Psy 120 Chapter 3

Front 1

acetylcholine

Back 1

a neurotransmitter that plays multiple 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

adaptation

Back 3

a trait that has been selected for by nature because it increases the reproductive fitness of the organism

Front 4

autonomic system

Back 4

the collection of nerves that controls the more automatic needs of the body (such as heart rate, digestion, blood pressure); part of the peripheral nervous system

Front 5

axon

Back 5

the long tail-like part of a neuron that serves as the cell's transmitter

Front 6

central nervous system

Back 6

the brain and the spinal cord

Front 7

cerebellum

Back 7

a hindbrain structure at the base of the brain that is involved in the coordination of complex motor skills

Front 8

cerebral cortex

Back 8

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

Front 9

computerized tomography scan (CT scan)

Back 9

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

Front 10

corpus callosum

Back 10

the collection of nerve fibers that connects the two cerebral hemispheres and allows information to pass from one side to the other

Front 11

dendrites

Back 11

the fibers that extend outward from a neuron and receive information from other neurons

Front 12

dopamine

Back 12

a neurotransmitter that often leads to inhibitory effects; decreased levels have been linked to Parkinson disease, and increased levels have been linked to schizophrenia

Front 13

electroencephalograph (EEG)

Back 13

a device used to monitor the gross electrical activity of the brain

Front 14

endocrine system

Back 14

a network of glands that uses the bloodstream, rather than neurons, to send chemical messages that regulate growth and other internal functions

Front 15

endorphins

Back 15

morphine-like chemicals that act as the brain's natural painkillers

Front 16

family studies

Back 16

the similarities and differences among biological (blood) relatives are studies to help discover the role heredity plays in physical or psychological traits

Front 17

forebrain

Back 17

the outer portion of the brain, including the cerebral cortex and the structures of the limbic system

Front 18

frontal lobe

Back 18

one of four anatomical regions of each hemisphere of the cerebral cortex, located on the top front of the brain; it contains the motor cortex and may be involved in higher-level thought processes

Front 19

gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA)

Back 19

a neurotransmitter that may play a role in the regulation of anxiety; it generally produces inhibitory effects

Front 20

genes

Back 20

segments of chromosomes that contain instructions for influencing and creating particular hereditary characteristics

Front 21

genotype

Back 21

the actual genetic information inherited from one's parents

Front 22

glial cells

Back 22

cells that fill in space between neurons, remove waste, or help neurons to communicate efficiently

Front 23

hindbrain

Back 23

a primitive part of the brain that sits at the juncture point where the brain and spinal cord merge; structures in the hindbrain, including the medulla, pons, and reticular formation, act as the basic life support system for the body

Front 24

hormones

Back 24

chemicals released into the blood by the various endocrine glands to help control a variety of internal regulatory functions

Front 25

hypothalamus

Back 25

a forebrain structure thought to play a role in the regulation of various motivational activities, including eating, drinking, and sexual behavior

Front 26

interneurons

Back 26

cells that transfer information from one neuron to another; interneurons make no direct contact with the outside world

Front 27

limbic system

Back 27

a system of structures thought to be involved in motivational and emotional behaviors (the amygdala) and memory (the hippocampus)

Front 28

magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

Back 28

a device that uses magnetic fields and radiowave pulses to construct detailed, three-dimensional images of the brain; function MRIs can be used to map changes in blood oxygen use as a function of task activity

Front 29

midbrain

Back 29

the middle portion of the brain, containing such structures as the tectum, superior colliculus, and inferior colliculus; midbrain structures serve as neural relay stations and may help coordinate reactions to sensory events

Front 30

motor neurons

Back 30

cells that carry information away from the central nervous system to the muscles and glands that directly produce behavior

Front 31

mutation

Back 31

a spontaneous change in the genetic material that occurs during the gene replication process

Front 32

myelin sheath

Back 32

an insulating material that protects the axon and helps to speed up neural transmission

Front 33

nerves

Back 33

bundles of axons that make up neural "transmission cables"

Front 34

neurons

Back 34

the cells in the nervous system that receive and transmit information

Front 35

neuroscience

Back 35

an interdisciplinary field of study directed at understanding the brain and its relation to behavior

Front 36

neurotransmitters

Back 36

chemical messengers that relay information from one neuron to the next

Front 37

occipital lobe

Back 37

one of the four anatomical regions of each hemisphere of the cerebral cortex, located at the back of the brain; visual processing is controlled here

Front 38

peripheral nervous system

Back 38

the network of nerves that links the central nervous system with the rest of the body

Front 39

phenotype

Back 39

a person's observable characteristics, such as red hair; the phenotype is controlled mainly by the genotype, but it can also be influenced by the environment

Front 40

pituitary gland

Back 40

a kind of master gland in the body that controls the release of hormones in response to signals from the hypothalamus

Front 41

positron emission tomography (PET)

Back 41

a method for measuring how radioactive substances are absorbed in the brain; it can be used to detect how specific tasks activate different areas of the living brain

Front 42

reflexes

Back 42

largely automatic body reactions, such as the knee jerk, that are controlled primarily by spinal cord pathways

Front 43

refractory period

Back 43

the period of time following an action potential when more action potentials cannot be generated

Front 44

resting potential

Back 44

the tiny electrical charge in place between the inside and the outside of the resting neuron

Front 45

sensory neurons

Back 45

cells that carry environmental messages toward the spinal cord and brain; make the initial contact with the environment

Front 46

serotonin

Back 46

a neurotransmitter that has been linked to sleep, dreaming, and general arousal and may also be involved in some psychological disorders such as depression and schizophrenia

Front 47

soma

Back 47

the cell body of a neuron

Front 48

somatic system

Back 48

the collection of nerves that transmits information toward the brain and connects to the skeletal muscles to initiate movement; part of the peripheral nervous system

Front 49

synapse

Back 49

the small gap between the terminal buttons of a neuron and the dendrite or cell body of another neuron

Front 50

temporal lobe

Back 50

one of four anatomical regions of each hemisphere of the cerebral cortex, located roughly on the sides of the brain; it's involved in certain aspects of speech and language perception

Front 51

terminal buttons

Back 51

the tiny swellings at the end of the axon that contain chemicals important to neural tranmission

Front 52

thalamus

Back 52

a relay station in the forebrain thought to be an important gathering point for input from the senses

Front 53

twin studies

Back 53

identical twins, who share genetic material, are compared to fraternal twins in an effort to determine the roles heredity and environment play in psychological traits

Front 54

inhibitory message

Back 54

causes potassium ions to flow out of the neuron or chloride ions to flow into the neuron

Front 55

neuromodulators

Back 55

natural chemicals, such as endorphins, that increase or decrease the activity of specific neurotransmitters

Front 56

sympathetic nervous system

Back 56

responsible for up- and down-regulating many homeostatic mechanisms in living organisms

Front 57

medulla and the pons

Back 57

medulla controls autonomic functions and connects the higher levels of the brain to the spinal cord (vomiting, coughing, sneezing, swallowing); pons is a bridge between the cerebral cortex and the medulla (communication and coordination center between the two hemispheres of the brain)

Front 58

amygdala

Back 58

control of motivational and emotional behaviors

Front 59

left hemisphere

Back 59

controls language and communication