Ap Psychology Chapter 3

Front 1

biopsychology

Back 1

The specialty in psychology that studies the interaction of biology, behavior, and mental processes.

Front 2

neuroscience

Back 2

A relatively new interdisciplinary field that focuses on the brain and its role in psychology processes.

Front 3

evolution

Back 3

The gradual processe of biological change that occurs in a species as it adapts to its environment.

Front 4

natural selection

Back 4

The driving force behind evolution, by which the environment "selects" the fittest organisms.

Front 5

genotype

Back 5

An organism's genetic makeup.

Front 6

phenotype

Back 6

An organism's observable physical characteristics.

Front 7

DNA

Back 7

A long, complex molecule that encodes genetic characteristics. DNA is an abbreviation for deoxyribonucleic acid.

Front 8

gene

Back 8

Segment of a chromosome that encodes the directions for the inherited physical and mental characteristics of an organism. Genes are the functional units of a chromosome.

Front 9

chromosome

Back 9

Tightly coiled threadlike structure along which the genes are organized, like beads on a necklace. Chromosomes consist primarily of DNA.

Front 10

sex chromosomes

Back 10

The X and Y chromosomes that determine our physical sex characteristics.

Front 11

neurons

Back 11

Cell specialized to receive and transmit information to other cells in the body - also called a nerve cell. Bundles of many neurons are called nerves.

Front 12

sensory neuron

Back 12

Nerve cell that carries messages from sense receptors toward the central nervous system. Also called an afferent neuron.

Front 13

motor neuron

Back 13

Nerve cell that carries messages away from the central nervous system toward the muscles and glands. Also called an efferent neuron.

Front 14

interneuron

Back 14

A nerve cell that relays messages between nerve cells, especially in the brain and spinal cord.

Front 15

dendrites

Back 15

A branched fiber that extends outward from the main cell body and carries information into the neuron.

Front 16

soma

Back 16

The part of a cell (such as a neuron) containing the nucleus, which includes the chromosomes. Also called the cell body.

Front 17

axon

Back 17

In a nerve cell, an extended fiber that conducts information from the soma to the terminal buttons. Information travels along the axon in the form of an electric charge called the action potential.

Front 18

resting potential

Back 18

The electrical charge of the axon in its inactive state, when the neuron is ready to "fire".

Front 19

action potential

Back 19

The nerve impulse caused by a charge in the electrical charge across the cell membrane of the axon. When the neuron "fires", this charge travels down the axon and causes neurotransmitters to be released by the terminal buttons.

Front 20

all-or-none principle

Back 20

Refers to the fact that the action potential in the axon occurs either full-blown or not at all.

Front 21

synapse

Back 21

The microscopic gap that serves as a communications link between neurons and the muscles or glands they serve.

Front 22

terminal buttons

Back 22

Tiny bulblike structures at the end of the axon, which contain neurotransmitters that carry the neuron's message into the synapse.

Front 23

synaptic transmission

Back 23

The relaying of information across the synapse by means of chemical neurotransmitters.

Front 24

synaptic vesicle

Back 24

A small "container" holding neurotransmitter molecules that then connect to the presynaptic membrane, releasing the neurotransmitter into the synapse.

Front 25

neurotransmitters

Back 25

Chemical messengers that relay messages across the synapse. Many neurotransmitters are also hormones.

Front 26

plasticity

Back 26

The nervous system's ability to adapt or change as the result of experience. Plasticity may also help the nervous system adapt to physical damage.

Front 27

glial cells

Back 27

Cells that bind the neurons together. Glial cells also provide an insulating covering (the myelin sheath) of the axon for some neurons, which facilitates the electrical impulse.

Front 28

nervous system

Back 28

The entire network of neurons in the body, including the central nervous system, the peripheral nervous system, and their subdivisions.

Front 29

central nervous system

Back 29

The brain and the spinal cord.

Front 30

reflex

Back 30

A simple, unlearned response triggered by stimuli-such as the knee-jerk reflex set off by tapping the tendon just below your kneecap.

Front 31

peripheral nervous system

Back 31

All parts of the nervous system lying outside the central nervous system lying outside the central nervous system. The peripheral nervous system includes the autonomic and somatic nervous systems.

Front 32

somatic nervous system

Back 32

A division of the peripheral nervous system that carries sensory information to the central nervous system and also sends voluntary messages to the body's skeletal muscles.

Front 33

autonomic nervous system

Back 33

The portion of the peripheral nervous system that sends communications between the central nervous system and the internal organs and glands.

Front 34

sympathetic division

Back 34

The part of the autonomic nervous system that sends messages to internal organs and glands that help us respond to stressful and emergency situations.

Front 35

parasympathetic division

Back 35

The part of the autonomic nervous system that monitors the routine operations of the internal organs and returns the body to calmer functioning after arousal by the sympathetic division.

Front 36

endocrine system

Back 36

The hormone system-the body's chemical messenger system, including the endocrine glands: pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenals, pancreas, ovaries, and testes.

Front 37

hormone

Back 37

A chemical messenger used by the endocrine system. Many hormones also serve as neurotransmitters.

Front 38

pituitary gland

Back 38

The "master gland" that produces hormones influencing the secretions of all other endocrine glands, as well as a hormone that influences growth. The pituitary is attached to the brain's hypothalamus, from which it takes its orders.

Front 39

agonist

Back 39

Drug or other chemical that enhances or mimics the effects of neurotransmitters.

Front 40

antagonist

Back 40

Drug or other chemical that inhibits the effects of neurotransmitters.

Front 41

neural pathways

Back 41

Bundle of nerve cells that follows generally the same route and employ the same neurotransmitter.

Front 42

electroencephalograph (EEG)

Back 42

A device for recording brain waves, typically by electrodes placed on the scalp. The record produced is known as an electroencephalogram (also called an EEG).

Front 43

CT scanning or computerized tomography

Back 43

A computerized imaging technique that uses X rays passed through the brain at various angles and then combined into an image.

Front 44

PET scanning or positron emission tomography

Back 44

An imaging technique that relies on the detection of radioactive sugar consumed by active brain cells.

Front 45

MRI or magnetic resonance imaging

Back 45

An imaging technique that relies on cells' responses in a high-intensity magnetic field.

Front 46

fMRI or functional magnetic resonance imaging

Back 46

A type of MRI that reveals which parts of the brain are most active during various mental activities.

Front 47

brain stem

Back 47

The most primitive of the brain's three major layers. It includes the medulla, pons, and reticular formation.

Front 48

medulla

Back 48

A brain-stem structure that controls breathing and heart rate. The sensory and motor pathways connecting the brain to the body cross in the medulla.

Front 49

pons

Back 49

A brain-stem structure that regulates brain activity during sleep and dreaming. The name pons derives from the Latin word for "bridge".

Front 50

reticular formation

Back 50

A pencil-shaped structure forming the core of the brain stem. The reticular formation arouses the cortex to keep the brain alert and attentive to new stimulation.

Front 51

thalamus

Back 51

The brain's central "relay station", situated just atop the brain stem. Nearly all the messages going into or out of the brain go through the thalamus.

Front 52

cerebellum

Back 52

The "little brain" attached to the brain stem. the cerebellum is responsible for coordinated movements.

Front 53

limbic system

Back 53

The middle layer of the brain, involved in emotion and memory. The limbic system includes the hippocampus, amygdala, hypothalamus, and other structures.

Front 54

hippocampus

Back 54

A component of the limbic system, involved in establishing long-term memories.

Front 55

amygdala

Back 55

A limbic system structure involved in memory and emotion, particularly fear and aggression. Pronounced a-MIG-da-la.

Front 56

hypothalamus

Back 56

A limbic structure that serves as the brain's blood-testing laboratory, constantly monitoring the blood to determine the condition of the body.

Front 57

cerebral cortex

Back 57

The thin gray-matter covering of the cerebral hemispheres, consisting of a 1/4-inch layer dense with cell bodies of neurons. The cerebral cortex carries on the major portion of our "higher" mental processing, including thinking and perceiving.

Front 58

frontal lobes

Back 58

Cortical regions at the front of the brain that are especially involved in movement and in thinking.

Front 59

motor cortex

Back 59

A narrow vertical strip of cortex in the frontal lobes, lying just in front of the central fissure; controls voluntary movement.

Front 60

parietal lobes

Back 60

Cortical areas lying toward the back and top of the brain; involved in touch sensation and in perceiving spatial relationships (the relationships of objects in space).

Front 61

somatosensory cortex

Back 61

A strip of the parietal lobe lying just behind the central fissure. The somatosensory cortex is involved with sensations of touch.

Front 62

occipital lobes

Back 62

The cortical regions at the back of the brain, housing the visual cortex.

Front 63

visual cortex

Back 63

The visual processing areas of cortex in the occipital and temporal lobes.

Front 64

temporal lobes

Back 64

Cortical lobes that process sounds, including speech. The temporal lobes are probably involved in storing long-term memories.

Front 65

cerebral dominance

Back 65

The tendency of each brain hemisphere to exert control over different functions, such as language or perception of spatial relationships.

Front 66

corpus callosum

Back 66

The band of nerve cells that connects the two cerebral hemispheres.

Front 67

association cortex

Back 67

Cortical regions throughout the brain that combine information from various other parts of the brain.