AP Psych Unit 2

Biological Psychology

branch of psychology concerned with the links between biology and behavior

Neuron

nerve cell, basic building block of nervous system

Dendrite

extension of neuro that receive messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body

Axon

extension of neuron through which messages are sent to other neurons, or to muscles or glands

Myelin

layer of fatty cells segmentally encasing the fibers of many neurons. enables vastly greater transmission speed of neutral impulses.

Action Potential

neural impulse, brief electrical charge that travels down an axon. generated by the movement of positively charged atoms in and out of channels in the axon’s membrane

resting potential

positive outside and negative inside state

synapse

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

neurotransmitters

chemical messengers that traverse the synaptic gaps between neurons. bind to receptor sites on the receiving neuron to influence motions and emotions.

nervous system

the body’s speedy, electrochemical communication system. consists of all nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous system

Central nervous system

brain and spinal cord

peripheral nervous system

sensory and motor neurons that connect the CNS to the rest of the body

nerves

neural cables connecting many axons. part of peripheral nervous system. connect central nervous system with muscles, glands, and sense organs

sensory (affarent) neurons

neurons that contain incoming information from the sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord

interneurons

CNS neurons that internally communicate and intervene between the sensory and motor outputs

motor (efferent) neurons

neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and gland

somatic nervous system

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

autonomic nervous system

the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and muscles of internal organs (such as the heart)

sympathetic nervous system system

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

parasympathetic nervous system

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

opponent processes

psychological and neurological model that accounts for a wide range of behaviors. the sympathetic nervous system = fight/flight, while parasympathetic = rest/digest. in many cases, both of these systems have opposite actions where one system activates a physiological response and the other inhibits it.

homeostasis

balance in the body

ions

electrically charged atoms

resting potential

positive outside, negative inside state

refractory period

period of inactivity after a neuron has fired during which neuron pumps positively charged sodium ions back outside the axon

threshold

level of stimulation required to stimulate a neural impulse.

all or none response

neuron’s reaction of either firing with a full strength response, or not firing

reuptake

neurotransmitter’s reabsorption by then sending a neuron

acetylcholine

neuro transmitter that triggers contraction and motor. commonly linked to alzheimers’s.

endorphins

natural, opiate-like neurotransmitters. linked to pain control and pleasure.

EEG

amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweeps across the brain’s surface. these waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp.

CT Scan

series of x-ray photos taken from different angles and combined by computer into a composite representation of a slice through the body

PET

a visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task

MRI

technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to product computer generated images that distinguish among different types of soft tissue; allows us to see structure within the brain

brainstem

oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull. responsible for automatic survival functions

medulla

base of the brainstem. controls heartbeats and breathing.

reticular formation

finger-shaped nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal, enables arousal

thalamus

brain’s sensory switchboard, located on top of the brainstem. directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex an transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla

cerebellum

“little brain”. judge time, modulate emotions, discriminate sounds and textures. helps coordinate voluntary movements and balance

Limbic system

involves hypothalamus, amygdala, hippocampus. associated with emotions such as fear and aggression and drives such as those for food and sex

amygdala

2 almond shaped neural clusters that are components of the limbic system and are linked to emotion; key to fear and aggression

hypothalamus

neural structure lying below. directs several mainstream activities, such as eating, drinking, body temp. helps govern endocrine system via the pituitary gland. linked to emotion

hippocampus

neural center located in limbic center. processes explicit memories for storage, conscious, explicit memories. damage results in the loss in ability to form new memories of facts/events

cerebral cortex

intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells that covers the cerebral hemispheres. body’s ultimate control and information processing center

glial cells

cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons.

frontal lobe

involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgements

parietal lobe

include the sensory cortex. somatosensory (touch, temp, pain)

occipital lobe

include visual areas, which receive visual info from the opposite visual field

temporal lobe

include the auditory areas. associated with schizophrenia

motor cortex

area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movement

sensory cortex

areas at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body sensations

association areas

regions of the cerebral cortex that do not handle primary sensory or motor processing. Instead, they integrate incoming data from multiple brain regions to support complex cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functions. more intelligent animals have increased “uncommitted” or association areas of the cortex

aphasia

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

Broca’s Area

an area of the left frontal lobe that directs the muscle movements involved in speech

Wernicke’s

an area of the left temporal lobe involved in language comprehension and expression

plasticity

brain’s capacity for modification, as evident in brain reorganization following damage (especially in children) and in experiments on the effects of experience on brain development

pons

helps coordinate movement and control sleep

lesion

naturally or experimentally caused destruction of brain tissue. aids in the mapping of the brain

corpus callosum

connects the two brain hemispheres, carries messages between the hemispheres

split brain

condition in which the two hemispheres of the brain are isolated by cutting the connecting fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) between them

lateralization

specialization of the left and right brain hemispheres for different cognitive functions, and the right focusing on spatial reasoning, facial recognition, and emotional processing

hormones

chemical messengers, mostly those manufactured by endocrine glands, that are produced in one tissue and affect another

adrenal glands

pair of endocrine glands just above the kidneys. secrete the hormones epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine, which help to arouse the body in times of stress

pituitary gland

under the influence of the hypothalamus, this regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands

long term potentiation

process involving persistent strengthening of synapses that leads to a long-lasting increase in signal transmission between neurons. the more a neuron fires, the more likely it is to fire again.

prefrontal cortex

control center, responsible for high level functions like planning, decision making, and personality. critical role in emotional regulation, impulse control, and attention

substance p

substance pain. critical neurotransmitter in the pain pathway. endorphins block substance P.