Chapter 4 Key Terms (Psychology, Wade & Tavris)

Front 1

Central Nervous System

Back 1

The portion of the nervous system consisting of the brain and spinal cord.

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Spinal Cord

Back 2

A collection of neurons and supportive tissue running from the base of the brain down the center of the back, protected by a column of bones.

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Peripheral Nervous System

Back 3

All portions of the nervous system outside the brain and spinal cord.

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Somatic Nervous System

Back 4

The subdivision of the peripheral nervous system that connects to sensory receptors and to skeletal muscles.

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Autonomic Nervous System

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The subdivision of the peripheral nervous system that regulates the internal organs and glands.

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Sympathetic Nervous System

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The subdivision of the autonomic nervous system that mobilizes bodily resources and increases the output of energy during emotion and stress.

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Parasympathetic Nervous System

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The subdivision of the autonomic nervous system that operates during relaxed states and that conserves energy.

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Neuron

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A cell that conducts electrochemical signals.

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Glia

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Cells that support, nurture, and insulate neurons, remove debris when neurons die, enhance the formation and maintenance of neural connections, and modify neuronal functioning.

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Dendrites

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A neuron's branches that receive information from other neurons and transmit it toward the cell body.

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Cell Body

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The part of the neuron that keeps it alive and determines whether or not it will fire.

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Axon

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A neuron's extending fiber that conducts impulses away from the cell body and transmits them to other neurons.

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Myelin Sheath

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A fatty insulation that may surround the axon of a neuron.

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Nerve

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A bundle of nerve fibers in the peripheral nervous system.

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Neurogenesis

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The production of new neurons from immature stem cells.

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Stem Cells

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Immature cells that renew themselves and have the potential to develop into mature cells.

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Synapse

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The site where transmission of a nerve impulse from one nerve cell to another occurs.

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Action Potential

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A berief change in electrical voltage that occurs between the inside and outside of an axon when a neuron is stimulated.

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Neurotransmitter

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A chemical substance that is released by a transmitting neuron at the synapse and that alters the activity of a receiving neuron.

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Plasticity

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The brain's ability to change and adapt in response to experience

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for example, by reorganizing or growing new neural connections.

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Endorphins

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Chemical substances in the nervous system that are similar in structure and action to opiates.

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Hormones

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Chemical substances, secreted by organs called glands, that affect the functioning of other organs.

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Endocrine Glands

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Internal organs that produce hormones and release them into the bloodstream.

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Melatonin

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A hormone, secreted by the pineal gland, that is involved in the regulation of daily biological rhythms.

Front 25

Oxytocin

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A hormone, secreted by the pituitary gland, that stimulates uterine contractions during childbirth, facilitates the ejection of milk during nursing, and seems to promote, in both sexes, attachment and trust in relationships.

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Adrenal Hormones

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Hormones that are produced by the adrenal glands and that are involved in emotion and stress.

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Sex Hormones

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Hormones that regulate the development and functioning of reproductive organs and that stimulate the development of male and female sexual characteristics.

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Electroencephalogram (EEG)

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A recording of neural activity detected by electrodes.

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Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

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A method of stimulating brain cells, using a powerful magnetic field produced by a wire coil placed on a person's head.

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PET Scan

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A method for analyzing biochemical activity in the brain, using injections of a glucose-like substance containing a radioactive element.

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MRI

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A method for studying body and brain tissue, using magnetic fields and special radio receivers.

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Localization of Function

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Specialization of particular brain areas for particular functions.

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Brain Stem

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The part of the brain at the top of the spinal cord, consisting of the medulla and the pons.

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Pons

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A structure in the brain stem involve din, among other things, sleeping, waking, and dreaming.

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Medulla

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A structure in the brain stem responsible for certain automatic functions, such as breathing and heart rate.

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Reticular Activating System

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A dense network of neurons found in the core of the brain stem.

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Cerebellum

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A brain structure that regulates movement and balance and is involved in the learning of certain kinds of simple responses.

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Thalamus

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A brain structure that relays sensory messages to the cerebral cortex.

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Hypothalamus

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A brain structure involve din emotions and drives vital to survival, such as fear, hunger, thirst, and reproduction.

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Pituitary Gland

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A small endocrine gland at the base of the brain, which releases many hormones and regulates other endocrine glands.

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Limbic System

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A group of brain areas involved in emotional reactions and motivated behavior.

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Amygdala

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A brain structure involved in the arousal and regulation of emotion and the initial emotional response to sensory information.

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Hippocampus

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A brain structure involved in the storage of new information in memory

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Cerebrum

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The largest brain structure, consisting of the upper part of the brain.

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Cerebral Hemispheres

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The two halves of the cerebrum.

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Corpus Callosum

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The bundle of nerve fibers connecting the two cerebral hemispheres.

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Lateralization

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Specialization of the two cerebral hemispheres for particular operations.

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Cerebral Cortex

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A collection of several thin layers of cells covering the cerebrum.

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Occipital Lobes

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Lobes at the lower back part of the brain's cerebral cortex.

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Parietal Lobes

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Lobes at the top of the brain's cerebral cortex that contain areas that receive information on pressure, pain, touch, and temperature.

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Temporal Lobes

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Lobes at the sides of the brain's cerebral cortex that contain areas involve din hearing, memory, perception, emotion, and language comprehension.

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Frontal Lobes

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Lobeas at the front of the brain's cerebral cortex that contain areas involved in short-term memory, higher order thinking, initiative, social judgment, and speech production.

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spinal reflexes

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when the spinal cord produces some behaviors on its own without any help from the brain

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sensory nerves

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carry messages from special receptors in the skin, muscles, and other internal and external sense organs to the spinal cord, which sends them along to the brain

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motor nerves

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carry orders from the CNS to muscles, glands,and internal organs. They enable us to move, and they cause glands to contract and secrete substances like hormones

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axon terminals

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branches where axons divide

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nodes

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constrictions in the myelin sheath

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synaptic cleft

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where the axon terminal of one neuron nearly touches a dendrite or the cell body of another

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synaptic vesicles

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tiny sacs in the tip of an axon terminal ..open and release neurotransmitters

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receptor sites

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special molecules in the membrane of the receiving neuron's dendrites

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excitatory effects

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when neurotransmitters cause a decrease in negative charge , and that charge reaches a critical level causing a neuron to fire

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inhibitory effects

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when neurotransmitters cause an increase in the negative charge, making the neuron less likely to fire

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serotonin

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affects neurons involved in sleep, appetite, sensory perception, temperature regulation, pain suppression, and mood

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dopamine

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affects neurons involved in voluntary movement, attention, learning, memory, emotion, pleasure, and reward, and possibly responses to novelty

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acetylcholine

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affects neurons involved in muscle action, arousal, vigilance, memory and emotion

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norepinephrine

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affects neurons involved in increased heart rate and the slowing of intestinal activity during stress, and neurons involved in learning, memory, dreaming , waking from sleep, and emotion

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GABA

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(gamma-aminobutyric acid) is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain

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glutamate

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is the major excretory neurotransmitter in the brain; it is released by about 90 percent of the brain's neurons

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pineal gland

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secretes melatonin

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cortisol

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increases blood-sugar levels and boosts energy..produced by the other part of the adrenal gland

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epinephrine

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produced by the inner part of the adrenal gland

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neuromodulators

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neurochemicals that modulate the functioning of neurons and neurotransmitters

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serotonin transporter

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a protein that acts like a garbage collector, picking up serotonin from the synaptic cleft after it has been released and transporting it back to the sending neuron for recycling; also a neuromodulator

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lesion method

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used only in animals, researchers surgically remove or disable a brain structure and observe its affects on behavior

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transcranial direct current stimulation

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a technique that applies a very small electric current to stimulate or suppress activity in parts of the cortex; it enables researchers to identify the functions of a particular area

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event-related potentials

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a technique that isolates the neural activity associated with a specific stimulus

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functional MRI (fMRI)

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a type of magnetic resonance imaging used to study brain activity associated with specific thoughts and behaivors

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olfactory bulb

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the private switching station of the sense of smell

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gray matter

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a grayish tissue .produced by cell bodies in the cortex and many other parts of the brain

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white matter

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long myelin covered axons in other parts of the brain and nervous system

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visual cortex

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where visual signals are processed in the occipital lobe

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somatosensory cortex

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contained in the parietal lobes; receive information about pressure, pain, touch and temperature form all over the body

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auditory cortex

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contained in the temporal lobes; processes sound

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Wernicke's area

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an area on the left temporal lobe that is involved in language comprehension

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frontal lobes

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lobes at the front of the brain's cerebral cortex; they contain areas involved in short term memory, high- order thinking, initiative, social judgement, and (in the left lobe typically) speech production

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motor cortex

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contained in the frontal lobes; issues orders to the 600 muscles of the body that produce voluntary movement

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Broca's area

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area in the left frontal lobe that handles speech production

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association cortex

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areas of the cortex that produce no obvious response or sensation when stimulated ; are involved in higher mental processes

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prefrontal cortex

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the most forward part of the frontal lobes..acounts for approximately one third of the entire cortex in humans ..has something to do with personality

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split-brain surgery

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cutting the corpus callosum in order to stop the spread of electrical activity form one side to another

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visual field

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the scene before you

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cultural neuroscience

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examines how the links between neural and cultural forces can create different patterns of behavior, perception, and cognition

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neuroethics

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an interdisciplinary specialty that addresses the legal, ethical and scientific questions raised by brain research, including those raised by the development of neuroenhancing drugs

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electrode

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Coin-shaped and are pasted or taped in, used to detect electrical activity in neurons.

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Hemispheric Dominance

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Because of its cognitive talents, many researchers refer to left ___________. Left usually exerts control over the right.

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Needle Eletrodes

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very thin wires or tiny glass tubes, inserted into the brain through tiny holes in the skull.