Unit 1.1-1.3 Heredity, Nervous System, & Neurons (Bio Basis of Behavior)

heredity

The transmission of traits from parents to their offspring.

nature

The innate, presumably genetically determined, characteristics and behaviors of an individual. In psychology, the characteristics most often and traditionally associated with nature are temperament, body type, and personality.

nurture

The totality of environmental factors that influence the development and behavior of a person, particularly sociocultural and ecological factors such as family attributes, parental child-rearing practices, and economic status.

evolutionary psychology

An approach to psychological inquiry that views human cognition and behavior in a broadly Darwinian context of adaptation to evolving physical and social environments and new intellectual challenges.

natural selection

The principle that, among the range of inherited trait variations, those that lead to increased reproduction and survival will most likely be passed on to the succeeding generations.

eugenics

A much-criticized nineteenth-century movement that proposed measuring human traits and using the results to encourage only smart and fit people to reproduce

twin study

Research with the purpose of assessing the relative contributions of heredity and environment to some attribute. Characteristics of identical and fraternal twins and comparing twins of both types who have been reared together or reared apart.

adoption study

A research design that investigates the relationships among genetic and environmental factors in the development of personality, behavior, or disorder by comparing the similarities of biological parent-child pairs with those of adoptive parent-child pairs.

depressants

Drugs that reduce neural activity and slow body functions.

marijuana

A mild hallucinogen that produces a "high" often characterized by feelings of euphoria, a sense of well-being, and swings in mood from gaiety to relaxation; may also cause feelings of anxiety and paranoia.

opioids

Opium and its derivatives, such as morphine and heroin; they depress neural activity, temporarily lessening pain and anxiety.

psychoactive drugs

Any drug that has significant effects on psychological processes, such as thinking, perception, and emotion. They include those deliberately taken to produce an altered state of consciousness and therapeutic agents designed to alleviate a mental condition.

stimulants

Drugs that excite neural activity and speed up body functions.

sympathetic nervous system

the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations

tolerance

The diminishing effect with regular use of the same dose of a drug, requiring the user to take larger and larger doses before experiencing the drug's effect.

parasympathetic nervous system

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

withdrawal

The discomfort and distress that follow discontinuing an addictive drug or behavior.

activation synthesis

Theory that dreams reflect inputs from brain activation originating in the pons, which the forebrain then attempts to weave into a story.

Biological psychology

a branch of psychology concerned with the links between biology and behavior

neuron

a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system

reflex

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

sensory neurons

neurons that carry incoming information from the sensory reseptors to the brain and spinal cord

motor neurons

neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands

threshold

The level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse.

interneurons

neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs

reflex arc

A neural circuit that is involved in a self-regulated response between the central and peripheral nervous systems.

action potential

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

neurotransmitters

chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons. When released by the sending neuron, neurotransmitters travel across the synapse and bind to reseptor sites on the receiving neuron, thereby influencing whether that neuron will generate a neural impulse

reuptake

a neurotransmitter's reabsorption by the sending neuron

central nervous system (CNS)

the brain and spinal cord

peripheral nervous system

the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body

Substance p

A neurotransmitter involved in pain perception and immune response.

somatic nervous system

the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's skeletal muscles.

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). Its sympathetic division arouses; its parasympathetic division calms.

hormones

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

glial cells

cells in the nervour system that support, nourish, and protect neurons

refractory period

in neural processing, a brief resting pause that occurs after a neuron has fired; subsequent action potentials cannot occur until the axon returns to its resting state

all-or-none principle

a neuron's reaction of either firing (with a full-strength response) or not firing.

agonists

a molecule that increases a neurotransmitter's action - it mimics the neurotransmitter

endorphins

"morphine within" - natural . opiatelike neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure

antagonist

a molecule that inhibits or blocks a neurotransmitter's action

acetylcholine

A neurotransmitter that enables learning and memory and also triggers muscle contraction.

adrenaline

A hormone whose major action is to increase heart rate, blood pressure, and blood sugar, providing a surge of energy to power our fight-or-flight respose.

addiction

A state of psychological or physical dependence (or both) on the use of alcohol or other drugs.

depolarization

The process leading up to the height of action potential when sodium is rushing into the cell causing the interior to become more positive.

dopamine

A neurotransmitter associated with movement, attention and learning and the brain's pleasure and reward system.

excitatory

The function of a neurotransmitter which results in a greater likelihood of an action potential.

family study

Research conducted among siblings, parents, or children to assess evidence for genetic links for characteristics or outcomes, often related to health or disease.

GABA

Most abundant inhibitory neurotransmitter; regulates daily sleep-wake cycles.

genetic predisposition

A tendency for certain traits to be inherited, including physical and mental conditions and disorders.

ghrelin

A hunger-arousing hormone.

glutamate

A major excitatory neurotransmitter; involved in memory.

inhibitory

The function of a naturally occuring chemical which results in a reduced likelihood of an action potential.

leptin

A hunger-suppressing hormone.

melatonin

A hormone produced mainly by the pineal gland that is implicated in the initiation of sleep and in the regulation of the sleep-wake cycle.

multiple sclerosis

A disease due to the degeneration of the myelin sheath in which communication to muscles and brain regions slow, resulting in diminished muscle control and sometimes impaired cognition.

myasthenia gravis

A neuromuscular disease in which the muscles cannot contract, resulting in muscle weakness, difficulties with muscle control, or paralysis.

neural transmission

The movement of the action potential down the length of the axon, releasing neurotransmitters across the synaptic space to a receiving neuron.

norepinephrine

A neurotransmitter that helps control alterness and arousal. An undersupply can lead to a depressed mood.

alcohol

A depressant that disrupts memory formation during REM sleep and lowers inhibition.

oxytocin

A hormone which enables orgasm, and in a pregnant person, labor contractions and milk flow while nursing.

cocaine

A powerful and addictive stimulant which produces temporarily increased alertness and euphoria. Blocks dopamine reuptake.

heroin

As a nervous system depressant, this opiod can produce a rush of euphoria, confidence, and energy, as well as cardiovascular stress, suspiciousness, and a depressive crash.

hallucinogens

Psychedelic ("mind-manifesting") drugs, such as LSD, that distort perceptions and evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory input.

caffeine

A stimulant which can increase alertness and wakefulness but also produce anxiety, restlessness, and insomnia in high doses.

resting potential

The state of a neuron when it's not being stimulated or sending signals.

reuptake inhibitor

Substance that interferes with the transport of released neurotransmitter molecules back into the presynaptic terminal, boosting the effects of that neurotransmitter.

serotonin

A neurotransmitter that affects hunger, sleep, arousal, and mood.