Psy102 - Unit 3 (Biological Psychology) Keywords

Front 1

Neurons

Back 1

Nerve cells specialized for communication

Front 2

Dendrites

Back 2

Portions of neurons that receive signals.

Front 3

Axons

Back 3

Portions of neurons that send signals.

Front 4

Synapse

Back 4

Space between two connecting neurons through which messages are transmitted.

Front 5

Synaptic Cleft

Back 5

Space between two connecting neurons where neurotransmitters are released.

Front 6

Synaptic Vesicles

Back 6

Spherical sacs containing neurotransmitters.

Front 7

Glia (Glial) Cells

Back 7

Support cells in the nervous system that play roles in the formation of myelin and blood-brain barrier, respond to injury, and remove debris.

Front 8

Blood-Brain Barrier

Back 8

Glial cells forming a fatty coating that prevents certain substances from entering the brain.

Front 9

Resting Potential

Back 9

Electrical charge difference (-70 millivolts) across the neuronal membrane, when the neuron is not being stimulated for inhibited.

Front 10

Ions

Back 10

Positively or negatively charged particles produced when substances are dissolved in water.

Front 11

Action Potential

Back 11

An electrical impulse that travels down the axon and allows neurons to communicate.

Front 12

Synaptic Knobs

Back 12

Balloon-like structures at the end of the branches of an axon containing neurotransmitters.

Front 13

Neutrotransmitters

Back 13

Chemical messengers specialized for communication and released at the synapse.

Front 14

Absolute Refractory Period

Back 14

Time during which another action potential is impossible; limits maximal firing rate.

Front 15

Myelin Sheath

Back 15

Glial cell-wrappers around axons that act as insulators of the neuron's signal.

Front 16

Graded Potentials

Back 16

Postsynaptic potentials that can be excitatory of inhibitory depending on whether positively or negatively charged particles flow across the neuronal membrane and in which direction they flow.

Front 17

Threshold

Back 17

Membrane potential necessary to trigger an action potential.

Front 18

Receptor Sites

Back 18

Locations that uniquely recognize a neurotransmitter.

Front 19

Reuptake

Back 19

Means of recycling neurotransmitters.

Front 20

Acetylcholine

Back 20

Neurotransmitter used to control activity, including movement, memory, attention, and dreaming.

Front 21

Dopamine

Back 21

Neurotransmitters that plays a key role in movement and reward.

Front 22

Endorphins

Back 22

Chemicals in the brain that play a specialized role in pain reduction.

Front 23

Central Nervous System (CNS)

Back 23

Part of the nervous system containing the brain and spinal cord and their associated functions.

Front 24

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

Back 24

Nerves in the body that extend outside the central nervous sytem.

Front 25

Forebrain

Back 25

Forward part of the brain that allows advanced intellectual abilities; also known as the cerebrum.

Front 26

Cerebral Cortex

Back 26

Outermost part of forebrain, responsible for analyzing sensory processing, programming motor movements, and higher brain functions.

Front 27

Cerebral Hemisphere

Back 27

Two halves of the cerebral cortex, which serve different yet highly integrated cognition functions.

Front 28

Corpus Collosum

Back 28

Large band of fibres connecting the two cerebral hemispheres.

Front 29

Frontal Lobe

Back 29

Forward part of cerebral cortex containing the motor cortex and the prefrontal cortex' responsible for motor function, language, and memory.

Front 30

Motor Cortex

Back 30

Part of frontal lobe responsible for body movements.

Front 31

Prefrontal Cortex

Back 31

Part of frontal lobe responsible for thinking, planning, and language.

Front 32

Broca's Area

Back 32

Language area in the prefrontal cortex that helps to control speech production.

Front 33

Broca's Aphasia

Back 33

A speech deficit involving severe difficulty in articulating words caused by damage to an area of the prefrontal cortex known as Broca's area.

Front 34

Parietal Lobe

Back 34

Upper middle part of the cerebral cortex lying behind the frontal lobe specialized for touch and perceptions.

Front 35

Temporal Lobe

Back 35

Lower part of cerebral cortex below the temples, which plays roles in hearing, understanding language, and memory.

Front 36

Wernicke's Area

Back 36

Part of the temporal lobe involved in understanding speech.

Front 37

Occipital Lobe

Back 37

Back part of cerebral cortex specialized for vision.

Front 38

Sensory Cortex

Back 38

Regions of the cerebral cortex devoted to vision, touch, hearing, balance, taste, and smell.

Front 39

Association Cortex

Back 39

Regions of the cerebral cortex that integrate simpler functions to perform more complex functions.

Front 40

Basal Ganglia

Back 40

Structures in the forebrain that help to control movement.

Front 41

Basal Forebrain

Back 41

Region in forebrain containing acetylcholine neurons that affect activity of the cortex.

Front 42

Thalamus

Back 42

Part of the brain that processes sensory information and serves as a gateway to the cerebral cortex.

Front 43

Brain Stem

Back 43

Part of the brain between the spinal cord and cerebral cortex that contins the medulla, midbrain, and pons.

Front 44

Midbrain

Back 44

Part of the brain stem that lies between the forebrain and hindbrain. It helps to control head and neck reflexes and modulate motor activity.

Front 45

Reticular Activating System (RAS)

Back 45

Group of neurons in the brain stem that plays a key role in arousal.

Front 46

Hindbrain

Back 46

Part of the brain between the spinal cord and midbrain, consisting of the cerebellum, pons, and medulla.

Front 47

Cerebellum

Back 47

Small cerebrum in hindbrain, responsible for our sense of balance.

Front 48

Pons

Back 48

Part of hindbrain that connects the cerebral cortex with cerebellum.

Front 49

Medulla

Back 49

Part of brain stem involved in vital functions, such as heartbeat and breathing.

Front 50

Cerebral Ventricles

Back 50

Internal waterways of the CNS that carry cerebrospinal fluis (CSF), which provides the brain with nutrients and cushioning against injury.

Front 51

Interneurons

Back 51

Neurons that send messages to other neurons nearby and stimulate motor neurons.

Front 52

Reflex

Back 52

An automatic motor response to a sensory stimulus like muscle stretch.

Front 53

Somatic Nervous System

Back 53

Part of the peripheral nervous system carrying messages from the CNS through the body to control movement.

Front 54

Limbic System

Back 54

Emotional centre of the brain that also plays roles in smell, motivation, and memory.

Front 55

Hypothalamus

Back 55

Part of the brain responsible for maintaining a constant internal state.

Front 56

Amygdala

Back 56

Part of the limbic system that plays key roles in fear, excitement, and arousal.

Front 57

Hippocampus

Back 57

Part of the brain that plays a role in spatial memory.

Front 58

Autonomic Nervous System

Back 58

Part of the peripheral nervous system controlling the involuntary actions of our internal organs and glands, which (along with the limbic system) participates in emotion.

Front 59

Sympathetic Division

Back 59

Part of the autonomic nervous system engaged during a crisis, or after actions requiring fight or flight.

Front 60

Parasympathetic Division

Back 60

Part of the autonomic nervous system that controls rest and digestion.

Front 61

Endocrine System

Back 61

System of glands and hormones that controls secretion of blood-borne chemical messengers.

Front 62

Hormones

Back 62

Blood-borne chemicals that influence target tissues and glands.

Front 63

Pituitary Gland

Back 63

Master gland that, under the control of the hypothalamus, directs the other glands of the body.

Front 64

Adrenal Gland

Back 64

Tissue located on top of the kidneys that releases adrenaline and cortisol during states of emotional arousal.

Front 65

Lesion

Back 65

Area of damage due to surgery, injury, or disease.

Front 66

Electroencephalography (EEG)

Back 66

Recording of brain's electrical activity at the surface of the skull.

Front 67

Computed Tomography (CT)

Back 67

A scanning technique using multiple x-rays to construct three-dimensional images.

Front 68

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

Back 68

Technique that uses magnetic fields to indirectly visualize brain structure.

Front 69

Position Emission Tomography (PET)

Back 69

Imaging technique that measures uptake of glucose-like molecules, yielding a picture of regional metabolic activity in the brain in different regions.

Front 70

Functional MRI (fMRI)

Back 70

Technique that uses magnetic fields to visualize brain activity.

Front 71

Transcranial Magnetic Stimluation (TMS)

Back 71

Technique that applies strong and quickly changing magnetic fields to the surface of the skull and that can either enhance or interrupt brain function.

Front 72

Magnetoencephalography (MEG)

Back 72

Measure of brain activity using megnetometers that sense tiny magnetic fields generated by the brain.

Front 73

Split-Brain Surgery

Back 73

Procedure that involves severing that corpus callosum to reduce the spread of epileptic seizures.

Front 74

Lateralization

Back 74

Cognitive function that relies more on one side of the brain that the other.

Front 75

Chromosomes

Back 75

Slender threads inside a cell's nucleus that carry genes.

Front 76

Genes

Back 76

Genetic material, composed of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA).

Front 77

Genotype

Back 77

Our genetic makeup.

Front 78

Phenotype

Back 78

Our observable traits.

Front 79

Dominant Genes

Back 79

Genes that mask other genes' effects.

Front 80

Recessive Genes

Back 80

Genes that are expressed only in the absence of a dominant gene.

Front 81

Natural Selection

Back 81

Principle that organisms that possess adaptations survive and reproduce at a higher rate than other organisms.

Front 82

Fitness

Back 82

Organisms' capacity to pass on their genes.

Front 83

Heritability

Back 83

Percentage of the variability in a trait across individuals that is due to genes.

Front 84

Family Studies

Back 84

Analyses of how traits run in families.

Front 85

Twin Studies

Back 85

Analses of how traits differ in identical versus fraternal twins.

Front 86

Adoption Studies

Back 86

Analyses of how traits vary in individuals raised apart from their biological relatives.

Front 87

Plasticity

Back 87

Ability of the nervous system to change.

Front 88

Stem Cells

Back 88

Unspecialized cells that retain the ability to become a wide variety of specialized cells.

Front 89

Neurogenesis

Back 89

The generation of new neurons within the nervous system.