Ib Psychology Chapter 3: Biological Psychology

Front 1

a neurotransmitter causes excitation at synapsesbetween motor neurons and skeletal muscles and inhibition between synapses of the vagus nerve and heart muscle

Back 1

acetylcholine

Front 2

the change in electric potential that propagatesalong a cell during the transmission of a nerve impulse or the contraction of a muscle

Back 2

action potential

Front 3

a nerve fiber, typically a sensory fiber, thatconducts impulses toward the brain or spinal cord or from a lowerto a higher center of the central nervous system

Back 3

afferent nerve fiber

Front 4

one of the variants of a particular gene

Back 4

allele

Front 5

a component of the limbic system with numerous viscerosensory and autonomic functions as well as an important rolein memory, emotion, perception of threat, and fear learning

Back 5

amygdala

Front 6

the portion of the central nervoussystem and peripheral nervous system involved primarily in involuntary bodily functions, such as those of the circulatory, digestive,and respiratory organs

Back 6

autonomic nervous system

Front 7

the long, thin, cylindrical extension of a neuron that normally carries a nerve impulse away from the cell body

Back 7

axon

Front 8

a radiographic technique for quickly pro-ducing detailed, three-dimensional images of the brain or othersoft tissues

Back 8

cat scan

Front 9

the entire complex of neurons, axons,and supporting tissue that constitute the brain and spinal cord

Back 9

central nervous system

Front 10

a portion of the hindbrain that modulates muscularcontractions to produce smooth, accurately timed movements; ithelps maintain equilibrium by predicting body positions aheadof actual body movements, and it is required for some kinds ofmotor conditioning

Back 10

cerebellum

Front 11

the largest part of the brain, consisting of the twohemispheres and the corpus callosum

Back 11

cerebrum

Front 12

a usually invisible strand or filament composed ofnucleic acid (mainly DNA in humans) and proteins that carries thegenetic, or hereditary, traits of an individual

Back 12

chromosome

Front 13

a large tract of nerve fibers running acrossthe longitudinal fissure of the brain and connecting the cerebralhemispheres

Back 13

corpus callosum

Front 14

a threadlike extension of the cell body that increasesthe receptive surface of a neuron

Back 14

dendrite

Front 15

a reduction in the membrane potential of a cell,occurring when a membrane is stimulated or a nerve impulse istransmitted

Back 15

depolarization

Front 16

one of the two types of nucleic acid found in living organ-isms, which is the principal carrier of genetic information in chro-mosomes and, to a much lesser extent, in mitochondria

Back 16

DNA

Front 17

a neurotransmitter that has an important role in mo-tor behavior and is implicated in numerous mental conditions

Back 17

dopamine

Front 18

recording electrical activity of the brain through electrodesplaced at various points on the skull

Back 18

EEG

Front 19

a nerve fiber that carries impulses from thecentral nervous system to the periphery

Back 19

efferent nerve fiber

Front 20

neurotransmitters that function as endogenous opi-oids

Back 20

endorphins

Front 21

a neurotransmitter and hormone that increasesheart rate and force of heart contractions, relaxes bronchial andintestinal smooth muscle, and produces varying effects on bloodpressure

Back 21

epinephrine

Front 22

electrical stimulation of a specific area of the brain to deter-mine the functions served by that area

Back 22

ESB

Front 23

any of a class of steroid hormones that are producedmainly by the ovaries and act as the principal female sex hor-mones, inducing secondary female sexual characteristics in hu-mans

Back 23

estrogen

Front 24

a depolarizing potential in a postsynaptic neuronthat is caused by excitatory presynaptic impulses

Back 24

Excitatory PSP

Front 25

a form of magnetic resonance imaging used to localizeareas of cognitive activation, based on the correlation betweenbrain activity and blood property changes linked to local changesin blood flow to the brain

Back 25

fMRI scan

Front 26

the part of the brain that develops from the anteriorsection of the neural tube in the embryo, containing the cerebralhemispheres, basal ganglia, amygdala, and hippocampus; thethalamus and hypothalamus are sometimes also included

Back 26

forebrain

Front 27

the most anterior lobe of each cerebral hemisphere,associated with motor and higher order executive functions

Back 27

frontal lobe

Front 28

a major inhibitory neurotransmitter

Back 28

GABA

Front 29

the basic unit of heredity, responsible for storing genetic information and transmitting it to subsequent generations

Back 29

gene

Front 30

the full set of genes of an individual organism

Back 30

genotype

Front 31

nonneuronal cells that provide structural, nutritional, andother kinds of support to neurons

Back 31

glia

Front 32

a major excitatory neurotransmitter

Back 32

glutamate

Front 33

either of the symmetrical halves of the cerebrum, consisting of the frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes

Back 33

hemisphere

Front 34

an estimate of the contribution of inheritance to agiven trait or function, ranging from 0 to 1

Back 34

heritability

Front 35

the medulla oblongata, pons, and cerebellum

Back 35

hindbrain

Front 36

a seahorse-shaped part of the forebrain that is im- portant for declarative memory and learning

Back 36

hippocampus

Front 37

a brain structure that contains nuclei with pri-mary control of the autonomic functions of the body

Back 37

hypothalamus

Front 38

a hyperpolarizing potential in a postsynapticneuron that is caused by of impulses over an inhibitory pathway,decreasing the probability that the postsynaptic neuron will fire

Back 38

inhibitory PSP

Front 39

a hormone that facilitates the transfer of glucose mol-ecules through cell membranes

Back 39

insulin

Front 40

mating preferences of one sex (typicallyfemales) for specific desired traits in the opposite sex

Back 40

intersexual selection

Front 41

competition within one sex (typicallymales) for access to mates

Back 41

intrasexual selection

Front 42

division of labor between the two hemispheres ofthe brain

Back 42

lateralization

Front 43

any disruption of or damage to the normal structure orfunction of an organ or part of an organ due to injury, disease, ora surgical procedure

Back 43

lesion

Front 44

part of the hindbrain that containsmany nerve tracts that conduct impulses between the spinal cordand higher brain centers, as well as autonomic nuclei involved inthe control of breathing, heartbeat, and blood pressure

Back 44

medulla

Front 45

a hormone that helps to regulate seasonal changes inphysiology and is implicated in the initiation of the sleep and inthe regulation of the sleep-wake cycle

Back 45

melatonin

Front 46

a relatively small region of neural tissue containing theinferior and superior colliculi, a portion of the reticular formation,sensory and motor tracts, and reflex centers

Back 46

midbrain

Front 47

the insulating layer around many axons that in-creases the speed of conduction of nerve impulses

Back 47

myelin sheath

Front 48

the process by which such forces as competi-tion, disease, and climate tend to eliminate individuals who areless well adapted to a particular environment and favor the sur-vival and reproduction of better adapted individuals

Back 48

natural selection

Front 49

a bundle of axons outside the central nervous system en-closed in a sheath of connective tissue to form a cordlike structure

Back 49

nerve

Front 50

an arrangement of neurons and their interconnec-tions

Back 50

neural circuit

Front 51

the process by which a signal or other activ-ity in a neuron is transferred to an adjacent neuron or other cell

Back 51

neurotransmission

Front 52

any of a large number of chemicals that canbe released by neurons to mediate transmission or inhibition ofnerve signals across the junctions (synapses) between neurons

Back 52

neurotransmitter

Front 53

any of successive regularly spaced gaps in themyelin sheath surrounding an axon, permitting the exchange ofions across the plasma membrane at those points, allowing thenerve impulse to leap from one node to the next

Back 53

node of ranvier

Front 54

the most posterior lobe of each cerebral hemi-sphere, associated with the visual sense

Back 54

occipital lobe

Front 55

one of the two divisions ofthe autonomic nervous system, defined functionally as the sys-tem controlling rest, repair, enjoyment, eating, sleeping, sexualactivity, and social dominance, among other functions

Back 55

parasympathetic nervous system

Front 56

the lobe in the upper-central area of each hemi-sphere, associated with somatosensory activities such as discrimi-nation of size, shape, and texture of objects, visual activities suchas visually guided actions, and auditory activities, such as speechperception

Back 56

parietal lobe

Front 57

the portion of the nervous systemthat lies outside the skull and spinal column, that is, all parts out-side the central nervous system

Back 57

peripheral nervous system

Front 58

a technique used to evaluate cerebral metabolism us-ing radiolabeled tracers which emit positrons as they are metabo-lized, enabling documentation of functional changes that occurduring the performance of mental activities

Back 58

PET Scan

Front 59

the observable characteristics of an individual, suchas morphological or biochemical features and the presence or ab-sence of a particular disease or condition

Back 59

phenotype

Front 60

a gland that connected by a stalk to the hypo-thalamus consisting of two lobes: the anterior lobe produces andsecretes seven hormones—thyroid-stimulating hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, adrenocorticotropic hormone, growthhormone, luteinizing hormone, prolactin, and melancotyte-stimulating hormone; and the posterior lobe secretes two hor-mones—vasopressin and oxytocin

Back 60

pituitary gland

Front 61

a difference in electric potential between two sur-faces or two sides of one surface because of chemical activity

Back 61

polarization

Front 62

a part of the brainstem serving as a bridge between dif-ferent areas of the nervous system, and that works with the cer-ebellum in controlling equilibrium and with the cerebral cortex insmoothing and coordinating voluntary movements

Back 62

pons

Front 63

the electric potential at a dendriteor other surface of a neuron after an impulse has reached it acrossa synapse

Back 63

postsynaptic potential PSP

Front 64

any hereditary factor that, given the necessaryconditions, will lead to the development of a certain trait or dis-ease

Back 64

predisposition

Front 65

the most anterior part of the frontal lobe ofeach cerebral hemisphere in the brain, associated with attention,planning, and memory

Back 65

prefrontal cortex

Front 66

the process by which an impulse is transmittedalong a nerve fiber

Back 66

propagation

Front 67

a hormone produced in the hypothalamus that stimu-lates smooth muscle, particularly in the mammary glands duringlactation and in the wall of the uterus during labor

Back 67

oxytocin

Front 68

a molecule in a cell membrane that specifically bindsa particular molecular messenger (e.g., a neurotransmitter, hor-mone, or drug) and elicits a response in the cell

Back 68

receptor

Front 69

a period of inactivity after a neuron or musclecell has undergone excitation

Back 69

refractory period

Front 70

the electric potential across the plasma mem-brane of an excitable cell, such as a neuron, when it is in the non-excited, or resting state; it is usually in the range -50 to -100mV forvertebrate neurons, representing an excess of negatively chargedions on the inside of the membrane

Back 70

resting potential

Front 71

the process by which neurotransmitter molecules thathave been released at a synapse are taken up by the presynapticneuron that released them

Back 71

reuptake

Front 72

a common monoamine neurotransmitter in the brainand other parts of the central nervous system, also found in thegastrointestinal tract, in smooth muscles of the cardiovascularand bronchial systems, and in blood platelets; it has roles in nu-merous bioregulatory processes, including emotional processing,mood, appetite, sleep, pain processing, hallucinations, and reflexregulation, and is negatively correlated with aggression

Back 72

serotonin

Front 73

a membrane protein that uses energyto actively transport sodium ions out of a cell against their con-centration gradient

Back 73

sodium-potassium pump

Front 74

the cell body of a neuron

Back 74

soma

Front 75

the part of the nervous system com-prising the sensory and motor neurons that innervate the senseorgans and the skeletal muscles

Back 75

somatic nervous system

Front 76

the part of the central nervous system that extendsfrom the lower end of the medulla, at the base of the brain, througha canal in the center of the spine as far as the lumbar region

Back 76

spinal cord

Front 77

patient in whom the cerebral hemisphereshave been separated by severance of the corpus callosum

Back 77

split-brain patient

Front 78

one of the two divisions of the au-tonomic nervous system, defined functionally in terms of its abil-ity to act as an integrated whole in affecting a large number ofsmooth muscle systems simultaneously, usually in the service ofenhancing “fight-or-flight”

Back 78

sympathetic nervous system

Front 79

the specialized junction through which neural signalsare transmitted from one neuron (the presynaptic neuron) to an-other (the postsynaptic neuron)

Back 79

synapse

Front 80

the gap within a synapse between the terminalbutton of one neuron and the dendrite or cell body of a neighbor-ing neuron

Back 80

synaptic cleft

Front 81

neurotransmission between neurons

Back 81

synaptic transmission

Front 82

any of numerous small spherical sacs in the cyto-plasm of the terminal button of a presynaptic neuron that containmolecules of neurotransmitter which are released into the synap-tic cleft when a nerve impulse arrives

Back 82

synaptic vesicle

Front 83

the lobe in the lower lateral surface of each ce-rebral hemisphere, associated with auditory projection, auditoryassociation, and higher order visual processing

Back 83

temporal lobe

Front 84

the terminal portion of an axon from which aneural signal is transmitted, through discharge of a neurotransmit-ter, across a synapse to a neighboring neuron’s dendrites or cellbody

Back 84

terminal button

Front 85

a male sex hormone produced mainly by the testesthat stimulates the development of male reproductive organs andsecondary sex characteristics

Back 85

testosterone

Front 86

a mass of gray matter consisting of a collection of sen-sory, motor, autonomic, and associational nuclei, serving as a relayfor nerve impulses traveling between the spinal cord and brain-stem and the cerebral cortex

Back 86

thalamus

Front 87

the level of depolarization at which abrief stimulation triggers a rapid, massive electrical change by themembrane

Back 87

threshold of excitation