AP Psych - Unit 1

Central nervous system

consists of 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

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)

Sympathetic nervous system

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

Parasympathetic nervous system

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

Sensory neurons

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

Interneurons

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

Motor neurons

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

Kinesthesia

our movement sense - our system for sensing the position and movement of individual body parts

Vestibular sense

our sense of body movement and position that enables our sense of balance

Dopamine

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

Serotonin

Affects mood, hunger, sleep and arousal. Undersupply linked to depression.

Norepinephrine

A neurotransmitter involved in arousal, as well as in learning and mood regulation

Glutamate

A major excitatory neurotransmitter; involved in memory

GABA

It slows down your brain by blocking specific signals in your central nervous system (your brain and spinal cord). GABA is known for producing a calming effect.

Endorphins

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

Acetycholine

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

Agonist

A chemical that mimics the action of a neurotransmitter.

Antagonist

chemicals that block receptors—sometimes permanently

Cerebellum

Balance and coordination

Occipital lobe

A region of the cerebral cortex that processes visual information

Temporal lobe

A region of the cerebral cortex responsible for hearing and language.

Parietal lobe

A region of the cerebral cortex whose functions include processing information about touch.

Frontal lobe

associated with reasoning, planning, parts of speech, movement, emotions, and problem solving

Corpus callosum

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

Broca's area

Controls language expression - an area of the frontal lobe, usually in the left hemisphere, that directs the muscle movements involved in speech.

Wernicke's area

controls language reception - a brain area involved in language comprehension and expression; usually in the left temporal lobe

Trichromatic theory

theory of color vision that proposes three types of cones: red, blue, and green

Opponent-process theory

the theory that opposing retinal processes (red-green, yellow-blue, white-black) enable color vision. For example, some cells are stimulated by green and inhibited by red; others are stimulated by red and inhibited by green

Place theory

in hearing, the theory that links the pitch we hear with the place where the cochlea's membrane is stimulated

Frequency theory

theory of pitch that states that pitch is related to the speed of vibrations in the basilar membrane