psy exam 2 number 2

These flashcards cover key concepts from the Psychology exam review regarding biology, behavior, consciousness, and key terms related to brain function.

Synapse

The gap between a sending neuron’s terminal button and a receiving neuron’s dendrites, where chemical communication occurs.

Neurotransmitters

Chemical messengers that cross the synapse and bind to receptors on the receiving neuron.

Neocortex

The part of the brain responsible for higher-order thinking, reasoning, and language.

Limbic System

A brain region associated with emotion, motivation, and memory.

Reptilian Brain

The part of the brain responsible for basic survival functions such as breathing, heartbeat, and reproduction.

Inattentional Blindness

The failure to notice unexpected objects or events when attention is focused elsewhere.

Change Blindness

The inability to detect changes in a scene, even when deliberately looking for them.

Activation-Synthesis Theory

The theory that dreams result from random neural activity and the brain’s interpretation of it.

Bottom-Up Processing

Perception that starts with sensory input and works upwards to construct perceptions.

Top-Down Processing

Perception informed by prior knowledge, expectations, and past experiences.

fMRI

Functional MRI, an advanced imaging technique that tracks changes in blood flow and oxygen levels in the brain.

Hallucinogens

Psychedelic drugs that distort perception and trigger sensory images in the absence of sensory input.

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

The system that sends sensory and motor signals between the CNS and the body’s organs and muscles.

Somatic Nervous System

Part of the PNS that controls voluntary movements.

Autonomic Nervous System

Part of the PNS that controls involuntary functions like heartbeat and digestion.

Amygdala

A structure in the limbic system crucial for processing emotions, particularly fear.

Hippocampus

A structure in the limbic system involved in memory formation and consolidation.