Psych Test 1

Front 1

myelin sheath

Back 1

an insulating layer of fatty material

Front 2

glial cells

Back 2

support cells found in the nervous system

Front 3

synapse

Back 3

the junction or region between the axon of one neuron and the dendrites or cell body of another

Front 4

sensory neurons

Back 4

neurons that receive information from the external world and convey this information to the brain via the spinal cord

Front 5

motor neurons

Back 5

neurons that carry signals from the spinal cord to the muscle to produce movement

Front 6

interneurons

Back 6

neurons that connect to the sensory neurons, motor neurons, or other interneurons

Front 7

resting potential

Back 7

the difference in electric charge between inside and outside a neuron's cell membrane

Front 8

action potential

Back 8

an electric signal that is conducted along an axon to a synapse

Front 9

refractory period

Back 9

the time following an action potential during the which a new action protein cannot be initiated

Front 10

terminal buttons

Back 10

knoblike structures that branch out from an axon

Front 11

neurons

Back 11

cells in the nervous system that communicate with one another to perform information-processing tasks

Front 12

cell body

Back 12

the part of a neuron that coordinates information-processing tasks and keeps the cell alive

Front 13

dendrites

Back 13

the part of a neuron that receives information from other neurons and relays it to the cell body

Front 14

axon

Back 14

the part of a neuron that transmits information to other neurons, muscles, or glands

Front 15

neurotransmitters

Back 15

chemicals that transmit information across the synapse to a receiving neuron's dendrites

Front 16

receptors

Back 16

parts of the cell membrane that receive the

Front 17

acetylcholine(ACH)

Back 17

a neurotransmitter involved in a number of functions, including voluntary motor control

Front 18

dopamine

Back 18

a neurotransmitter that regulates motor behavior, motivation, pleasure, and emotional arousal

Front 19

GABA (gamma- aminobutyric acid)

Back 19

the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain

Front 20

nonepanephrine

Back 20

a neurotransmitter that influences mood and arousal

Front 21

serotonin

Back 21

a neurotransmitter that is involved in the regulation of sleep and wakefulness, eating, and aggressive behavior

Front 22

endorphins

Back 22

chemicals that act within the pain pathways and emotion centers of the brain

Front 23

agonists

Back 23

drugs that increase the action of a neurotransmitters

Front 24

antagonist

Back 24

drugs that block the function of a neurotransmitter

Front 25

nervous system

Back 25

an interacting network of neurons that conveys electrochemical information throughout the body

Front 26

PNS

Back 26

the part of the nervous system that connects the central nervous system to the body's organs and muscles

Front 27

CNS

Back 27

the part of the nervous system that is composed of brain and spinal cord

Front 28

somatic nervous system

Back 28

a set of nerves that conveys information into and out of the CNS

Front 29

automatic nervous system

Back 29

a set of nerves that carries involuntary and automatic commands that control blood vessels, body organs, and glands

Front 30

sympathetic nervous system

Back 30

a set of nerves that prepares the body for action in threatening situations

Front 31

parasympathetic nervous system

Back 31

a set of nerves that helps the body to return to a normal resting state

Front 32

spinal reflexes

Back 32

simple pathways in the nervous system that rapidly generate muscle contractions

Front 33

hindbrain

Back 33

"brainstem"
an area of the brain that coordinates information coming into and out of the spinal cord

most basic functions of life (respiration, alertness, motor skills)

medulla, cerebellum, pons

Front 34

medulla

Back 34

an extension of the spinal cord into the skull that coordinates heart rate, circulation, and respiration

Front 35

reticular formation

Back 35

a brain structure that regulates sleep, wakefulness, and levels of arousal

Front 36

cerebellum

Back 36

a large structure of the hindbrain that controls fine motor skills

Front 37

pons

Back 37

a brain structure that relays information from the cerebellum to the rest of the brain

Front 38

tectum

Back 38

a part of the midbrain that orients an organism in the environment

Front 39

tegmentum

Back 39

a part of the midbrain that is involved in movement and arousal

Front 40

cerebral cortex

Back 40

the outermost layer of the brain, visible to the naked eye and divided into two hemisphere

Front 41

subcortical structures

Back 41

areas of the forebrain house under the cerebral cortex near the very center of the brain

Front 42

thalamus

Back 42

a subcortical structure that relays and filters the information from the senses and transmits the information to the cerebral cortex

Front 43

hypothalamus

Back 43

a subcortical structure that regulates body temperature, hunger, thirst, and sexual behavior

Front 44

pituitary gland

Back 44

the master gland of the body's hormone producing system, which releases hormones that direct the functions of many other glands in the body

Front 45

limbic system

Back 45

a group of forebrain structure including the hypothalamus, amygdala, hippocampus, which are involved in motivation, emotion learning, and memory

Front 46

amygdala

Back 46

a part of the limbic system that directs intentional movements

Front 47

hippocampus

Back 47

a structure critical for creating new memories and integrating them into a network of knowledge so that they can be stored indefinitely in other parts if the cerebral cortex

Front 48

basal ganglia

Back 48

a set of subcortical structures that directs intentional movements

Front 49

corpus callosum

Back 49

a thick band of nerve fibers that connects large areas of tje cerebral cortex on each side of the brain and supports communication of informational across the hemisphere

Front 50

occipital lobe

Back 50

a region of the cerebral cortex that processes visual information

Front 51

parietal lobe

Back 51

a region of cerebral cortex whose function include processing information about touch

Front 52

temporal lobe

Back 52

a region of the cerebral cortex responsible for hearing and language

Front 53

frontal lobe

Back 53

a region of the cerebral cortex that has specialized areas for movement, abstract thinking, planning, memory, and judgement

Front 54

association areas

Back 54

areas of the cerebral cortex that are composed of neurons that help provide sense and meaning to information registered in the cortex

Front 55

gene

Back 55

the unit of hereditary transmission

Front 56

chromosomes

Back 56

strands of DNA wound around each other in a double-helix configuration

Front 57

heritability

Back 57

a measure of the variability of behavioral trait among individuals that can be accounted for by genetic factors

Front 58

electroencephalogram (EEG)

Back 58

a device used to record electrical activity in the brain

Front 59

punkinje cells

Back 59

a type of interneuron that carries information from the cerebellum to the rest of the brain and spinal cord

Front 60

pyramidal cells

Back 60

cell body and a single long dendrite among many smaller dendrites

Front 61

bipolar cells

Back 61

type of sensory neuron found in the retinas of the eye, have a single axon and a single dendrite