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72 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Neuron
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a nerve cell; The basic building block of the nervous system
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Dendrite
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the bushy, branching extensions of a neuron that receives messages & conducts impulses toward the cell body
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Axon
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the extension of a neuron, ending in branching terminal fibers, through which messages are sent to other neurons or to muscles or glands
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Myelin Sheath
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a layer of fatty cells segmentally encasing the fibers of many neurons
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Neural impulse
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electrical signal passing through axon
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Action Potential
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A neural impulse; a brief electrical charge (all or none, happens or doesn’t based on threshold) that travels down an axon
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Threshold
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The level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse (a value in mV)
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Synapse
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Junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron & the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron
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Neurotransmitter
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Chemical messengers that traverse the synaptic gaps between neurons;When released by the sending neuron, neurotransmitters travel across the synapse & bind to receptor sites on the receiving neuron, thereby influencing whether it will generate a neural impulse
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Vesicles
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sac that contains neurotransmitters
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Acetylcholine (ACh)
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Enables muscle action, learning & memory; Undersupply as ACh-producing neurons deteriorate, marks Alzheimer’s disease, think autism
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Dopamine
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Influences movement, learning, attention, & emotion
;Excess dopamine=schizophrenia. Starved of dopamine=tremors & decreased mobility of Parkinson’s (deals with reward, novelty, mobility) |
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Serotonin
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Affects mood, hunger, sleep, & arousal (elation, runner’s high); Undersupply = depression
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Norepinephrine
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Helps control alertness (concentration, attention) & arousal (waking up); Undersupply can depress mood
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GABA (gamma-amino butyric acid)
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a major inhibitory neurotransmitter, “quiets” brain(Parkinson’s);Undersupply linked to seizures, tremors, & insomnia
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Glutamate
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a major excitatory neurotransmitter; involved in memory; Oversupply can over stimulate brain, producing migraines and seizures
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Endorphin
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natural, opiate-like neurotransmitter, linked to pain & to pleasure
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Agonist
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neurochemical that will bind the receptor in a way that mimics an androgynous chemical (like serotonin)
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Nervous System
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The body’s speedy, electrochemical communication system; Consists of all the nerve cells of the peripheral & central nervous systems (peripheri [arms & legs] and viscera [body])
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Central Nervous System (CNS)
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The brain & spinal cord (if it is not encased in bone it is not in the CNS)
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Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
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The sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system (CNS) to the rest of the body
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Nerves
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Neural “cables” containing many axons;Part of the peripheral nervous system;Connects the CNS with muscles, glands, & sense organs;Several axons going to the same place to do the same thing
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Sensory Neurons
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Neurons that carry incoming information from the sense receptors to the CNS
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Interneuron
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CNS neurons that internally communicate & intervene between the sensory inputs & motor outputs (are located everywhere)
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Motor Neurons
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Carry outgoing information from the CNS to muscles & glands (in particular part of the brain, axons go throughout the body)
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Somatic Nervous System
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The division of the PNS that controls the body’s skeletal muscles (e.g. reflexes)
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Autonomic Nervous System
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The part of the PNS that controls the glands & the muscles of the internal organs (such as the heart; sensory & motor neurons)
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Sympathetic Nervous System
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Division of the Autonomic Nervous System that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations (sensory, motor, interneurons)
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Parasympathetic Nervous System
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Division of the Autonomic Nervous System that calms the body, conserving its energy (stress & cortisol; response of body in reverse; sensory, motor, interneurons)
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Reflex
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A simple, automatic, inborn response to a sensory stimulus touch
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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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Endocrine System
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The body’s “slow” chemical communication system
;A set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream |
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Hormones
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Chemical messengers, mostly those manufactured by the endocrine glands, that are produced in one tissue & affect another
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Adrenal Glands
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A pair of endocrine glands just above the kidneys
;Secrete hormones epinephrine (adrenaline) & norepinephrine (nonadrenaline), which help to arouse the body in times of stress |
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Pituitary Gland
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Under the influence of the hypothalamus, the pituitary regulates grown & controls other endocrine glands
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Lesion
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Tissue destruction (not necessarily a stroke, can be a deficiency);A brain lesion is a naturally or experimentally caused destruction of brain tissue
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Electrocephlogram (EEG)
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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 (not sensitive enough to detect deeper)
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CT Scan (computed tomography (CAT scan)
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A series of x-ray photographys taken from different angles & combined by computer into a composite representation of a slice through the body (can show blood clots and other build ups of fluid)
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PET Scan (position emission tomography
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A visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task (used to look at people who are mentally ill with a physiological marker- Alzheimer’s, Schizophrenia)
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MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
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A technique that uses magnetic fields & radio waves to produce computer-generated images that distinguish among different types of soft tissue; allows us to see structures within the brain
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Brainstem
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The oldest part & central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull
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Medulla
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Base of the brainstem
;Controls heartbeat & breathing |
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Reticular Formation
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A nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal (norepinephrine)
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Thalamus
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The brain’s sensory switchboard, located on top of the brainstem;It directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex & transmits and replies to the cerebellum
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Cerebellum
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The “little brain” attached to the rear of the brainstem;It helps coordinate voluntary movement & balance
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Limbic System
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A doughnut shaped system of neural structures at the border of the brainstem & cerebral hemispheres
;Associated with emotions such as fear and aggression & drives for food, sex, drugs, video games—reinforcing rewards ;Includes septum, hippocampus, amygdala, & hypothalamus |
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Amygdala
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2 almond shaped neural cluster that are linked to components of the limbic system & are linked to emotion
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Hypothalamus
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Neural structure lying below (hypo) the thalamus, directs several maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temp);Helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland;Linked to emotion: fear, aggression, lust, protection, nurturing
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Cerebral Cortex
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The intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells that covers the cerebral hemispheres;The body’s ultimate control & information processing center (amout of surface area determines how much it allows you to inhibit, aka what you can’t do)
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Glial Cells
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cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, & protect neurons (in the cortex)
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Frontal Lobes
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involved in speaking & muscle movements and in making plans & judgments (individualism)
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Parietal Lobes
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include the sensory cortex (involved in sensory integration and higher order thought)
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Occipital Lobes
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visual areas
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Temporal Lobes
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auditory areas
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Motor Cortex
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area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements (responsible for initiation of movement)
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Sensory Cortex
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area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers & processes body sensations (more intelligent animals dedicate less area to this in the brain)
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Aphasia
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impairment of language, usually caused by left hemisphere damage, either to Broca’s area (impairing speaking) or to Wernicke’s area (impairing understanding)
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Broca’s Area
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an area of the left frontal lobe that directs the muscle movements involved in speech (near beginning of temporal lobe)
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Wernicke’s Area
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an area of the left temporal lobe involved in language comprehension & expression (near end of temporal lobe)
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Plasticity
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The brain’s capacity for modification, as evident in brain reorganization following damage (especially in children) & in experiments on the effects of experience on brain development
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Corpus Callosum
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Large band of neural fibers;Connects the two brain hemispheres;Carries messages between the hemispheres
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Split Brain
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A condition in which the two hemispheres of the brain are isolated by cutting the connecting fibers (mainly those of the Corpus Callosum) between them
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Chromosomes
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Threadlike structures made of DNA that contains the genes
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DNA
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Complex molecule containing the genetic information that makes up the chromosomes;Has two strands-forming a “double helix” held together by bonds between pairs of nucleotides
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Genes
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Biochemical units of heredity that make up the chromosomes;A segment of DNA capable of synthesizing a protein
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Genome
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The complete instructions for making an organism;Consisting of all the genetic material in its chromosomes
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Natural Selection
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The principle that, among the range of inherited trait variations, those that lead to increased reproduction & survival will most likely be passed on to succeeding generations (Darwin, Functionalism)
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Mutation
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A random error in gene replication that leads to a change in the sequence of nucleotides (Darwin, Functionalism)
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Evolution Psychology
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The study of the evolution of behavior & the mind, using the principles of national selection
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Gender
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In psych, the characteristics, whether biologically or socially influenced, by which people define male & female
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Behavior Genetics
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Study of the relative power & limits of genetic & environmental influences on behavior
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Environment
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Every non-genetic influence, from prenatal nutrition to the people & things around us
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