Biological p., neuroscience

What is biological psychology?

The study of how biological processes influence thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

What is the basic unit of the nervous system?

The neuron.

What are the main parts of a neuron?

Dendrites, cell body (soma), axon, myelin sheath, and axon terminals.

What is the function of dendrites?

To receive messages from other neurons.

What is an action potential?

A brief electrical impulse that travels down the axon to transmit information.

What is a neurotransmitter?

A chemical messenger that transmits signals across a synapse from one neuron to another.

Name three common neurotransmitters.

Dopamine, serotonin, and acetylcholine.

What is the central nervous system (CNS)?

The brain and spinal cord.

What is the peripheral nervous system (PNS)?

All nerves outside the CNS that connect the body to the brain and spinal cord.

What are the two main divisions of the PNS?

The somatic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system.

What does the autonomic nervous system control?

Involuntary functions like heart rate, digestion, and breathing.

What are the two branches of the autonomic nervous system?

Sympathetic (fight or flight) and parasympathetic (rest and digest).

What is the function of the frontal lobe?

Involved in decision making, planning, and voluntary movement.

What is the limbic system responsible for?

Emotion, motivation, and memory.

What is neuroplasticity?

The brain’s ability to change and adapt in response to experience.