back 19

the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's skeletal muscles.

Front 20

Autonomic Nervous System

Back 20

the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs (such as the heart). Its sympathetic division arouses; its parasympathetic division calms.

Front 21

Sympathetic Nervous System

Back 21

the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations.

Front 22

Parasympathetic Nervous System

Back 22

the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy.

Front 23

Reflex

Back 23

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

Front 24

Neural Networks

Back 24

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.

Front 25

Endocrine System

Back 25

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

Front 26

Temporal Lobes

Back 26

the portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory areas, each of which receives auditory information primarily from opposite ear.

Front 27

Motor Cortex

Back 27

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

Front 28

Hormones

Back 28

chemical messengers, mostly those manufactured by the endocrine glands, that are produced in one tissue and affect another.

Front 29

Adrenal Glands

Back 29

a pair of endocrine glands just above the kidneys. The adrenals secrete the hormones epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (noradrenaline), which help to arouse the body in times of stress.

Front 30

Pituitary Gland

Back 30

the endocrine system's most influential gland. Under the influence of the hypothalamus, the pituitary regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands.

Front 31

Lesion

Back 31

tissue destruction. A brain lesion is a naturally or experimentally caused destruction of the brain tissue.

Front 32

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

Back 32

an amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain's surface. These waves are measured by a electrodes placed on the scalp.

Front 33

PET (positron emission tomography) scan

Back 33

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

Front 34

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)

Back 34

a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images that distinguish among different types of soft tissue; allows us to see structures within the brain.

Front 35

fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging)

Back 35

a technique for revealing blood flow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. MRI scans show brain anatomy; fMRI scans show brain function.

Front 36

Brainstem

Back 36

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

Front 37

Medulla

Back 37

the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing.

Front 38

Reticular Formation

Back 38

a nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal.

Front 39

Thalamus

Back 39

the brain's sensory switchboard, located on top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla.

Front 40

Cerebellum

Back 40

the "little brain" attached to the rear of the brainstem; its functions include processing sensory input and coordinating movement output and balance.

Front 41

Limbic System

Back 41

a doughnut-shaped system of neural structures at the bother of the brainstem and cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions such as fear and aggression and drives such as those for food and sex. Includes the hippocampus, amygdala, and the hypothalamus.

Front 42

Amygdala

Back 42

two Lima Bean-sized neural clusters that are components of the limbic system and are linked to emotion.

Front 43

Hypothalamus

Back 43

a neural structure lying below (hypo) 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.

Front 44

Cerebral

Back 44

the intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells that covers the cerebral hemispheres; the body's ultimate control and information-processing center.

Front 45

Glial Cells

Back 45

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

Front 46

Frontal Lobes

Back 46

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

Front 47

Parietal Lobes

Back 47

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

Front 48

Occipital Lobes

Back 48

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