Psych Unit 2

a neurotransmitter involved memory and motor function

Acetylcholine

a nerve impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon

Action Potential

the comparison of non

Adoption Studies

a molecule that inhibits or blocks a neurotransmitter’s action

Antagonist

impairment of language, usually caused by left hemisphere damage either to Broca’s area or to Wenicke’s area

Aphasia

a molecule that increases a neurotransmitter’s action

Agonist

limbic system clusters linked to emotion; the emotional processing center

Amygdala

a frontal lobe brain area, usually in the left hemisphere, that helps control language expression by directing the muscle movements involved in speech

Broca’s Area

the hindbrain’s “little brain” at the rear of the brainstem; its functions include processing sensory input, coordinating movement output and balance, and enabling nonverbal learning and memory

Cerebellum

the outer and uppermost parts of the brain consisting of the four lobes

Cerebral Cortex

a 3D x

CT/CAT Scan

the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres; can be severed to treat epilepsy

Corpus Callosum

the roots of a neuron; branching extensions that receive messages, conducting impulses toward the cell body

Dendrite

the process of a neuron's mV level rising toward 0

Depolarization

a neurotransmitter involved in pleasure, anticipation, and reward

Dopamine

a neurotransmitter involved in pain relief released during exercise

Endorphins

every nongenetic influence, from prenatal nutrition to our experiences of the people and things around us; nurture

Environment

the analysis of various members of a system to compare the heritability of traits

Family Studies

an inhibitory neurotransmitter involved in PNS activation and calming the body

GABA

a hormone involved in appetite stimulation, telling the body to eat

Ghrelin

cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons; they may also play a role in learning, thinking, and memory

Glial Cell

psychedelic drugs, such as LSD and marijuana, that distort perceptions and evoke sensory images

Hallucinogens

the genetic transfer of characteristics from parents to offspring

Heredity

a neural center located in the limbic system; helps process explicit (conscious) memories

Hippocampus

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

Hormones

brain structure involved in maintaining homeostasis (hunger, temperature, emotions, fight/flight, sex drive)

Hypothalamus

a method of studying the brain after damage has occurred, either by accident or medical incision

Lesioning

a hormone involved in appetite suppression after the consumption of food

Leptin

neural system located below the cerebral hemispheres associated with emotions and drives

Limbic System

Freud’s term for the symbolic, remembered storyline of a dream

Manifest Content

the base of the brainstem, controlling breathing and heartrate/the hindbrain structure that is the brainstem’s base; controls heartbeat and breathing

Medulla

a hormone involved in regulating the sleep

Melatonin

neurons that some scientists believe fire when we perform certain actions or observe another doing so

Mirror neuron

at the back of the frontal lobe, the area controlling voluntary muscle movements/ a cerebral cortex area at the rear of the frontal lobes that control voluntary movements

Motor Cortex

efferent neurons in the PNS that direct muscle movements and carry information from the brain

Motor neuron

a brain scan technique using magnetic fields, showing structures of soft tissues

MRI Scan

a chronic autoimmune disease causing death of acetylcholine receptors, impairing muscle control

Myasthenia Gravis

a fatty tissue layer segmentally encasing the axons of some neurons; it enables vastly greater transmission speed as neural impulses hop from one node to the next

Myelin sheath

the principle that inherited traits that better enable an organism to survive and reproduce are the most likely to be passed on to succeeding generations

Natural Selection

the formation of new neurons

Neurogenesis

chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons

Neurotransmitter

neurotransmitter involved in SNS arousal, focus, and attention

Norepinephrine

drugs that depress neural activity, temporarily lessening pain and anxiety; opium and its derivatives

Opioid

the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body

Parasympathetic Nervous System

the portion of the cerebral cortex at the top of the head that receives sensory input/ghd portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; it relieves sensory input for touch and body position

Parietal lobe

the front

Prefrontal Cortex

the part of the brain stem controlling sleep/ the hindbrain structure that initiated sleep and regulates facial reactions

Pons

a chemical substance that alters the brain, causing changes in perceptions and moods

Psychoactive Drugs

the master endocrine gland

Pituitary Gland

a brief resting pause that occurs after a neuron has fired; subsequent action potentials cannot occur until the axon returns to its resting state

Refractory Period

a nerve network that travels through the brainstem into the thalamus; it filters information and plays an important role in controlling arousal

Reticular activating system

hemisphere of the brain holding structures that specialize in creativity, emotional expression, and spatial awareness

Right hemisphere

a neurotransmitter involved in mood and sleep regulation

Serotonin

the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's skeletal muscles

Somatic Nervous System

an area at the front of the parietal lobes that processes body touch sensations/a cerebral cortex area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations

Somatosensory Cortex

drugs that excite neural activity and speed up body functions

Stimulant

a neurotransmitter involved in the communication of pain

Substance P

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

Sympathetic Nervous System

a branch of the ANS that arouses the body and mobilizes energy

Sympathetic NS

the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron

Synapse

the end of an axon terminal, where synaptic vesicles are stored

Terminal Button

the diminishing effect with regular use of the same dose of a drug, requiring the user to take larger and larger doses before experiencing the drug’s effect

Tolerance

the comparison of monozygotic and dizygotic individuals to assess heritability of traits

Twin Studies

a brain area, usually in the left temporal lobe, involved in language comprehension and expression

Wernicke’s Area

the discomfort and distress that follow discontinuing an addictive drug or behavior

Withdrawal

drugs that reduce neural activity and slow body functions

Depressant

a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system

Neuron

afferent neurons in the PNS that detect stimuli and carry it toward the brain

Sensory neuron

the selective breeding of individuals to promote "desirable" characteristics in a population

Eugenics

a category of neurotransmitters that increase NS activity

Excitatory

a technique for revealing blood flow and therefore, brain activity by comparing successive scans, showing brain function as well as structure

fMRI

the portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead, they enable linguistic processing, muscle movements, higher

Frontal Lobe

a branch of the ANS that calms the body and conserves energy

Parasympathetic NS

Threshold

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

Interneuron

the primary excitatory neurotransmitter involved in general cognitive function

Glutamate

the forebrain’s sensory control center, located on top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla

Thalamus