UNIT 1 PSYCH

Nature

 Genetic or predisposed characteristics that influence physical, behavior, and mental traits and process 

Heredity

the transfer of characteristics from parents to offspring

Nurture

external factors that one experiences, such as family, interactions, or education

Monozygotic

A single fertilized egg that splits in two, creating two genetically identical organism 

Dizygotic

separate fertilized eggs that share a maternal prenatal environment

Genetic determinism

genes are the primary factor in determining an organism's traits and behaviors 

Genetic predisposition

There’s a genetic “push” or inclination in a certain direction 

NATURE AND NURTURE

genes and your environment are working together 

Epigenetics

environmental pressure can change the activity of genes

Natural selection

the principle that inherited traits that better enable an organism to survive and reproduce in a particular environment will most likely be passed on to succeeding generations 

NERVOUS SYSTEM

a complex network of nerves, brain, and spinal cord that sends messages back and forth between the brain and body 

Central nervous system

brain and spinal cord

Peripheral nervous system

nerves stretching beyond the spinal cord

Somatic nervous system

controls the voluntary moment of skeletal muscles 

Autonomic nervous system

controls involuntary, internal biological function 

Sympathetic nervous system

expends energy, and prepares the body for dealing with emergencies 

Parasympathetic nervous system

reserves energy, and enhances the body's ability to recover

Corpus callosum

connects the two hemispheres of the brain 

left hemisphere

Speaking and language, Math calculations, Making literal interpretations, Controlling the right side of the body

Right hemisphere

Perceptual tasks, Making inferences, Modulating speech, Visual perception, Recognition of emotion 

Hindbrain

directs essential survival function

Midbrain

connects the midbrain and forebrain

Forebrain

Manages complex cognitive activities 

BRAIN STEM

The central core of the brain, It begins where the spinal cord enters the skull

Medulla

Responsible for automatic survival functions (heart beating, breathing, blinking) 

CEREBELLUM

sensory input, coordinating movement output and balance, enabling nonverbal learning, and procedural memory 

THE LIMBIC SYSTEM

Part of the brain's reward system, made up of many interconnected regions, including the hypothalamus, the basal ganglia, and the prefrontal cortex

Thalamus

sensory control center 

Reticular activating system

Nerve networking which controls voluntary movement, eye movement, learning, cognition, and emotion 

Hypothalamus

maintains homeostasis,Responds to and directs hormones in the blood system

Amygdala

responsible for emotion, motion, and memory, specifically anger and fear

Hippocampus

processes conscious, explicit memories

pituitary gland

master endocrine system gland, Hormones

CREBRAL CORTEX

The intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the cerebral hemispheres,The body's ultimate control and information processing center 

Occipital lobe:

Controls visual information processing, Located in the rear of the brain 

Temporal lobe:

control auditory and linguistic processing,Located on the sides of the brain

Parietal lobe:

processing sensory information and organizing information, It contains the somatosensory cortex 

Frontal lobe:

controls linguistic processing higher- order thinking, and executive functioning , Prefrontal cortex: enable judgment, planning, social interactions, and processing of new memories

Motor cortex:

area at the back of the frontal lobe that controls voluntary movement 

Somatosensory:

area at the front of the parietal lobe that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations

Association area:

Areas that are involved in higher mental functions such as learning remembering and thinking 

Broca’s area:

responsible for speech production 

Wernicke’s area:

responsible for speech comprehension

Plasticity:

the brain's ability to change by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience

Neuron:

a nerve cell that is the basic building block of the nervous system 

Glial cells:

cells that provide structure, insulation, communication, and waste transport for neurons

Sensory (afferent) neurons:

neurons that carry incoming information from the body tissue and sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord 

Motor (efferent) neurons:

neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and the spinal cord

Reflex:

a simple, automatic response to a sensory stimulus

Reflex Arc:

simple spinal reflex pathway composed of a single sensory neuron and a single motor neuron that communicate through an interneuron

Dendrites:

bushy, branching extensions that recessive and integrate message, Conduct impulses toward the cell body

Cell Body (Soma):

Part of the neuron that contains the nucleus, the cell life-support center

Axon:

passes the message through its branches to other neurons or muscles or glands, Attached to the cell body

Myelin sheath:

the fatty tissue layer segmentally encasing the axons of some neurons, Increase transmission speed and provide insulation

Axon terminals:

ends of the axion contain terminal buttons that hold synaptic vesicles that store neurotransmitters

Synapse:

junction between the axon and dendrites of two neurons

Resting potential:

positive on the outside, negative on the inside 

All-or-none law:

once at the threshold, a neuron will fire and will fire with the same intensity every time

Depolarization:  

the change in electricity creating a positive charge as action potential travels down the axon

Refractory period:

a brief resting pause that occurs after a neuron has fired 

Neurotransmitters:

chemical messengers that travel across the synapse and bind receptor sites on the receiving network 

excitatory neurotransmitters:

like the gas pedal on a car, signals trigger action

inhibitory neurotransmitters:

like the brake pedal on the car, signals depress action

Reuptake:

neurotransmitters reabsorption by sending the neurons

Multiple sclerosis:

degeneration of myelin sheath leads to MS

Myastivania gravies:

a disease in which the body’s immune system attacks the place where nerve endings connect to muscles

Acetylcholine:

enables muscle action, learning, and memory, paralysis associated with Alzheimer's

Sertion:

mood, appetite, sleep muscle control, arousal, and internal movement

Dopamine:

rewards pathways, cognition voluntary motion attention, and emotion

Noephirphirine:

helps control alertness and arousal

GABA:

major inhibitory of the central nervous system

Glutamate:

a major excitatory of the central nervous system involved in memory

Endorphins:

involved in pain perception and positive emotion

Substance p: 

involved in transmitting pain signals but also plays a role in inflammation, stress, and mood 

PSYCHOACTIVE DRUGS:

A chemical substance that alters the brain, causing changes in perception and mood

SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER:

a disorder characterized by continued substance use despite resulting life disturbance

Diminished control:

use more than intended unsuccessfully regulates spends much time acquiring substance craves a substance

Hazardous use:

continues despite hazards/ worsening physical or psychological problems

Drug addiction:

experiencing tolerance experience withdrawal 

Agonist:

increase a neurotransmitter action

Antagonist:

inhibits or blocks a neurotransmitter's actions

Tolerance:

diminishing effect of the same dose of a drug

Addiction:

everyday term for compulsive substance use that continues despite harmful consequences 

Consciousness:

our subjective awareness of ourselves and our environment

Sleep:

a period, of natural loss of consciousness

Circadian rhythm: biological clock, our regular bodily rhythm

Tracking sleep:

research study brain activity during sleep using an EEG

Alpha waves:

related slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake state

Delta waves:

large, slow brain waves associated with deep sleep 

NREM sleep:

non-rapid eye movement sleep

REM sleep:

Rapid eye movement

Paradoxical sleep:

brain-waves similar to wake but the body is most relaxed 

DREAMS:  

a sequence of images, emotions, and thoughts passing through a sleeping person's mind

Dreaming:

The motor cortex is active but the brainstem blocks messages from traveling to the body 

Sleep paralysis:

immobility occasionally lingers as you awake from REM sleep 

Consolidation theory:

dreams help sift, sort, and fix the daily experiences in our memory

Activation-synthesis theory:

dreams come from neral activation spreading from the brainstem, activation in the limbic system and not the frontal cortex suggests a link between brain activity and dream 

REM rebound:

increase REM stage after being deprived of sleep

memory consolidation:

The brain reactivates recent experiences during deep sleep and helps restore fading memories from the previous day 

Sleep restores

your body to rewrite, restore, reorganize