General Psychology/chapter 3

Front 1

Contains the cell nucleus and much of the chemical machinery common to most cells.

Back 1

soma, or cell body (from the Greek for "body")

Front 2

The parts of a neuron that are specialized to receive information.

Back 2

dendrites (from the Greek for "tree")

Front 3

A long, thin fiber that transmits signals away from the soma to other neurons or to muscles or glands.

Back 3

axon (from the Greek for "axle")

Front 4

Small knobs that secrete chemicals called neurotransmitters.

Back 4

terminal buttons

Front 5

A junction where information is transmitted from one neuron to another.

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synapse (from the Greek for "junction")

Front 6

Cells found throughout the nervous system that provide various types of support for neurons.

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glia (literally "glue")

Front 7

A neurons stable, negative charge when the cell is inactive.

Back 7

resting potential (this charge is about -70mV)

Front 8

A brief shift in a neuron's electrical charge that travel along an axon.

Back 8

action potential

Front 9

The minimum length of time after an action potential during which another action potential cannot begin.

Back 9

absolute refractory period (the "down time" is only about 1 or 2 milliseconds)

Front 10

The microscopic gap between the terminal button of a neuron and the cell membrane of another neuron.

Back 10

synaptic cleft

Front 11

Chemicals that transmit information from one neuron to another.

Back 11

neurotransmitters

Front 12

A voltage change at a receptor site on a postsynaptic cell membrane.

Back 12

postsynaptic potential (PSP)

Front 13

A process in which neurotransmitters are sponged up from the synaptic cleft by the presynaptic membrane.

Back 13

re-uptake

Front 14

A chemical that mimics the action of a neurotransmitter.

Back 14

agonist

Front 15

A chemical that opposes the action of a neurotransmitter.

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antagonist

Front 16

Internally produced chemicals that resemble opiates in structure and effects.

Back 16

endorphins

Front 17

Made up of all those nerves that lie outside the brain and spinal cord.

Back 17

peripheral nervous system

Front 18

Bundles of neuron fibers (axons) that are routed together in the peripheral nervous system.

Back 18

nerves

Front 19

Made up of nerves that connect to voluntary skeletal muscles and to sensory receptors.

Back 19

somatic nervous system

Front 20

Axons that carry information inward to the central nervous system from the periphery of the body.

Back 20

afferent nerve fibers

Front 21

Axons that carry information outward from the central nervous system to the periphery of the body.

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efferent nerve fibers

Front 22

Made up of nerves that connect to the heart, blood vessels, smooth muscles, and glands.

Back 22

autonomic nervous system (ANS)

Front 23

The branch of the autonomic nervous system that mobilizes the body's resources for emergencies.

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sympathetic division

Front 24

The branch of the autonomic nervous system that generally conserves bodily resources.

Back 24

parasympathetic division

Front 25

Consists of the brain and the spinal cord.

Back 25

central nervous system (CNS)

Front 26

Nourishes the brain and provides a protective cushion for it.

Back 26

cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)

Front 27

A device that monitors the electrical activity of the brain over time by means of recording electrodes attached to the surface of the scalp.

Back 27

electroencephalograph (EEG)

Front 28

Involves destroying a piece of the brain.

Back 28

lesioning

Front 29

Involves sending a weak electrical current into a brain structure to stimulate (activate) it.

Back 29

electrical stimulation of the brain (ESB)

Front 30

A new technique that permits scientists to temporarily enhance or depress activity in a specific area of the brain.

Back 30

transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

Front 31

Includes the cerebellum and two structures found in the lower part of the brainstem: the medulla and the pons.

Back 31

hind-brain

Front 32

The segment of the brainstem that lies between the hind-brain and the fore-brain.

Back 32

mid-brain

Front 33

The largest and most complex region of the brain, encompassing a variety of structures, including the thalamus, hypothalamus, limbic system, and cerebrum.

Back 33

fore-brain

Front 34

A structure in the forebrain through which all sensory information (except smell) must pass to get to the cerebral cortex.

Back 34

thalamus

Front 35

A structure found near the base of the forebrain that is involved in the regulation of basic biological needs.

Back 35

hypothalamus (hypo means "under")

Front 36

A loosely connected network of structures located roughly along the border between the cerebral cortex and deeper subcortical areas.

Back 36

limbic system (limbic means "border")

Front 37

The convoluted outer layer of the cerebrum.

Back 37

cerebral cortex

Front 38

The right and left halves of the cerebrum.

Back 38

cerebral hemispheres

Front 39

The structure that connects the two cerebral hemispheres.

Back 39

corpus callosum

Front 40

Neurons that are activated by performing an action or by seeing another monkey or person perform the same action.

Back 40

mirror neurons

Front 41

The formation of new neurons.

Back 41

neurogenesis

Front 42

The bundle of fibers that connect the cerebral hemispheres (the corpus callosum) are cut to reduce the severity of epileptic seizures.

Back 42

split-brain surgery

Front 43

Left-right imbalances between the cerebral hemispheres in the speed of visual or auditory processing.

Back 43

perceptual assymetries

Front 44

Releases a great variety of hormones that fan out around the body, stimulating actions in the other endocrine glands.

Back 44

pituitary gland

Front 45

A male sex hormone produced by the testes; women secrete smaller amounts from the adrenal cortex.

Back 45

testosterone

Front 46

Strands of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) molecules that carry genetic information.

Back 46

chromosomes

Front 47

A single cell formed by the union of a sperm and an egg.

Back 47

zygote

Front 48

When two genes in a specific pair are the same.

Back 48

homozygous condition

Front 49

When two genes in a specific pair are different.

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heterozygous condition

Front 50

A gene that is expressed when paired genes are different.

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dominant gene

Front 51

A gene that is masked when paired genes are different.

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recessive gene

Front 52

Refers to a person's genetic makeup.

Back 52

genotype

Front 53

Refers to the ways in which a person's genotype is manifested in observable characteristics.

Back 53

phenotype

Front 54

Characteristics that are influenced by more than one pair of genes.

Back 54

polygenic traits

Front 55

Researchers assess hereditary influence by examining blood relatives to see how much they resemble one another on a specific trait.

Back 55

family studies

Front 56

Researcher's assess hereditary influence by comparing the resemblance of identical twins and fraternal twins with respect to a trait.

Back 56

twin studies

Front 57

Emerge from one zygote that splits for unknown reasons.

Back 57

identical (monozygotic) twins

Front 58

Result when two eggs are fertilized simultaneously by different sperm cells, forming two separate zygotes.

Back 58

fraternal (dizygotic) twins

Front 59

Assess hereditary influence by examining the resemblance between adopted children and both their biological and their adoptive parents.

Back 59

adoption studies

Front 60

The process of determining the location and chemical sequence of specific genes on specific chromosomes.

Back 60

genetic mapping

Front 61

The reproductive success (number of descendants) of an individual organism relative to the average reproductive success in the population.

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fitness

Front 62

Posits that heritable characteristics that provide a survival or reproductive advantage are more likely than alternative characteristics to be passed on to subsequent generations and thus come to be "selected" over time.

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natural selection

Front 63

A inherited characteristic that increased in a population (through natural selection) because it helped solve a problem of survival or reproduction during the time it emerged.

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adaptation

Front 64

A limited time span in the development of an organism when it is optimal for certain capacities to emerge because the organism is especially responsive to certain experiences.

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critical period

Front 65

A legendary British naturalist, who identified natural selection as mechanism that orchestrates the process of evolution in his landmark book "The Origin of Species".

Back 65

Charles Darwin

Front 66

Consists of glands that secrete chemicals into the bloodstream that help control bodily functioning.

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endocrine system

Front 67

The chemical substances released by the endocrine glands.

Back 67

hormones

Front 68

The sum of a individual's own reproductive success plus the effects the organism has on the reproductive success of related others.

Back 68

inclusive fitness

Front 69

She and her colleagues found that adult monkey's form thousands of new brain cells each day in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, thus she was an advocate and proponent of neurogenesis.

Back 69

Elizabeth Gould

Front 70

They researched with axons removed from squids and learned that the neural impulse is a complex electrochemical reaction, unraveling it's mysteries.

Back 70

Alan Hodgkin and Andrew Huxley

Front 71

Individual cells in the nervous system that receive, integrate, and transmit information.

Back 71

neurons

Front 72

They discovered, by chance, that the limbic system was full of "pleasure centers." In brain stimulation research with rats, they observed that their subjects would seek out bursts of electrical stimulation in a specific spot in their brains.

Back 72

James Olds and Peter Milner

Front 73

They showed that a morphine like substance could be secreted by endorphins and that morphine exerts its effects by binding to special receptors in the brain.

Back 73

Candace Pert and Soloman Snyder

Front 74

He discovered that heredity and enviroment are interactive.

Back 74

Robert Plomin

Front 75

They discovered opposition of functions throughout left/right sensory input and right/left cognitive processes.

Back 75

Robert Perry and Michael Gazzaniga (split-brain research)