Chapter 3 Part 1 Psyc 100A

Front 1

acetylcholine

Back 1

A neurotransmitter that plays several roles in the central and peripheral nervous systems, including the excitation of muscle contractions

Front 2

action potential

Back 2

The all-or-none electrical signal that travels down a neuron’s axon

Front 3

adoption studies

Back 3

The traits of children adopted at an early age are compared with those of their biological parents and siblings, with whom they share genetic material but not rearing environment

Front 4

adrenal glands

Back 4

Glands that secrete norepinephrine and epinephrine into the bloodstream

Front 5

autonomic system

Back 5

Nerves that control the more automatic needs of the body, such as heart rate, digestion, blood pressure, and so on; part of the peripheral nervous system

Front 6

axon

Back 6

The long tail-like part of a neuron that serves as the cell’s transmitter device

Front 7

central nervous system

Back 7

The brain and the spinal cord

Front 8

cerebellum

Back 8

A hindbrain structure at the base of the brain that is involved in the coordination of complex motor skills (e.g., walking, throwing) and may contribute to the performance of other tasks as well

Front 9

cerebral cortex

Back 9

The outer layer of the brain, considered to be the seat of higher mental processes

Front 10

computerized tomography scan (CT scan)

Back 10

The use of highly focused beams of X-rays to construct detailed anatomical maps of the living brain

Front 11

corpus callosum

Back 11

The collection of nerve fibres that connect the two cerebral hemispheres and allow information to pass from one side to the other

Front 12

dendrites

Back 12

The branchlike fibres that extend outward from a neuron and receive information from other neurons

Front 13

dominant versus recessive genes

Back 13

Many traits have two genes: one dominant and the other recessive; if the two such genes for a given trait differ, the dominant gene controls the observable characteristic

Front 14

dopamine

Back 14

A neurotransmitter that often leads to inhibitory effects; decreased levels have been linked to Parkinson’s disease, and increased levels have been linked to schizophrenia; dopamine also plays an important role in the neurological mechanisms of reward

Front 15

electroencephalograph (EEG)

Back 15

A device used to monitor the electrical activity of the brain by measuring tiny changes in the electrical fields on the scalp

Front 16

endocrine system

Back 16

A network of glands that uses the bloodstream to send chemical messages that regulate growth and other internal functions

Front 17

endorphins

Back 17

Morphine-like chemicals that act as the brain’s natural painkillers

Front 18

environment of evolutionary adaptedness (EEA)

Back 18

The environment, or environments, in which a species’ evolutionary adaptations were selected

Front 19

event-related potentials (ERP)

Back 19

EEG patterns observed shortly after presentation of a stimulus

Front 20

family studies

Back 20

The study of similarities and differences between biological (blood) relatives to help discover the role heredity plays in physical or psychological traits; rarely provide conclusive evidence because genes and the environment are usually entangled

Front 21

transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

Back 21

Powerful pulses of magnetic energy applied to the scalp stimulate action potentials in regions of the cortex; behavioural responses cast light on the function of the stimulated brain region

Front 22

twin studies

Back 22

Identical twins, who share genetic material, are compared with fraternal twins in an effort to disentangle the roles of heredity and environment in giving rise to psychological traits