Psychology: Chapter 3

Front 1

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

Back 1

neuroscience

Front 2

the brain and the spinal cord

Back 2

central nervous system

Front 3

the network of nerves that links the CNS with the rest of the body

Back 3

peripheral nervous system

Front 4

the cells in the nervous system that receive and transmit information

Back 4

neurons

Front 5

cells that carry environmental messages toward the spinal cord and brain

Back 5

sensory neurons

Front 6

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

Back 6

interneurons

Front 7

cells that carry information away from the CNS to the muscles and glands that directly produce behavior

Back 7

motor neurons

Front 8

cells that full in space between neurons, remove waste, or help neurons to communicate effectively

Back 8

glial cells

Front 9

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

Back 9

myelin sheath

Front 10

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

Back 10

reflexes

Front 11

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

Back 11

dendrites

Front 12

the cell body of a neuron

Back 12

soma

Front 13

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

Back 13

axon

Front 14

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

Back 14

terminal buttons

Front 15

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

Back 15

synapse

Front 16

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

Back 16

resting potential

Front 17

the all-or-none electrical signal that travels down a neuron's axon.

Back 17

action potential

Front 18

chemical messengers that relay information from one neuron to the next

Back 18

neurotransmitter

Front 19

a neurotransmistter that plays multiple roles in the CNS and PNS, including the exitation of muscle contractions

Back 19

acetylcholine

Front 20

What happens when the action potential reaches the end of the axon?

Back 20

chemical messengers (neurotransmitters) are released into the synapse, where they interact with the postsynaptic membrane of the next neuron (opening or closing its channels)

Front 21

a neurotransmitter that often leads to inhibitory effects that dampen or stimulate communications in the brain

Back 21

dopamine

Front 22

What would an increased dopamine level lead to?

Back 22

schizophrenia

Front 23

What would a decreased dopamine level lead to?

Back 23

Parkinson's disease

Front 24

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

Back 24

serotonin

Front 25

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

Back 25

gamma-amino-butyric acid (GABA)

Front 26

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

Back 26

endorphins

Front 27

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

Back 27

refractory period

Front 28

bundles of axons that make up neural "transmission cables"

Back 28

nerves

Front 29

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

Back 29

somatic system

Front 30

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

Back 30

autonomic system

Front 31

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

Back 31

electroencephalograph (EEG)

Front 32

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

Back 32

computerized tomography scan (CT)

Front 33

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

Back 33

position emission tomography (PET)

Front 34

a device that uses magnetic fields and radio-wave pulses to construct detailed, three-dimensional images of the brain

Back 34

magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

Front 35

What do "functional" MRI's map out?

Back 35

changes in blood oxygen use

Front 36

a primitive part of the brain that sits at the juncture point where the brain and spinal cord merge.

Back 36

hindbrain

Front 37

Name the parts of the hindbrain.

Back 37

medulla, pons, and reticular formation

Front 38

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

Back 38

cerebellum

Front 39

the middle portion of the brain, serves as a neural relay station and may help coordinate reactions to sensory events

Back 39

midbrain

Front 40

Name the parts of the midbrain

Back 40

tectum, superior colliculus, inferior colliculus

Front 41

the outer portion of the brain

Back 41

forebrain

Front 42

Name the parts of the forebrain.

Back 42

the cerebral cortex and the structures of the limbic system

Front 43

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

Back 43

cerbral cortex

Front 44

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

Back 44

thalamus

Front 45

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

Back 45

hypothalamus

Front 46

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

Back 46

limbic system

Front 47

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

Back 47

frontal lobe

Front 48

one of four anatomical regions of each hemisphere of the cerebral cortex, located roughly on the top middle portion of the brain; it contains the somatosensory cortex, which controls the sense of touch

Back 48

parietal lobe

Front 49

one of the 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

Back 49

temporal lobe

Front 50

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

Back 50

occipital lobe

Front 51

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

Back 51

corpus callosum

Front 52

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

Back 52

endocrine system

Front 53

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

Back 53

hormones

Front 54

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

Back 54

pituitary gland

Front 55

What does the hypothalamus do in the fight-or-flight response?

Back 55

stimulates the adrenal glands

Front 56

What do the adrenal glands do in f-or-f?

Back 56

secrete norepinephrine and epinephrine into the bloodstream

Front 57

a trait that has been selected for by nature because it increases

Back 57

adaptation

Front 58

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

Back 58

genes

Front 59

the actual genetic information inherited from one's parents

Back 59

genotype

Front 60

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

Back 60

phenotype

Front 61

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

Back 61

mutation

Front 62

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

Back 62

family studies

Front 63

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.

Back 63

twin studies