ap psych module 1.1-1.5 vocab

Idwntical monozygotic twins

Individuals who developed from a single feritiled egg that split in two creating two gentically identical organisms

Mutation

A random error in gene replication that leads to a change

Behavior genetics

Teh stidy of the relative power and limits of gentic and environmental influences on behavior

Evolutionary paychology

The study of the evolution of behavior and the mind using principles of natural selection

Natural selection

The principle that the inherited traits enabling an organism to survive and reproduce in a particular environment will ( in competition with other trait variations) most likely be passed onto succeeding generations

Naturue-nurture issue

The long-standing controversy over the relative contributions that genes and experience make the development of psychological traits and behavior behaviors. today’s science views, traits, and behaviors as arising from the interaction of nature and nurture

Genome

The complete intructions for making an organism

Genes

The biochemical units of heredity

Heredity

The genetic transfer of characteristics from parent to offspring

Environment

Every non-genetic influence from prenatal nutrition to our experiences of the people and things around us

Epigentics

The study of the molecular mechanisms by which environments can influence genetic expression (without a DNA change)

Interact

The interplay that occurs when the effect of one factor such as environment depends on another factor, such as heredity

Fraternal (dizygotic ) twins

Individuals who developed from separate fertilized eggs. they are genetically no closer than ordinary siblings, but they share a prenatal environment

Nerves

Bundled Axons that form neural cables, connecting the central nervous system with muscles, glands, and sensory organs

Reflexes

A simple automatic response to a sensory stimulus such as the knee-jerk response

Sensory neurons

neurons that carry incoming information from the body’s tissues and sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord

Interneurons

neurons within the brain and spinal cord, they communicate internally and process information between the sensory inputs and motor outputs

Somatic nervous system

The division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body, skeletal muscles. also called the skeletal nervous system

Parasympathetic nervous system

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

Autonomic nervous system

The part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs (such as the heart) it’s sympathetic division arouses. it’s parasympathetic division calms

Sympathetic neevous system

The division of the autonomic nervous system that arises the body, mobilizing its energy.

Neevous system

The body speedy electrochemical, communication network consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous system systems

Central neevous system

The brain and spinal cord

Peripheral neevous system

The sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system (CNS) to the rest of the body

SSRI

Selective, serotonin, receptive, inhibitor block from absorbed floods with serotonin

Neurons

A nerve cell, the basic building block of the nervous system

Cell body

The part of a neuron that contains the nucleus, the cells life support

Action potential

a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon

Dendrite

a neurons often bushy, branching extensions that receive an integrate messages conducting impulses towards the cell body

Axon

The segmented neuron extension that passes messages through its branches to other neurons or to muscles or glands

Myelin sheath

A fatty tissue layer segmentally encasing The axons of some neurons enables vastly greater transmission speed as neural impulses hop from one node to the next.

Glial cells

Cellsin a nervous system that support nourish and protect neurons they may also play a role in learning, thinking and memory

Threshold

The level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse

Refractory period

Inneural processing, a brief resting pause that occurs after a neuron has fired

All or none response

a neurons reaction of either firing (with a full strength response) or not firing

Synapse

The junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron. The tiny gap at this junction is called the sap the gap or cleft.

Neurotransmitters

Chemical messages that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons when released by the sending neuron, they travel across the synapse and bind to receptor sites on the receiving neuron influencing, whether that neuron will generate a neural impulse

Reuptake

a neurotrans reabsorption by the sending neuron

Agonist

A molecule that increases a neurotransmitter’s action

Endorphins

Natural opioid like neurotransmitters linked to pain control, and to pleasure

Antagonist

A molecule that inhibits or blacks a neurotransmitters action

Endocrine system

The body is slow, chemical communication system, a set of glands and fat tissue that secrete hormones into the bloodstream

Horomones

Chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands, travel through the bloodstream and affect other tissues

Psychoactive drugs

A chemical substance that alters the brain, causing changes in perceptions and moods

Substance use disorder

It disorder characterized by continued substance use despite significant life disruption

Depressants

Drugs that reduce neural activity in slow body functions

Barbituate

Drugs, that depressed central nervous system activity, reducing anxiety, but impairing memory and judgment

Opioids

Opium and it’s derivative. They depress neural activity, temporarily lessening pain, and anxiety.

Stimulants

Drugs that excite neural activity in speed up body functions

Hallucinogens

Psychedlic (mind-manifesting) drugs that distort perceptions and evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory input

Near death experience

An altered state of consciousness reported after a close brush with death, (such as cardiac arrest). often similar to drug induced hallucinations

Biological psychologists

The scientific study of the links between biological (genetic, neural, horomonal) and psychological processes. Some call themselves, behavioral neuroscientist, neuropsychologist, behavior geneticists, psychological psychologist, or biopsychologists.

Biopsychosocial approach

An integrated approach that incorporates biological psychological and social, cultural levels of analysis

Levels of analysis

The different complementary views from biological to psychological to social cultural for analyzing any given phenomenon

Neuroplacisity

The brain’s ability to change, especially during childhood by re-organizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience

Lesion

Tissue destruction, brain lesions may occur naturally (from disease or trauma), during surgery, or experimentally (using electrodes to destroy brain cells)

EEG

An amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity sweeping across the brain surface. These waves are measured by the electrodes placed on the scalp.

MEG

A brain imaging technique that measures magnetic fluid from the brains, natural electrical activity

CT scan

Hey series of x-ray foot photographs taken from different angles and combined by computer into a composite representation of a slice of the brain structure

PET

Technique for detecting brain activity that displays were radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task

MRI

A technique that uses magnetic field and radio waves to produce computer generated images of soft tissue. MRI scans show brain anatomy

FMRI (functional MRI)

A technique for revealing blood flow and therefore brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. FMRI scans show brain function as well as structure

Hindbrain

Consist of the Medulla, pons, and cerebellum; Direct essential survival functions such as breathing, sleeping and wakefulness as well as coordination and balance

Midbrain

Found atop of the brain, stem connect the hind brain with the four brain control some motor movement and transmit, auditory and visual information

Forebrain

Consists of the cerebral cortex, thalamus, and hypothalamus; managers complex, cognitive activities, sensory and associative functions and voluntary motor activities

Brainstem

The central core of the brain beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; the brain stem is responsible for automatic survival functions

Medulla

The hindbrain structure that is the brain, stems base; controls, heartbeat, and breathing

Thalamus

The four brain sensory control center located on top of the brain, stem it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmit replies to the cerebellum and medulla

Reticular formation

A nerve network that travels through the brain, stem into the thalamus; it filters information and plays an important role in controlling arousal

Cerebellum

The hindbrain “little brain”at the rear of the brain stem; it’s functions include processing sensory input, coordinating movement output, and balance, and enabling nonverbal learning and memory

Limbic system

Neural system located, mostly in the forebrain below the cerebral hemispheres that includes the amygdala, hypothalamus, hippocampus, thalamus, and pituitary gland; associated with emotions and drives

Amygdala

Two lima-bean sized neural clusters in the limbic system; linked to emotion

Hypothalamus

Limbic system neural structure, lying below the thalamus it directs several maintenance activities (eating drinking body temperature), helps govern the endocrine system and is linked to emotion and reward

Hippocampus

A neural center located in the limbic system; helps process explicit conscious memories of facts and events for storage

Cerebral cortex

The intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the forebrains cerebral hemispheres; the bodys ultimate control and information-processing center

Frontal lobes

The portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead. They enable linguistic processing muscle movements, higher order, thinking, and executive functioning, (such as making plans and judgments.)

Parietal lobes

No, the portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear, it receives sensory and put for touch and body position

Occipital lobes

The portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head, it includes areas that receive information from the visual fields

Temperal lobes

The portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears. It includes the auditory areas, each of which receives information primarily from the opposite ear, they also enable language processing

Motor cortex

A cerebral cortex area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements

Somatosensory cortex

Is cerebral cortex area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes, body touch and movement sensation

Association areas

Areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions, rather they are involved in higher mental functions, such as learning, remembering, thinking and speaking

Neurogenesis

The formation of new neurons

Corpus callosum

The large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them

Split brains

A condition resulting from surgery that isolate the brains two hemispheres by cutting the fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) connecting them.

Conciousness

Our subjective awareness and our environment

Cognitive neuroscience

The interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition

Dual processing

The principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks

Blindsight

A condition in which a person can respond to visual stimulus without consciously experiencing it

sequential processing

Processing one aspect of stimulus or problem at a time, generally used to process new information or to solve difficult problems

Parallel processing

Processing multiple aspects of a stimulus or problems simultaneously

Sleep

A periodic natural loss of consciousness as distinct from unconsciousness, resulting from a coma, general anesthesia or hibernation

Circadian rhythm

Our biological clock regular bodily rhythms (for example of temperature and wakefulness) that occur on a 24 hour cycle

Rem sleep

Rapid eye movement, sleep a reoccurring sleep stage during which vivid dreams commonly occur also known as paradoxical sleep because the muscles are relaxed, (except for minor twitches,) but other body systems are active, (sometimes called R sleep)

Alpha waves

The relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake state

NREM sleep

Non-rapid eye movement sleep encompasses all sleep stages, except for rem sleep

Hallucination

False sensory experiences, such as seeing something in the absence of an external visual stimulus

Hypogogic sensations

Bizarre experiences such as jerking, or a feeling of falling or floating weightless while transmitting to sleep (also called hypnic sensation)

Delta waves

Large, Slow brain waves associated with deep sleep

Suprachiasmatic nucleus (scn)

A pair of self clusters in the hypothalamus that controls circadian rhythm in response to light the SCN adjust, melatonin production, thus modifying our feelings of sleepiness