Psy Chapter 2

Front 1

Neuron

Back 1

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

Front 2

Sensory Neurons

Back 2

carry information from sense receptors to the brain and spinal chord

Front 3

Motor Neurons

Back 3

carry information from the brain and spinal chord to the muscles and glands

Front 4

Interneurons

Back 4

communicate within the brain and spinal cord and between sensory and motor neurons

Front 5

Axons

Back 5

what a neuron uses to send signals and information

Front 6

Dendrites

Back 6

what a neuron uses to receive signals and information

Front 7

Action Potential

Back 7

a brief electrical charge that travels down a neurons axon

Front 8

Myelin Sheath

Back 8

insulates the axons of some neurons and helps speed their impulses

Front 9

Biological Psychologists

Back 9

a branch of psychology concerned with the links between biology and behavior

Front 10

Synapse

Back 10

the meeting point between neurons

Front 11

Threshold

Back 11

the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse

Front 12

Neurotransmitters

Back 12

Chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons

Front 13

Reuptake

Back 13

a neurotransmitter's reabsorption by the sending neuron

Front 14

Endorphins

Back 14

natural, opiate-like neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure

Front 15

Nervous System

Back 15

the body's speedy, electrochemical communication network

Front 16

Central Nervous System (CNS)

Back 16

the brain and spinal chord

Front 17

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

Back 17

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

Front 18

Nerves

Back 18

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

Front 19

Somatic Nervous System

Back 19

the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's skeletal muscles (aka skeletal nervous system)

Front 20

Autonomic Nervous System

Back 20

the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs (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

Front 23

Reflex

Back 23

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

Front 24

Adrenal Glands

Back 24

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 25

Pituitary Gland

Back 25

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

Front 26

Lesion

Back 26

tissue destruction (a brain lesion is a naturally or experimentally caused destruction of brain tissue)

Front 27

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

Back 27

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 28

PET (positron emission tomography) Scan

Back 28

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

Front 29

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)

Back 29

a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images of soft tissue; shows brain anatomy

Front 30

fMRI (functional MRI)

Back 30

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

Front 31

Brainstem

Back 31

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

Front 32

Medulla

Back 32

the base of the brainstem, controls heartbeat and breathing

Front 33

Reticular Formation

Back 33

a nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal

Front 34

Endocrine System

Back 34

the body's slow chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream

Front 35

Hormones

Back 35

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

Front 36

Thalamus

Back 36

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

Front 39

Amygdala

Back 39

two lima bean-sized neural clusters in the limbic system linked to emotion

Front 40

Hypothalamus

Back 40

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

Front 41

Cerebral Cortex

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 (Glia)

Back 42

cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons

Front 43

Frontal Lobes

Back 43

portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgements

Front 44

Parietal Lobes

Back 44

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

Front 45

Occipital Lobes

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

Front 49

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

Front 50

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