Phyc Ch2.

Front 1

biological perspective

Back 1

concerned with the links between biology and
behavior. Includes psychologists
working in neuroscience, behavior
genetics, and evolutionary psychology.
These researchers may call themselves behavioral neuroscientists,
neuropsychologists, behavior geneticists,
physiological psychologists, or
biopsychologists.

Front 2

neuron

Back 2

a nerve cell; the basic building
block of the nervous system

Front 3

dendrites

Back 3

a neuron’s bushy, branching
extensions that receive messages and
conduct impulses toward the cell body.

Front 4

axon

Back 4

the neuron extension that passes
messages through its branches to other
neurons or to muscles or glands.

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myelin

Back 5

a fatty tissue layer segmentally encasing the
axons of some neurons; enables vastly
greater transmission speed as neural
impulses hop from one node to the next

Front 6

action potential

Back 6

a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon.

Front 7

threshold

Back 7

the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse

Front 8

synapse

Back 8

the junction between the a xon tip of the sending
neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron. The tiny gap at this junction is called the synaptic gap or synaptic cleft

Front 9

neurotransmitters

Back 9

chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps
between neurons. When released by the sending neuron, neurotransmitters travel across the synapse and bind to receptor sites on the receiving neuron,thereby influencing whether that
neuron will generate a neural impulse

Front 10

reuptake

Back 10

a neurotransmitter’s reabsorption
by the sending neuron

Front 11

endorphins

Back 11

“morphine within”—natural, opiatelike neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to
pleasure.

Front 12

nervous system

Back 12

the body’s speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells
of the peripheral and central nervous
systems.

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central nervous system

Back 13

the brain and spinal cord.

Front 14

peripheral nervous system

Back 14

the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system (CNS) to the rest of the body

Front 15

nerves

Back 15

bundled axons that form neural “cables” connecting the central nervous system with muscles, glands,
and sense organs.

Front 16

sensory neurons

Back 16

neurons that carry incoming information from the sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord.

Front 17

motor neurons

Back 17

neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and
glands.

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interneurons

Back 18

neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and intervene between the
sensory inputs and motor outputs.

Front 19

somatic nervous system

Back 19

the division of the peripheral nervous system that
controls the body’s skeletal muscles.
Also called the skeletal nervous system

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autonomic

Back 20

the part of the peripheral nervous system that
controls the glands and the muscles of
the internal organs (such as the heart).
Its sympathetic division arouses; its
parasympathetic division calms.

Front 21

sympathetic nervous system

Back 21

the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations.

Front 22

parasympathetic nervous system

Back 22

the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy.

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reflex

Back 23

a simple, automatic response to a sensory stimulus, such as the knee - jerk response.

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endocrine

Back 24

the body’s “slow” chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream.

Front 25

hormones

Back 25

chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands, travel through the bloodstream,
and affect other tissues.

Front 26

adrenal

Back 26

a pair of endocrine glands that sit just above
the kidneys and secrete hormones (epinephrine
and norepinephrine) that help arouse the body in times of stress.

Front 27

pituitary gland

Back 27

the endocrine system’s most influential gland. Under
the influence of the hypothalamus, the
pituitary regulates growth and controls
other endocrine glands.

Front 28

lesion

Back 28

tissue destruction. A brain lesion is a naturally or experimentally caused destruction of brain
tissue.

Front 29

electroencephalogram

Back 29

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.

Front 30

positron emission tomography

Back 30

a visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the
brain performs a given task.

Front 31

magnetic resonance imaging

Back 31

a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer - generated images of soft tissue. MRI scans show brain anatomy.

Front 32

functional magnetic resonance imaging

Back 32

a technique for revealing bloodflow and, therefore,
brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. fMRI scans show brain function.

Front 33

brainstem

Back 33

the oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; the brainstem is responsible for automatic
survival functions.

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medulla

Back 34

the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and
breathing.

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thalamus

Back 35

the brain’s sensory switchboard, located on top
of the brainstem; it directs messages
to the sensory receiving areas in the
cortex and transmits replies to the
cerebellum and medulla.

Front 36

reticular formation

Back 36

a nerve network that travels through the brainstem and plays an important role in controlling
arousal.

Front 37

cerebellum

Back 37

the “little brain” at the rear of the brainstem;
functions include processing sensory input and coordinating movement output and balance.

Front 38

limbic system

Back 38

neural system (including the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus) located below the
cerebral hemispheres; associated with
emotions and drives.

Front 39

amygdala

Back 39

two limabean-sized neural clusters in the limbic
system; linked to emotion.

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hypothalamus

Back 40

a neural structure lying below (hypo) the thalamus; it directs several maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temperature), helps govern the
endocrine system via the pituitary gland,
and is linked to emotion and reward.

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cerebral

Back 41

the intricate fabric of interconnected
neural cells covering the cerebral hemispheres;
the body’s ultimate control and information - processing center.

Front 42

glial cells

Back 42

cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons; they may also play a role
in learning and thinking.

Front 43

frontal lobes,

Back 43

portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; in volved in speaking and muscle
movements and in making plans and
judgments.

Front 44

parietal

Back 44

portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the
top of the head and toward the rear;
receives sensory input for touch and
body position.

Front 45

occipital

Back 45

portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the
back of the head; includes areas that
receive information from the visual
fields.

Front 46

temporal lobes

Back 46

portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the
ears; includes the auditory areas, each
receiving information primarily from the
opposite ear.

Front 47

motor cortex

Back 47

an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements.

Front 48

sensory cortex

Back 48

area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement
sensations.

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association areas

Back 49

areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved
in primary motor or sensory functions;
rather, they are involved in higher
mental functions such as learning,
remembering, thinking, and speaking.

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plasticity

Back 50

the brain’s ability to
change, especially during childhood, by
reorganizing after damage or by building
new pathways based on experience.

Front 51

neurogenesis

Back 51

the formation of new neurons.

Front 52

corpus callosum

Back 52

the large band of neural fibers
connecting the two brain hemispheres
and carrying messages between them.

Front 53

split brain

Back 53

a condition resulting from surgery that isolates the brain’s two hemispheres by cutting the fibers
(mainly those of the corpus callosum)
connecting them.