BIOPSYCH

localization of function

certain functions (e.g. language, memory) have certain locations within the brain

lateralization of brain function

the two halves of the brain are functionally different and each hemisphere has functional specialization

left hemisphere

can produce speech, logical/analytical thinking (bottom-up processing)

right hemisphere

cannot produce speech, recognizes faces, abstract/holistic thinking (top-down processing)

brainstem

structure that connects the cerebrum of the brain to the spinal cord and cerebellum

medulla

bottom of brain; helps control vital processes like your heartbeat, breathing, and blood pressure

pons

bottom of brain; handles unconscious processes and jobs, such as your sleep-wake cycle and breathing

resticular formation

network of brainstem nuclei and neurons throughout the brainstem that serve as a major integration and relay center for many vital brain systems to coordinate functions

thalamus

near the center of brain; responsible for fiber connections to the cerebral cortex in all directions to help transmit impulses

cerebellum

responsible for muscle control, including balance and movement

limbic system

part of brain involved in our behavioral and emotional responses; contains fornix, hippocampus, cingulate gyrus, amygdala, the parahippocampal gyrus, and parts of thalamus

hypothalamus

main function; directly influences your autonomic nervous system and hormones

hippocampus

embedded deep into temporal lobe; responsible for learning and memory; a plastic and vulnerable structure that gets damaged by a variety of stimuli

amygdala

almond-shaped structure in the temporal lobe; responsible for processing and responding to fearful and threatening stimuli

brain hemispheres

divided into left and right; remain in contact and communication with one another by the corpus callosum

longitudinal fissure

separates the human brain into two hemispheres that remain connected through the corpus callosum

corpus callosum

a white matter tract that connects the cerebral hemispheres, facilitating interhemisphere activity

split brain

a type of disconnecting syndrome when the corpus callosum connecting to the two hemispheres of the brain is severed

cerebral cortex

the outermost layer of the brain that lies on the type of the cerebrum and is associated with our highest mental capabilities

prefrontal cortex

the most forward part of the cerebral cortex; functions in attention, planning, working memory, and expression of emotions and appropriate social behaviors

association areas

sections of the cerebral cortex that are connected to the function of a primary part of the cerebral cortex; responsible for thoughts, learning, memory

frontal lobes

concerns with motor and higher order execute functions (reasoning, motor control, emotion, language)

parietal lobes

concerns with somatosensory activities (sense of size, shape, texture of objects), visual activities, auditory activities (speech perception)

occipital lobes

concerns visual perception (color, form, motion)

feature detectors

individual neurons - or groups of neurons - in the brain which code for perceptually significant stimuli

temporal lobes

concerns processing auditory information and the encoding of memory

motor cortex

part of the frontal lobe, generates signals to direct movement of body

somatosensory cortex

part of the parietal lobe; processing afferent somatosensory input and contributes to the integration of sensory and motor signals necessary for skilled movement

Broca's area

part of the cortex in frontal lobe, responsible for speech

Wernicke's area

part of brain that contains motor neurons involved in the comprehension of speech (Broca produces speech, Wernicke makes the speech make sense)

Lesions

a region in the brain OR (brain) tissue that has suffered damage through injury or disease

CAT scan (CT scan)

combines a series of x-ray images taken from different angles around your body to create slices (cross-sectional images)

fMRI scan

measures and maps the brain's activity and evaluates blood flow in the brain, showing the part of brain being stimulated

PET scan

uses radioactive material to reveal the metabolic or biochemical function of your tissues and organs

EEG

measures electrical activity in the brain using small, metal discs (electrodes) attached to the scalp

MEG

collects magnetic activity from neurons produced by electrical activity in the brain

autopsy

specialized surgical procedure used to determine the cause and manner of death

behavior genetics

the study of familial or hereditary behavior patterns and of the genetic mechanisms of behavior traits

molecular genetics

the study of the molecular structure of DNA, its cellular activities (including its replication), and its influence in determining the overall makeup of an organism

molecular behavior genetics

the study of how the structure and function of genes influence social behavior

gene-environment interaction

an interaction between one or more genes and factors in the environment, such as may be needed to trigger the onset of a disease, condition, or chracteristic

epigenetics

the study of how behaviors and the environment (rather than alteration of the genetic code itself) can modfiy gene expression

evolutionary psychology

approach in psych that examines cognition and behavior from a modern evolutionary (Darwinian) perspective

mutation

a permanent change in the genetic material (DNA sequence) of an organism; can result from errors in DNA replication during cell division, exposure to mutagens, or a viral infection

adaptation

a modification of all or parts of an organism, passes from generation to generation, in order to survive/thrive in its environment

natural selection

mechanism of evolution; organisms more adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and pass on the genes that aided their success; causes species to change and diverge over time

heritability

the capacity to be inherited; the degree to which the variation in a trait is controlled by genetic factors, rather than the environment

chromosome

located in the cell nucleus, a strand or filament composed of nucleic (mainly DNA in humans) and proteins that carry the genetic, or hereditary traits of an individual

DNA

a complex molecule containing the genetic information that makes up chromosomes

gene

the basic unit of heredity, responsible for storing genetic information and transmitting it to subsequent generations

genome

the complete set of genes or genetic material present in a cell or organism

monozygotic/identical twin

one fertilized egg (ovum) splits and develops into two babies with exactly the same genetic information

dizygotic/fraternal twin

two eggs (ova) are fertilized by two sperm and produce two genetically unique children

biopyschology

an interdisciplinary field that analyzes how the brain and neurotransmitters influence our behaviors, thoughts, and feelings

neuroscience

scientific study of the nervous system (the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous system), its function and disorders)

nervous system

the network of nerve cells and fibers which transmits nerve impulses between parts of the body

central nervous system (CNS)

made up of the brain and spinal cord; controls intelligence, memory, personality, emotion, speech, and ability to feel/move

peripheral nervous system (PNS)

consists of nerves that connect the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body; feeds information into your brain from most of your senses

somatic nervous system

part of PNS; associated with the voluntary control of the body movements via the use of skeletal muscles

autonomic nervous system

part of the PNS; regulates involuntary physiological processes including heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, digestion, and sexual arousal

sympathetic division

part of ANS; produces localized adjustments (sweating as a response to rising temps) and reflex adjustments of the cardiovascular system (fight or flight response)

parasympathetic division

part of the ANS; relaxes your body after periods of stress or danger

sensory neurons (afferent)

nerve cells that are activated by sensory input from the environment

interneurons

central nodes of neural circuits, enabling communication between sensory or motor neurons and the central nervous system

motor neurons (efferent)

allows us to move, speak, swallow, and breathe by sending commands from the brain to the muscles

reflex

an involuntary response that happens without conscious thought or effort; any type of automatic, unlearned, relatively fixed responses to stimuli that do not require conscious effort

sensory receptors

specialized cells that detect changes in the environment and convert these changes into electrical signals that can be processed by the nervous system; located in various parts of body (skin, eyes, ear, mouth)

dendrite

a neuron's bushy, branching extensions that receive messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body (receives messages from other cells)

soma

the cell body of a neuron contains the nucleus and other structures common to living cells

axon

the neuron extension that passes messages through its branches to other neurons or to muscles/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 sausage-like node to the next

glial cells

cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons; may also play a role in learning and thinking

action potential

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

threshold

the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse

all-or-none principle

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

refractory period

a period of inactivity after a neuron has fixed

resting period

the positive-outside/negative-inside state of a neuron; the polarization of cellular fluid within a neuron that provides the potential to produce an action

axon terminal (terminal buttons)

the very end of the axon that contains neurotransmitters and makes synaptic contact with the next neuron in the chain

synaptic vesicle

stores various neurotransmitters that are released at synapse

neurotransmitter

carry chemical signals (messages) from one neuron (nerve cell) to the next target cell

synapse (synaptic gap/cleft)

the junction between the axon top of the sending neuro and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron

synaptic transmission

the process by which one neuron communicates with another

reuptake

a neurotransmitter's reabsorption by the sending neuron

excitatory effect

makes it more likely that the receiving neuron will generate an action potential

inhibitory effect

makes it less likely that the receiving neuron will generate an action potential

antagonist

a molecule that, by binding a receptor site, inhibits or blocks a response

agonist

a molecule that, by binding to a receptor site, stimulates a response

endorphins

type of neurotransmitter; "morphine within"

acetylcholine

type of neurotransmitter; enables muscle action, learning, memory

dopamine

type of neurotransmitter; influences movement, learning, attention, emotion

serotonin

type of neurotransmitter; affects mood, hunger, sleep, arousal

norepinephrine

type of neurotransmitter; helps control alertness and arousal

GABA

type of neurotransmitter; major inhibitor (undersupply links to seizures, tremors, insomnia)

glutamate

type of (excitatory) neurotransmitter; involved in memory

plasticity

the brain's ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience

neuroplasticity

the ability of neural networks in the brain to change through growth and reorganization; when the brain is rewired to function in some way that differs from how it previously functioned

long-term potentiation

the long-lasting increase in synaptic efficacy OR the ability of brain cells to retain how frequently they send signals to other brain cells (brain cells used for mental exercises like language or math have a tendency to last longer)

synaptic pruning

the process by which extra neurons and synaptic connections are eliminated in order to increase the efficiency of neuronal transmissions

endocrine system

the body's "slow" chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream

hormones

chem messengers produced by endocrine glands that travel through the bloodstream to target tissues, bind to specific receptors, influence behavior and physiological processes