Psychology 111 - Chapter 3 (Biological Foundations of Behavior)

Action potential

describes the brief wave of positive electrical charge that sweeps down the axon

Adrenal glands

located at the top of each kidney, regulate mood, energy level, and stress

Afferent nerves (sensory nerves)

nerves that carry information to the brain and spinal cord

All-or-nothing principle

once the electrical impulse reaches a certain level of intensity it fires and moves all the way down the axon without losing any of its intensity

Amygdala

an almond-shaped structure located inside the brain toward the base

Association cortex

the regions of the cerebral cortex that integrate sensory and motor information

Autonomic nervous system

takes messages to and from the body’s internal organs, monitoring such processes as breathing, heart rate, and digestion

Axon

the part of the neuron that carries information away from the cell body toward other cells

Basal ganglia

work with the cerebellum and the cerebral cortex to control and coordinate voluntary movement

Brain stem

medulla, pons, and much of the hindbrain

Cell body

contains the nucleus which directs the manufacture of substances that the neuron needs for growth and maintenance

Central nervous system

made up of the brain and spinal cord

Cerebral cortex

part of the forebrain and is the most recently developed part of the brain in the evolutionary scheme

Chromosomes

threadlike structures that come in 23 pairs, with one member of each pair from each biological parent

Corpus callosum

the large bundle of axons that connects the two hemispheres

Dendrites

treelike fibers projecting from a neuron, receive information and orient it toward the neuron’s cell body

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)

a complex molecule that carries genetic information

Dominant-recessive genes principle

dominant gene overrides the recessive gene

Efferent nerves (motor nerves)

carry information out of the brain and spinal cord

Endocrine system

a set of glands that regulate the activities of certain organs by releasing their chemical products into the blood stream

Forebrain

the brain’s largest division and its most forward part

Frontal lobes

portions of the cerebral cortex behind the forehead that are involved in personality, intelligence, and the control of voluntary muscles

Genes

the units of hereditary information that are short chromosome segments composed of DNA

Genotype

a person’s genetic heritage, the actual genetic material present in every cell in a person’s body

Glands

organs or tissues in the body that produce chemicals that control many bodily functions

Glial cells (glia)

other type of cell in the nervous system, provide support, bestow nutritional benefits, and perform other functions

Hindbrain

located at the skull’s rear, the lowest portion of the brain

Hippocampus

has a special role in memory

Hormones

chemical messengers produced by glands

Hypothalamus

small, forebrain structure just below the thalamus, monitors three rewarding activities-eating, drinking, s*x- as well as emotion, stress, and reward

Limbic system

a loosely connected network of structures under the cerebral cortex, is important in both memory and emotion

Midbrain

located between the hindbrain and forebrain, is an area in which many nerve-fiber systems ascend and descend to connect the higher and lower portions of the brain

Mirror neurons

activated both when we perform an action and when we watch someone else perform that same activity

Motor cortex

at the rear of the frontal lobes, processes information about voluntary movement

Myelin sheath

layer of cells containing fat, encases and insulates most axons

Neocortex

the outermost part of the cerebral cortex

Nervous system

body’s electrochemical communication circuitry

Neural networks

interconnected pathways of nerve cells that integrate sensory input and motor output

Neurons

the nerve cells that handle information processing

Neurotransmitters

very tiny synaptic vesicles within the terminal buttons

Occipital lobes

located at the back of the head, respond to visual stimuli

Ovaries

female endocrine glandes at either side of the uterus

Pancreas

located under the stomach, dual-purpose gland that performs both digestive and endocrine functions

Parasympathetic nervous system

Calms the body

Parietal lobes

located at the top and toward the rear of the head, are involved in registering spatial location, attention, and motor control

Peripheral nervous system

network of nerves that connects the brain and spinal cord to other parts of the body

Phenotype

individual’s observable characteristics

Pituitary gland

pea-sized gland just beneath the hypothalamus, controls growth and regulates other glands

Plasticity

brain’s special physical capacity for change

Resting potential

between -60 and -75 millivolts

Reticular information

a diffuse collection of neurons involved in stereotyped patterns of behavior such as walking, sleeping, and turning to attend to a sudden noise

Risk factors

characteristics, experiences, or exposures that increase the likelihood of a person developing a disorder or disease

Somatic nervous system

consists of sensory nerves, whose function is to convey information form the skin and muscles to the CNS about conditions such as pain and temperature, and motor nerves, whose function is to tell the muscles what to do

Somatosensory cortex

processes information about body sensations

Stem cells

primitive cells that have the capacity to develop into most types of human cells

Stress

response of people to stressors

Stressors

circumstances and events that threaten them, taking their coping abilities

Sympathetic nervous system

arouses the body to mobilize it for action

Synapses

tiny spaces between neurons, synaptic gap

Temporal lobe

part of the cerebral cortex just above the ears, are involved in hearing, language processing, and memory

Testes

male endocrine glands located in the scrotum

Thalamus

a forebrain structure that sits at the top of the brain stem in the central core of the brain

Brain lesioning

abnormal disruption in brain tissue, naturally occurring or induced, transcranial magnetic stimulation

Electrical Recording

EEG, single-unit recording

Medulla

breathing, heart rate, reflexes

Cerebellum

motor coordination

Pons

sleep and arousal

Substantia Nigra

dopamine-producing neurons, Parkinson disease

Left hemisphere

verbal processing, speech, grammar

Right hemisphere

spatial perception, visual recognition, emotion