Psychology Ch. 2: Nueroscience

Neurogenesis

The brain's ability to grow new brain cells in certain areas.

Neuroscience

The study of the nervous system and the brain.

Biological psychology

A field similar to neuroscience, focusing on the biological basis of behavior and mental processes.

Neuron

A tiny, excitable cell that transmits information throughout the body.

Dendrites

The bushy end of a neuron that receives signals from other neurons.

Soma

The cell body of a neuron that contains the nucleus.

Axon

A long fiber that carries information away from the neuron.

Myelin sheath

A protective covering around the axon that speeds up information transmission.

Terminal button

The swollen end of an axon that contains chemicals for neuron communication.

Action potential

A brief electrical charge that travels down a neuron.

Resting potential

The state of tension created by a negative charge inside a neuron.

Depolarized

The state when a neuron becomes less negative.

Threshold

The point at which a neuron becomes positive enough to trigger an action potential.

All-or-none law

The principle that neurons either fire or they don’t once the threshold is reached.

Refractory period

The time during which a neuron is resting and cannot fire again.

Excitatory

A type of signal that prompts a neuron to fire.

Inhibitory

A type of signal that prevents a neuron from firing.

Synapse

The space between the terminal buttons of one neuron and the dendrites of another.

Presynaptic neuron

The neuron that sends a signal to the synapse.

Postsynaptic neuron

The neuron that receives a signal from the synapse.

Vesicles

Small sacs in terminal buttons that contain neurotransmitters.

Neurotransmitters

Chemical messengers that transmit signals across synapses.

Reuptake

The process of moving released neurotransmitters back into the presynaptic neuron.

Agonist

A substance that binds to receptors and produces a biological response.

Antagonist

A substance that blocks the effects of a neurotransmitter.

Synaptic plasticity

The brain's ability to adapt and change over time.

Neurogenesis

The birth of new neurons, primarily in the hippocampus.

Central Nervous System (CNS)

Comprises the brain and spinal cord.

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

The part of the nervous system outside the CNS.

Sensory neurons

Neurons that carry information towards the CNS.

Motor neurons

Neurons that carry information away from the CNS to muscles and glands.

Interneurons

Neurons that connect sensory and motor neurons.

Glial cells

Support cells in the CNS that assist neurons.

Spinal cord

Connects the brain to the body and organizes reflexes.

Somatic nervous system

Controls voluntary movements and sensory information.

Autonomic nervous system

Regulates involuntary functions of internal organs.

Endocrine system

A slower communication system that uses hormones.

Hormones

Chemical messengers secreted by glands into the bloodstream.

Hypothalamus

A brain structure that links the nervous and endocrine systems.

Pituitary gland

The gland that communicates with other glands in the endocrine system.

Thyroid gland

Regulates metabolism and sensitivity to hormones.

Adrenal glands

Responsible for the body's stress response.

Neuropsychology

The study of how brain structure and function affect behavior.

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Physical trauma to the brain from an external source.

Corpus Callosum

The structure that connects the two hemispheres of the brain.

Behavioral genetics

The study of how genes and environment interact to influence behavior.

Genotype

The complete genetic makeup of an organism.

Phenotype

The observable traits resulting from the genotype.

Heritability

The extent to which genetics explain variations in traits.

Epigenetics

The study of heritable changes in gene function not caused by changes in DNA.