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57 Cards in this Set

  • Front
  • Back
biological psychology
a branch of psychology concerned with the links between biology and behavior
neuron
a nerve cell

the basic building block of the nervous system
dendrite
the bushy, branching extensions of a neuron, ending in branching terminal fibers, through which messages pass to other neurons or to muscles or glands
axon
the extension of a neuron, ending in branching terminal fibers, through which messages pass to other neurons or to muscles or glands
myelin sheath
a layer of fatty tissue segmentally encasing the fibers of many neurons; enables vastly greater transmission speed of neural impulses as the impulse hops from one node to the next
action potential
a neural impulse

a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon

it is generated by the movement of positively charge atoms in and out of channels in the axon's membrane
threshold
the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse
synapse
the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron
neurotransmitters
chemical messengers that traverse the synaptic gaps between neurons

when released by the sending neuron, they travel across the synapse and bind to receptor sites on the receiving neuron
acetylcholine
a neurotransmitter that enables learning and memory and also triggers muscle contraction
endorphins
"morphine within" -- natural, opiatelike neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure
nervous system
the body's speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems
central nervous system (CNS)
the brain and spinal cord
peripheral nervous system (PNS)
the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body
nerves
neural "cables" containing many axons

these bundled axons, which are part of the PNS, connect to the CNS with muscles, glands, and sense organs
sensory organs
neurons that carry incoming information from the sense receptors to the central nervous system
motor neurons
neurons that carry outgoing information from the central nervous system to the muscles and glands
interneurons
central nervous system neurons that internally communicate and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs
somatic nervous system
the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's skeletal muscles

(skeletal nervous system)
autonomic nervous system
the part of the PNS that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs

sympathetic division - arouses
parasympathetic - calms
sympathetic nervous system
the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations
parasympathetic nervous system
the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy
reflex
a simple, automatic, inborn response to a sensory stimulus, such as the knee-jerk response
neural networks
interconnected neural cells

with experience, networks can learn, as feedback strengthens or inhibits connections that produce certain results
endocrine system
the body's "slow" chemical communication system

a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream
hormones
chemical messengers, mostly those manufactured by the endocrine glands, that are produced in one tissue and affect another
adrenal glands
a pair of endocrine glands just above the kidneys

they secrete the hormones epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (noradrenaline), which help to arouse the body in times of stress
pituitary gland
the endocrine system's most influential gland

under the influence of the hypothalamus, this gland regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands
lesion
tissue destruction

is a naturally or experimentally caused destruction of brain tissue
electroencephalogram (EEG)
an amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain's surface
PET (positron emission tomography) scan
a visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images that distinguish among different types of soft tissue

allows us to see structures of the brain
fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging)
a technique for revealing blood flow and brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans
MRI show....

fMRI show...
brain anatomy

brain function
brainstem
the oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull

responsible for automatic survival functions
medulla
the base of the brainstem

controls heartbeat and breathing
reticular formation
a nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal
thalamus
the brain's sensory switchboard, located on top of the brainstem

it directs messages in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla
cerebellum
the "little brain" attached to the rear of the brainstem

its functions include processing sensory input and coordinating movement output and balance
limbic system
a doughnut-shaped system of neural structures at the border of the brainstem and cerebral hemispheres

associated with emotions such as fear and aggression and drives such as those for food and sex
amygdala
two lima bean-sized neural clusters that are components of the limbic system and are linked to emotion
hypothalamus
a neural structure below the thalamus

it directs several maintenance activities helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion
cerebral cortex
the intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells that covers the cerebral hemispheres

the body's ultimate control and information-processing center
glial cells (glia)
cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons (glue cells)
frontal lobes
the portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead

involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgments
parietal lobes
the portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear

receives sensory input for touch and body position
occipital lobes
the portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head

includes the visual areas, which receive visual information from the opposite visual field
temporal lobes
the portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears

includes the auditory areas, each of which receives auditory information primarily from the opposite ear
motor cortex
an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements
sensory cortex
the area at teh front of the parietal lobes that processes body touch and movement sensations
association areas
areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions

they are involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking
aphasia
impairment of language, usually cause by left hemisphere damage either to Broca's area or to Wernicke's area
Broca's area
controls language reception

an area of the frontal lobe, usually in the left hemisphere, that directs the muscle movements involved in speech
Wernicke's area
controls language reception

a brain area involved in language comprehension and expression (usually in the left temporal lobe)
plasticity
the brain's capacity for modification, as evident in brain reorganization following damage and in experiments on the effects of experience on brain development
corpus callosum
the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them
split brain
a condition in which the two hemispheres of the brain are isolated by cutting the connecting fibers between them