AP Psych Unit 1 Vocabulary - Biological Bases of Behavior

Central Nervous System

consists of our brain and spinal cord

Peripheral Nervous System

consists of all nerves in your body other than the brain and spinal cord

Two Categories of Peripheral Nervous System

Somatic and Autonomic

Somatic Nervous System

controls our voluntary muscle movements

Autonomic Nervous System

controls the automatic functions of our body (heart, lungs, internal organs, glands, etc.)

Two Categories of Autonomic Nervous System

Sympathetic and Parasympathetic

Sympathetic Nervous System

mobilizes our body to respond to stress and activates our flight or flight responses

Parasympathetic Nervous System

responsible for slowing down our body after a stress response

Glial Cells

provides physical and chemical support for neurons

Schwann Cells

supporting cells of the Peripheral Nervous System

Types of Neurons

Interneurons, Sensory Neurons, and Motor Neurons

Interneurons

take information from sensory neurons to different parts of the body, using the central nervous system

Sensory Neurons

take information from the senses to the brain, part of the peripheral nervous system

Motor Neurons

neurons that carry nerve impulses away from the Central Nervous System to the muscles, part of the peripheral nervous system

Dendrites

reaches out to receive information from other neurons, starts the electrical charge

Cell Body

keeps the cell structured and alive, doesn’t participate in information flow

Axon

tail where the information travels

Myelin Sheeth

covers the axon, makes info flow efficient, keeping it healthy

Terminal Branches

reaching out to send information at the bottom of the neuron

Terminal Button

neurotransmitters releasing to do an action

Synapse

space between the dendrite and terminal button, neurotransmitters are located here

Neurons

carry messages using electrical impulses

Parts of Neural Communication

Cell Body, Dendrites, Axon, Myelin Sheeth, Terminal Branches, Terminal Buttons, Synapses

Parts of Neural Firing

Resting Potential, Threshold, Action Potential, Refractory Period

Resting Potential

state of readiness (potential energy)

Threshold

minimum required in order for a neuron to fire, has to receive a certain amount of neurotransmitters

Action Potential

the neuron firing (kinetic energy)

Refractory Period

period of rest that is required between firing

Neurotransmitters

chemical messengers that move between neurons

Types of Neuortransmitters

excitatory and inhibitory

Excitatory

make it more likely that the next neuron fires, sends an activating message

Inhibitory

makes it less likely that the next neuron fires, send a calming message

Hormones

chemicals that can act similarly to neurotransmitters to activate neurons

Outside Influences on Neural Firing

Agonists and Antagonists

Agonists

substances that excite/cause the next neuron to fire (blocks reuptake)

Antagonists

blocks release of neurotransmitters and inhibits the next neuron to fire

Agonist Substances

stimulants

Antagonist Substances

depressants and pain relievers

Hallucinogens

mimic the neurotransmitter and causes the neurons to keep firing

Ventral View

view of the brain from the bottom

Sagittal View

view of the brain from the side

Cerebellum

coordinates voluntary movement and balance, and supports skill learning and memory

Brainstem

connects the brain to the spinal cord, consists of midbrain, pons, and medulla

Medulla

controls heartbeat and breathing

Pons

help coordinate movement and breathing

Optic Nerve

a bundle of nerve fibers at the back of the eye that transmit visual information from the retina to the brain

Olfactory Bulb

processes odor information from the nose to enable sense of smell

Frontal Lobe

portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead, enables linguistic processing, muscle movements, higher order thinking, and executive functioning

Motor Cortex

helps plan, control, and execute voluntary movements

Parietal Lobe

taste, smell, and texture of food work because of this lobe, also supports reading and arithmetic

Sensory Cortex

receives information about temperature, taste, touch and movement from the rest of the body

Occipital Lobe

processes images from the eyes that link that information with images stored in memory, damage here can cause blindness

Temporal Lobe

at the top of each lobe is an area responsible for receiving information through the ears, the bottom retrieves and forms memories, including memory with music, integrates taste, sound, sight, and touch

Auditory Cortex

receives information from your ears

Wernick’s Area

located in the left temporal Lobe, crucial for language comprehension, particularly understanding spoken and written language

Broca’s Area

located in left frontal lobe, critical for speech production, articulation, and the generation of articulate language

Reticular Formation

a diffuse network of nerve pathways in the brainstem connecting the spinal cord, cerebrum, cerebellum, and mediating overall levels of consciousness

Visual Cortex

part of the brain located in occipital lobe, processes visual information, transforming it into conscious perception of the world

Corpus Callosum

a broad band of nerve fibers joining the two hemispheres of the brain

Thalamus

a major clearinghouse for information going to and from the spinal cord and cerebrum

Hypothalamus

wakes you up, emotional center for feelings of exhilaration, anger, or unhappiness (adrenaline)

Pituitary Gland

the major endocrine gland, important in controlling growth and development and the functioning of other endocrine glands