Psych Unit 1a Flashcards

Nature/Nurture Issue

the debate within psychology on whether people are more influenced by their genetics or their environment, with most psychologists saying that both have influence in different ways

Evolutionary Perspective

the psychological perspective of understanding behavior and the mind through the impact of natural selection

Natural Selection

when a population adapts based on what traits best help them to survive in an environment

Eugenics

the inept branch of science that believes in breeding a population based on favorable factors, rooted in bigotry

Genes

the biochemical units of heredity

Identical Twins

twins based on a separated egg, grown in the same placenta

Fraternal Twins

twins based on different eggs, grown in different placentas

Central Nervous System

the leading part of the nervous system, made up of the brain and spinal cord

Peripheral Nervous System

the part of the nervous system which connects the central nervous system made up of sensory and motor neurons to the body. It contains the somatic and autonomic nervous system

Somatic Nervous System

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

Autonomic Nervous System

the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs (such as the heart). It contains the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems

Sympathetic Nervous System

the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy

Parasympathetic Nervous System

the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy

Glial Cell

the connective tissue in the nervous system, between neurons, and the most common cell in the nervous system. They support, nourish, and protect neurons; they may also play a role in learning, thinking, and memory

Neuron

the building block of the nervous system responsible for transmitting signals

Cell Body

the central part of the neuron that contains the nucleus; the cell’s life support system

Nucleus

A membrane-bound organelle that contains DNA and synthesizes proteins

Dendrites

the stringy parts of the neuron from the cell body that receive and integrate messages, conducting impulses towards the cell body

Axon

the long part of the neuron that passes messages through its branches to other neurons, muscles, or glands, and can be up to several feet long

Myelin Sheath

the fatty tissue covers of some axons which helps speed up neural signals

Nodes of Ranvier

the gaps between the myelin sheaths

Axon Hillock

the part that connects the cell body of the neuron to the axon of the neuron

Terminal Buds

stores and releases neurotransmitters into the synapse (the gap between neurons) to relay the message from one cell to the next

Vesicals

the little bubble package carrying neurotransmitters within the neuron

Synapse

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

Receptor Site

proteins on the surface of neurons where neurotransmitters bind to

Reflex Arc

a simple, automatic response to a sensory stimulus, such as the knee-jerk reflex

Sensory Neurons

the neurons responsible for sending information from the body’s tissues and sensory receptors to the central nervous system

Motor Neurons

the neurons that send signals from the central nervous system to the peripheral nervous system to conduct movement

Interneurons

neurons within the brain and spinal cord; they communicate internally and process information between the sensory inputs and motor outputs

Neural Transmission

the process of how neurons send signals to each other like dominoes

Resting Potential

when neurons have more negative ions within their membrane and positive ions outside, which is their natural position

Threshold

the required amount of energy needed for a neuron to react

All-or-nothing Principle

either a neuron fires or it doesn’t

Depolarization

when a neuron lets positive ions flow through its membrane

Refractory Period

the short period of time where a neuron is rebalancing and can’t take in any more signals

Reuptake

when neurons recollect remaining neurotransmitters at the synaptic cleft

Multiple sclerosis

when myelin sheaths don’t work properly, slowing down neural processes and making it harder for people to move and talk

Myasthenia gravis

when ACh (acetylcholine) transmission is blocked and muscles cannot contract, leading to weakness, difficulties with muscle control, and paralysis

Neurotransmitters

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

Excitatory Neurotransmitters

neurotransmitters that promote the firing of action potentials (electrical impulses) in the next neuron they connect to

Inhibitory Neurotransmitters

neurotransmitters that suppress the firing of action potentials in the next neuron they connect to

Dopamine

neurotransmitter for happiness, movement, learning, and attention. Oversupply leads to schizophrenia and undersupply linked to tremors and decreased mobility in Parkinson’s disease

Acetylcholine

neurotransmitter that enables muscle action, learning, and memory, and with Alzheimer’s disease, the neurons that produce it deteriorate

Serotonin

neurotransmitter that affects mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal. Undersupply is linked to depression, and some drugs for depression raise levels

Norepinephrine

neurotransmitter that helps control alertness and arousal, and undersupply can depress mood

Glutamate

a major excitatory neurotransmitter; involved in memory. Oversupply can overstimulate the brain, producing migraines or seizures

GABA

a major inhibitory neurotransmitter, and undersupply is linked to seizures, tremors, and insomnia

Endorphins

neurotransmitters that influence the perception of pain or pleasure, and with oversupply caused by opioid drugs, the body’s natural supply can be suppressed

Substance P

neurotransmitter responsible for receiving pain and pain tolerance, and an oversupply can lead to chronic pain

Hormones

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

Agonist

a molecule that increases a neurotransmitter’s action

Antagonist

a molecule that inhibits or blocks a neurotransmitter’s action

Adrenaline (epinephrine)

a hormone that increases heart rate, blood pressure, and blood sugar, providing a surge of energy to power flight or fight responses

Leptin

a hormone your body releases that helps it maintain your normal weight on a long-term basis. The level in your blood is directly related to how much body fat you have. Resistance causes you to feel hungry and eat more even though your body has enough fat stored

Ghrelin

a hormone your stomach produces and releases. It signals your brain when your stomach is empty and it’s time to eat. Levels increase between mealtimes and decrease when your stomach is full. People who have obesity often have low levels, while people who significantly restrict their calorie intake have high levels.

Melatonin

the hormone produced by pineal glands that is responsible for the circadian rhythm and sleeping

Oxytocin

the love hormone responsible for social bonding, reproduction, and maternal behavior. It enables orgasm, and in women labor contractions and milk flow

Substance Use Disorder

when a person becomes physiologically dependent on a substance to live a normal life because of prolonged/extensive use, and is unable to quit despite resulting life disruption

Psychoactive Drugs

chemical substances that alter the brain, causing changes in perceptions and mood

Depressants

drugs that reduce neural activity and slow body functions

Alcohol

a depressant that slows brain activity that controls judgment and inhibitors, increases harmful tendencies, and contributes to over 200 diseases. The urges you feel when sober are the ones will be more likely to act upon when intoxicated

Stimulants

drugs that excite neural activity and speed up bodily functions that are often used to boost academic and athletic performance

Caffeine

a stimulant that is used to feel alert can impair sleep

Cocaine

a stimulant that enters the bloodstream, produces euphoria, stimulates the brain's reward pathway, depletes dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. An agitated depression follows afterwards

Hallucinogens

psychedelic (“mind-manifesting”) drugs that distort perceptions and evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory input

Marijuana

a mild hallucinogen that amplifies sensitivity to colors, sounds, tastes, etc.. It relaxes and can produce a euphoric high, and is used for sleep or to boost mood. However, it impairs motor coordination, perceptual skills, and reaction time, and users develop tolerance. It can be “neurotoxic” at a young age

Opioids

opium and its derivatives; they depress neural activity, temporarily lessening pain and anxiety. When addicted, people’s brains stop making natural opioids, worsening dependence

Heroin

an opioid, the prescribed synthetic counterpart is methadone

Tolerance

when a person uses a substance for a period of time and gets less of a reaction with the same dosage level, often causing them to increase dosage

Withdrawal

when a person is quitting a substance and experiences symptoms that makes them want to get back to using the substance, ranging from mild headaches to psychological pain and sickness

Aphasia

caused when a person experiences damage to certain parts of the brain (often Broca’s or Wernicke’s area), and are not able to communicate properly

Cortex Specialization

certain cortexes of the brain are responsible for certain functions. The left hemisphere is mostly responsible for language, symbolic thinking, detail, and literal meaning. The right hemisphere deals with spatial perception, the overall picture, metaphor, inferences, and modulating speech (how you speak with inflexion)

Contralateral Hemispheric Organization

the left hemisphere controls the right side of the body and the right hemisphere controls the left side of the body

Brain Plasticity

the ability of the brain to adapt, especially during childhood, to changes in the environment by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience

EEG (electroencephalogram)

an amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity sweeping across the brain’s surface. These waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)

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

fMRI (functional MRI)

a technique for revealing blood flow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. They show brain function as well as structure

Lesioning

when psychologists destroy a part of the brain to understand its functions or tissue is damaged naturally

CT (computed tomography) Scan

a series of X-ray photographs taken from different angles and combined by computer into a composite representation of a slice of the brain’s structure

PET (position emission tomography) Scan

a technique for detecting brain activity that displays where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task