Unit 2 Psychology Test

left hemisphere

left hemisphere

• controls the right side of the body

• responsible for language/logic

right hemisphere

• controls left side of body

• deals with visual/spacial tasks

cerebellum

balance

medulla

breathing and heartbeat

pons

helps coordinate movements and controls sleep

reticular formation

relays important information from stimuli to other brain areas

thalamus

receives information from all senses except smell --> reroutes them to different parts of the brain

the limbic system

a system made up of several brain structures which are connected to each other, and which is located in the temporal zone of the brain (especially related to emotions)

amygdala

fear and agression

hippocampus

processes conscious memories

hypothalamus

bodily maintenance - hunger, thirst, body temperature

Cerebrum

the upper part of the brain, handling many different functions, including muscle movements, language, processing what senses pick up, etc.

Cerebral Cortex

the outermost layer of the brain that is associated with our highest mental capabilities

corpus collosum

ensures both sides of the brain can communicate and send signals to each other

motor cortex

involved in the planning, control, and execution of voluntary movements

sensory cortex

in charge of processing all the sensory information received throughout the day

broca's area

responsible for speech production

wernicke's area

responsible for comprehension of speech

temporal lobe

recognition of speech, sound and visual information

occipital lobe

participates in vision processing

perietal lobe

involved with sensation of touch, information processing, and cognition

frontal lobe

important for cognitive functions and control of voluntary movement or activity

prefrontal cortex

plays a central role in cognitive control functions

CAT scan

x-ray of brain structure

PET scan

uses radioactive substance to examine glucose brain function (especially seizures and alzheimer disease)

MRI

uses magnetic fields and radio waves to map structure (better resolution than CT/CAT)

fMRI

maps structure and function (higher resolution than PET)

EEG

measures brain waves

MEG

looks at structure and function and takes a 3D image of the brain

dendrites

receives messages from other cells

cell body (soma)

the cell's life support center

axon

passes message from cell body to other muscles/neurons/glands

axon terminals

small fibers branching out from an axon

resting potential

the difference in electric charge between the inside and outside of a neuron's cell membrane (negative charge when resting)

excitatory signals

depolarize the cell membrane, increasing the likelihood that the neuron will fire

inhibitory signals

hyperpolarize the cell, decreasing the likelihood that the neuron will fire

treshold

the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse

action potential

a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon (changes charge from negative to positive)

all or none law

neurons completely fire or they don't

synaptic cleft

the narrow gap that separates the presynaptic neuron from the postsynaptic cell

absolute refractory period

switching back of sodium and potassium to their original places

neurotransmitters

chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons

reuptake

a neurotransmitter's reabsorption by the sending neuron

myelination

the process by which neurons develop a myelin sheath allowing them to communicate faster

Endorphins

pain reducing

acetylcholine (ACh)

learning, memory, and muscle movement (alzheimer disease)

dopamine

reward/pleasure

serotonin

mood, linked to depression

norepinephrine

alertness and arousal

GABA

calming, inhibitary (slows down brain activity)

glutamate

linked to memory, excitatory (increases brain activity)

central nervous system

formed from the brain and spinal cord and is the body's decision maker

cerebrospinal fluid

fluid in the space between the meninges that acts as a shock absorber that protects the CNS

blood brain barrier

blood vessels (capillaries) that selectively let certain substances enter the brain tissue and keep other substances out

peripheral nervous system

responsible for gathering information and for transmitting CNS decisions to other body parts

somatic nervous system

enables voluntary control of our skeletal muscles

autonomic nervous system

controls our glands and our internal organ muscles

sympathetic division

arouses and expends energy

parasympathetic division

conserves energy, promotes housekeeping functions during rest

hormones

chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands, travel through the bloodstream, and affect other tissues

pituitary gland

"master gland" regulates bodily functions through the hormones that it produces

thyroid

regulates metabolism

adrenal glands

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

gonads

sex glands

pancreas

regulates the level of sugar in the blood