Studied by 2 people
biological psychology
the science regarding the biological basis of behavior & the relationship between biology and psychology
neuron
basic cellular unit of the nervous system
dendrite
neuron message receiver
axon
neuron route of messages; only travels in one direction
myelin sheath
axon protection; moves ions from receiver to sender
action potential
neural impulse/fire
threshold
the point in which the neuron’s action potential is triggered (it fires)
synapse
the space between neurons sending & receiving messages
neurotransmitters
the messages neurons send or receive
acetylcholine
muscle action, learning, memory; when they deteriorate, they cause Alzheimer’s
endorphins
neuropeptide; produced during intense physical activity
nervous system
the quick communication system within the body; like texting
central nervous system (CNS)
brain and spinal cord
peripheral nervous system (PNS)
everything in the nervous system that is NOT the brain or spinal cord
nerves
bundle of axons; motor, sensory, or mixed
sensory neurons
neurons controlling/related to the senses; from sense receptors to central nervous system
motor neurons
neurons controlling motor functions; from central nervous system to muscles
interneurons
neurons in the spinal cord and brain; connect motor and sensory neurons
somatic nervous system (SNS)
controls all voluntary movements
automatic nervous system (ANS)
controls everything automatically done (ex: digestion, blinking, breathing)
sympathetic nervous system
nervous system that gives basically a big adrenaline rush
parasympathetic nervous system
nervous system for calming down after an adrenaline rush
reflex
automatic, relatively fixed responses
neural networks
interconnected neurons
endocrine system
the “slow” communication system within the body
hormones
substance created by endocrine glands and secreted into the blood stream
adrenal glands
part of the endocrine system that triggers fight-or-flight; abdomen area
pituitary glands
in the head (hangs right behind the eyes); the “master gland”; releases hormones & tells other glands to release hormones
lesion
removing a part of the brain in order to see how the organism acts differently (not done on humans)
EEG
using electrodes placed on the head to look at the brain’s electrical waves
PET scan
visually monitoring the brain after injecting it with a radioactive glucose
MRI
uses magnetic & radio waves to get images of the brain
functional MRI
MRI used to localize areas of brain activation
brainstem
oldest part of the brain; connected to the spinal cord; dedicated to the basic survival instincts
medulla
lowest part of the brainstem (what breaks when the neck is snapped); dedicated to heartbeat and breathing
reticular formation
middle part of the brainstem; dedicated to arousal
thalamus
top-most part of the brainstem (where the spinal cord ends); brain’s sensory switchboard
cerebellum
the “little brain” at the back of the brain (by the base of the skull); dedicated to movement and balance
limbic system
the doughnut-shaped central part of the brain on the border of the brainstem and cerebellum; associated with emotions and drives
amygdala
part of the limbic system dedicated to fear and anger; 2 almond-shaped clusters and the bottom of the limbic system doughnut
hypothalamus
below the thalamus; the bottom part of the limbic system doughnut hole thing; dedicated to body maintenance (hungry vs. full, cold vs. hot, thirsty, etc.)
cerebral cortex
the outside of the brain/what you see if you pull a brain out of a skull; right side controls left side of the body & vice versa
glial cells
cells that provide support for neurons
frontal lobes
lobes in top front of head; dedicated to thinking
parietal lobes
lobes in top back of head; dedicated to movement
occipital lobes
lobes in back of head; dedicated to vision
temporal lobes
lobes by the ear/side of head; dedicated to hearing & speech
motor cortex
area in rear of frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements
sensory cortex
aka parietal cortex; gets info from skin & sensory organs
association areas
“uncommitted” area of the brain; the more intelligent, the more of this
aphasia
any language impairment
Broca’s area
#4 in the brain’s speaking process; small area above the ear; controls the speech muscles
Wernicke’s area
#3 in the brain’s speaking process; small area right behind the motor cortex; interprets the letters
plasticity
the brain’s ability to modify/change itself
corpus callosum
the part of the brain that connects the two sides
split brain
procedure in which the two hemispheres of the brain are split via cutting the corpus collosum
environment
the external things that influence an organism’s actions/thoughts/functions
behavior genetics
study of nature vs. nurture
chromosomes
structure in each cell’s nucleus; contains the DNA
DNA
the organism’s genetic material
genes
segment of DNA
genome
complete “blueprint” for making an organism; all the genes
identical twins
100% identical DNA; one zygote that split apart
fraternal twins
share ~50% of DNA (like normal siblings); two completely separate zygotes
temperment
a person’s emotional reactivity and intensity
heritability
the differences between people because of genes
interaction
a relationship between two or more things/systems/people/etc.
molecular genetics
branch of behavior genetics; do genes affect our behavior?
evolutionary psychology
study of how humans are alike
natural selection
adaptive traits passed on through genes
mutation
permanent change to genetic material
gender
socially constructed role initially given to specific sexes
culture
composition of behaviors, values, traditions, attitudes, and values shared by a group
norm
rules for accepted and expected behavior
personal space
area of defended space around an individual
individualism
typically Western European cultures; focused on a person’s individual identity/independence
collectivism
typically non-Western cultures; focused on a person’s identity for their culture/interdependence
aggression
behavior aimed at harming another physically or psychologically
X chromosome
having 2 means you’re female; creates more estrogen
Y chromosome
the “male” chromosome; creates more testosterone
testosterone
male sex hormone; causes the development of male reproductive organs & sex characteristics
role
a set of behaviors expected for an individual in a circumstance
gender role
expectations of how males and females are to act
gender identity
how a person views themself in terms of their gender
gender-typing
expectations for a person’s behavior based off of their gender
social learning theory
theorizes that gender roles are learned the way other behaviors are learned (reinforcement, punishment, and observation)
gender schema theory
theorizes that gender roles are learned because of what you’re taught (ex: pastel pink dolls for girls vs. bright red action figures for boys)
consciousness
awareness of self and environment
biological rhythms
“schedules” in the body ruled by “biological clocks”
circadian rhythm
24-hour cycle; includes sleep and wakefulness
REM sleep
part of level one of the sleep cycle; at the ending of the 90-mins instead of waking up; light/dream sleep
alpha waves
waves for awake but relaxed state; right before sleep; very short and close-ish together
sleep
the irresistible tempter to whom we inevitably succumb
hallucinations
a false, but seemingly realistic, sensory perception
delta waves
found in sleep stages 3 & 4 (the deepest stages); very tall and far apart
insomnia
any form of sleep disorder
narcolepsy
overpowering urge to fall asleep that can happen at any time
sleep apnea
failure to breathe when asleep
night terrors
waking suddenly with intense fear; accompanied by physical reactions (adrenaline rush, etc.)
dreams
a state of consciousness occurring in your REM stage of sleep
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Flashcard (33)