Chapter 2 Psychology Vocab

Front 1

Branch of psychology that deals with the biological bases and mental processes

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Psychobiology

Front 2

Messengers cells that are backbone of the nervous system.

Back 2

Neurons

Front 3

short fibers that branch out from the neuron and pick up incoming messages

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Dendrites

Front 4

Single long Fiber extending from a neuron - carries outgoing messages

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Axons

Front 5

Groups of axons bundled together

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Nerve tract

Front 6

white fatty covering found on some axons. Protects messages and helps transfer messages faster

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Axons

Front 7

neurons that carry messages from sense organs to the spinal cord or brain

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Sensory neurons

Front 8

Neurons that carry messages from the spinal cord or brain to muscles or glands.

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Motor Neurons

Front 9

Neurons that carry messages from one neuron to another

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interneurons

Front 10

Cells that form the myelin sheath; insulate and support neurons by holding them togethe, removing waste, and protecting them from harmful substances

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Glial cells

Front 11

Electrically charged particles found both inside and outside the neuron. Usually negatively charged

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Ions

Front 12

electrical charge across a neuron membrane due to excess positive ions concentrated on the outside and excess negative ions on the inside

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resting potential-

Front 13

The condition of a neuron when the inside is negatively charged relative to the outside

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polarization

Front 14

The firing of a nerve cell

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Neural impulse

Front 15

principle that action potential in a neuron does not vary in strength. The neuron either fires at full strength or does not fire at all

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All or nothing law

Front 16

A period after firing when a neuron will not fire again in any circumstance

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absolute refractory period

Front 17

a period after firing when a neuron is returning to its normal polarized state and will fire again only if the incoming messages is stronger than usual

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Relative refractory period

Front 18

tiny gap between the axon terminal of one neuron and the dendrites or cell body of the next

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Synaptic space (or cleft)

Front 19

Structure at the end of an axon terminal branch

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Terminal Button

Front 20

Area composed of the axon terminal of one neuron, the synaptic space and the dendrites or cell body of the next neuron

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Synapse

Front 21

The ability of the brain to change in response to experience

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Neural plasticity

Front 22

neurotransmitter that plays a critical role in aorusal attention memory and motivation. Associated with Alzimhers

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Acetylcholine

Front 23

Neurotransmitter associated with voluntary movement learning memory and emotions. Loss of this substance is associated with Parkison's

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Dopamine

Front 24

neurotransmitter involved with the regulation of sleep dreaming mood eating, pain, and Aggressive behavior. Implicated with depression

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Serotonin

Front 25

Neurotransmitter involved in the inhibition of pain

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Endorphine

Front 26

Division of the Nervous System that consists of the brain and spinal Cord

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Central Nervous System

Front 27

Division of the nervous system that connects the central nervous system to the rest of the body

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Peripheral nervous system

Front 28

the process of production of new brain cells/ neurons

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neurogenesis

Front 29

Area containing the medulla, pons, and cerebellum

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Hindbrain

Front 30

Structure in the hindbrain that controls certain reflexes and coordinates the body's movements

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Cerebellum

Front 31

region between the hindbrain and the forebrain; it is important for hearing and sight, and it is one of several places in the brain where pain is registered

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Midbrain

Front 32

Forebrain reigion that relays and translates incoming messages from sense receptors except for sense of smell.

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Thalamus

Front 33

Forebrain region that governs motivation and emotional responses
located below the thalamus

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Hypothalamus

Front 34

Network of neurons in thehindbrain the mid brain and part of the forebrain whose primary function is to alert and arouse the higher parts of the brain

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Reticular formation

Front 35

Ring of structures that play a role in learning and emotional behavior. specific parts govern memory formation and self preservation emotions

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Limbic system

Front 36

Outer surface of two cerebral hemispheres that regulates most complex behavior

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Cerebral cortex

Front 37

Areas of the Cerebral cortex where incoming messages from the separate senses are combined into meaningful impressions and outgoing messages from the motor areas are integrated

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association areas

Front 38

part of cerebral hemisphere that helps regulate hearing, balance and equilibrium and certain emotions and motivations

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temporal lobe

Front 39

area of the parietal lobe where messages from sense receptors are registered

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primary somatosensory cortex

Front 40

part of the cerbral cortex that is responsible for voluntary movement; it is also important for attention goal-directed behavior and appropriate emotional experiences

Back 40

frontal lobe

Front 41

section of the frontal lobe responsible for voluntary movement

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primary motor complex

Front 42

Part of the cerebral hemisphere that receive and interprets visual information

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occipital lobe

Front 43

Thick band of nerve fibers connecting the left and right cerebral cortex.

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Corpus Callosum

Front 44

Composed of all afferent or sensory neurons that carry information to the central nervous system to the skeletal muscles of the body All senses have origins in this and are guided by it

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Somatic nervous system

Front 45

Comprises all of the neurons that carry messages between the central nervous system and internal organs of the body. Crucial to body functions such as breathing digestion and circulation. Also has strong affects on the experience of different emotions.

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Autonomic nervous system.

Front 46

branch of the autonomic system; prepares the body for quick action in an emergency

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Sympathetic division

Front 47

Branch of the autonomic nervous system it calms and relaxes the body

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Parasympathetic Division

Front 48

Glands of the endocrine system that release hormones into the blood stream

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endocrine glands

Front 49

Chemical substances released by the endocrine glands; they help regulate bodily activities

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Hormones

Front 50

Endocrine Gland located below the voice box; produces the hormone thyroxin (which in turn regulates metabolism)

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thyroid gland

Front 51

four tiny glands embedded in the thyroid; secrete parathormone

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parahyroids

Front 52

Gland located roughly in the center of the brain that appears to regulate activity over the course of a day

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Pineal gland

Front 53

Organ lying between the stomach and small intestine; secrets insulin and glucagon to regulate blood sugar levels

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Pancreas

Front 54

gland located on the underside of the brain; produces the largest number of body hormones

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Pituitary gland

Front 55

2 endocrine glands located above the kidneys

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Adrenal glands

Front 56

study of the relationship between heredity and behavior

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Behavior genetics

Front 57

Subfield of psychology concerned with the origins of b thier adaptive avlue and the purposes they serve ehaviors and mental processes

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Evolutionary psychlogy

Front 58

Study of how traits are transmitted from one generation to the next

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genetics

Front 59

Elements that control the transmission of traits; found on chromosomes and composed of DNA

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Genes

Front 60

Pairs of threadlike bodies within the cell nucleus that contain genes

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Chromosomes

Front 61

Complex molecule in a double helix configuration that is the main ingredient of chromosomes and genes and forms the code for all genetic information

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DNA

Front 62

Full complement of genes within a human cell

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Human Genome

Front 63

Member of a gene pair that controls the appearance of a certain trait

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Dominant gene

Front 64

Member of a gene pair that can control the appearance of a certain trait only if it is paired with another of its kind and not in the presence of a dominant gene

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Recessive gene

Front 65

Studies of the heritabiity of behaviorial traits using animals that have been inbred to produce strains that are genetically similar to one another

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Strain studies

Front 66

studies that estimate the heritability of a trait by breeding animals with other animals that have the same trait

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Selection studies

Front 67

Studies of heritabiity in human based on the assumption that if gene influence a certain trait close relatives should be more similar on that trait than distant relatives

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family studies

Front 68

Studies of identical and fraternal twins to determine the relative influence of heredity and environment on human behavior

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twin studies

Front 69

Twins developed from a single fertilized ovum and therefore identical genetically

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Identical twins

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Twins developed from 2 separate fertilized ova and therefore different in genetic makeup

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Fraternal twins

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Research carried out on children adopted at birth by parents not related to them to determine the relative influence of heredity and environment on human behavior

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Adoption studies

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Mechanism produced by Darwin in his theory of evolution hwich states that organisms best adapted to their environment tend to survive, transmitting their genetic characteristics to succeeding generations

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natural selection

Front 73

Fight or flight response

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Amygdala

Front 74

Measures Activity levels in the brain

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PET scan

Front 75

The sympathetic and parasympathetic are both parts of what?

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Autonomic system (in the peripheral nervous system)

Front 76

Hormones do what 2 things?-

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Organize Bodily activities, Activate and organize behaviors and development

Front 77

Scan that shows structure-

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MRI

Front 78

Broca's region of communication is associated with what?

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Speaking

Front 79

Wernickes region of communication is associated with what?

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listening

Front 80

Tiny sacs in a terminal button that release chemicals into the synapse

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Synaptic Vesicles

Front 81

chemicals released by the synaptic Vesicles that travel across the synaptic space and affect adjacent neurons

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Neurotransmitters

Front 82

A location on a receptor neuron into which a specific neurotransmitter fits like a key into a lock

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Receptor site

Front 83

Wraps around the axon on some neurons. Protects and speeds the action time of the neuron-

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Myelin sheath.

Front 84

The moving impulse that is fired

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Action potential

Front 85

allows scientists to create 3 dimensional images of a human brain without performing surgery using x-ray photography

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Computerized Axial tomography (CAT)

Front 86

attaches electrodes to the scalp which are linked by wires to a device that translates electrical activity into lines on a moving paper. These brain waves provide an index of both the strength and rhythm of mental activity.

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Electroencephalograph(EEG)

Front 87

surrounds the head with a magnetic field and exposes the brain to radio waves. Causes hydrogen atoms In the brain to release energy,

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Magnetic Resonance imaging (MRI) –

Front 88

uses radioactive energy to map brain activity. Person is injected with radioactive substance and then scanning afterward during mental activity. This helps scientists analyze where the neurons are firing to.

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Position emission tomography (PET)