Psychology By David Myers 10Th Edition Chapter 2

Front 1

Neuron

Back 1

a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system. (p. 49)

Front 2

Dendrites

Back 2

a neuron’s bushy, branching extensions that receive messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body. (p. 49)

Front 3

Axon

Back 3

the neuron extension that passes messages through its branches to other neurons or to muscles or glands. (p. 49)

Front 4

Myelin Sheath

Back 4

a fatty tissue layer segmentally encasing
the axons of some neurons; enables vastly greater transmission speed
as neural impulses hop from one node to the next. (p. 49)

Front 5

Action Potential

Back 5

a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon. (p. 50)

Front 6

Threshold

Back 6

the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse. (p. 51)

Front 7

Synapse

Back 7

the junction between the axon tip of the sending
neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron. The tiny gap at this junction is called the synaptic gap or synaptic cleft.
(p. 52)

Front 8

Neurotransmitters

Back 8

chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons. When released by the sending neuron, neurotransmitters travel across the synapse and bind to receptor sites on
the receiving neuron, thereby influencing whether that neuron will generate a neural impulse. (p. 52)

Front 9

Reuptake

Back 9

a neurotransmitter’s reabsorption by the sending neuron. (p. 53)

Front 10

Endorphins

Back 10

“morphine within”—natural, opiatelike
neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure. (p. 54)

Front 11

Nervous System

Back 11

the body’s speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central
nervous systems. (p. 55)

Front 12

Central Nervous System (CNS)

Back 12

the brain and spinal cord. (p. 56)

Front 13

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

Back 13

the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system (CNS) to the rest of the body. (p. 56)

Front 14

Nerves

Back 14

bundled axons that form neural “cables” connecting the central nervous system with muscles, glands, and sense organs. (p. 56)

Front 15

Sensory Neurons

Back 15

neurons that carry incoming information from the sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord. (p. 56)

Front 16

Motor Neurons

Back 16

neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands. (p. 56)

Front 17

Interneurons

Back 17

neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs. (p. 56)

Front 18

Somatic Nervous System

Back 18

the division of the peripheral nervous system
that controls the body’s skeletal muscles. Also called the skeletal nervous system. (p. 56)

Front 19

Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)

Back 19

the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs (such as the heart). Its sympathetic division arouses; its parasympathetic division calms. (p. 56)

Front 20

Sympathetic Nervous System

Back 20

the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations. (p. 56)

Front 21

Reflex

Back 21

a simple, automatic response to a sensory stimulus, such as the knee-jerk response. (p. 58)

Front 22

Endocrine System

Back 22

the body’s “slow” chemical communication
system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream. (p. 59)

Front 23

Hormones

Back 23

chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands, travel through the bloodstream, and affect other tissues. (p. 59)

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. (p. 60)

Front 25

Pituitary Gland

Back 25

the endocrine system’s most influential gland. Under the influence of the hypothalamus, the pituitary regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands. (p. 60)

Front 26

Lesion

Back 26

tissue destruction. A brain lesion is a naturally or
experimentally caused destruction of brain tissue. (p. 61)

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. (p. 62)

Front 28

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) 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. (p. 62)

Front 29

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

Back 29

a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images of soft tissue. MRI scans show brain anatomy.

(p. 62)

Front 30

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)

Back 30

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

(p. 62)

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; the brainstem is responsible for automatic survival functions. (p. 64)

Front 32

Medulla

Back 32

the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat
and breathing. (p. 64)

Front 33

Thalamus

Back 33

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. (p. 65)

Front 34

Reticular Formation

Back 34

a nerve network that travels through the brainstem and plays an important role in controlling arousal. (p. 65)

Front 35

Cerebellum

Back 35

the “little brain” at the rear of the brainstem; functions include processing sensory input and coordinating movement output and balance.

(p. 65)

Front 36

Limbic System

Back 36

neural system (including the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus) located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated
with emotions and drives. (p. 66)

Front 37

Amygdala

Back 37

two lima-bean-sized neural clusters in the
limbic system; linked to emotion. (p. 66)

Front 38

Hypothalamus

Back 38

a neural structure lying below (hypo) the thalamus; it directs several maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temperature), helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion and reward. (p. 670)

Front 39

Cerebral Cortex

Back 39

the intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the cerebral hemispheres; the body’s ultimate control and information-processing center. (p. 69)

Front 40

Glial Cells (glia)

Back 40

cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons; they may also play a role in learning and thinking. (p. 69)

Front 41

Frontal Lobes

Back 41

portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgments. (p. 69)

Front 42

Parietal Lobes

Back 42

portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; receives sensory input for touch and body position. (p. 69)

Front 43

Occipital Lobes

Back 43

portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes areas that receive information from the visual fields. (p. 69)

Front 44

Temporal Lobes

Back 44

portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory areas, each receiving information primarily from the opposite ear. (p. 69)

Front 45

Motor Cortex

Back 45

an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements. (p. 70)

Front 46

Sensory Cortex

Back 46

area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations. (p. 73)

Front 47

Association Areas

Back 47

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. (p. 73)

Front 48

Plasticity

Back 48

the brain’s ability to change, especially during childhood,
by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on
experience. (p. 75)

Front 49

Neurogenesis

Back 49

the formation of new neurons. (p. 76)

Front 50

Corpus Callosum

Back 50

the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages
between them. (p. 76)

Front 51

Split Brain

Back 51

a condition resulting from surgery that isolates the brain’s two hemispheres by cutting the fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) connecting them. (p. 77)