AP Psych Units 1 & 2

essentials of psych chapters 2,3,4

Biological Psychology

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

Acetylcholine (ACH)

Dopamine

Serotonin

Norepinephrine

GABA

Glutamate

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)

superchiasmic nucleus

pair of cell clusters in the hypothalamus that control circadian rhythm

adoptee studies

examine whether adoptees more similar to biological or adoptive parents

twin studies

comparing differences in rates of overlap for a given trait between identical and fraternal twins

familial association studies

analysis of shared traits among family members in relation to degree of relation (closer relation should = closer trait similarity), weakness is that closer blood often = closer environment

gonads

sex gland that produce sex hormones and germ cells (ovaries = estrogen and progesterone, testes = testosterone)

releasing factors

hormones released by hypothalamus that cause pituitary gland to release other hormones

prefrontal cortex

foremost part of frontal lobe, personality expression, decision making, social/cognitive behavior

lateralization

specialization of right and left cerebral hemispheres for particular functions (left usually language/logical analysis dominant, right usually spatial emotional dominant)

electrical stimulation

use of mild electric current to observe effects of stimulating different parts of brain

electrical recording

placement of electrodes in brain tissue to record changes in electrical activity in response to stimuli

lesioning

destruction of brain tissue to observe effects on behavior

CT Scan

computed tomography scan, x-ray beam passed through body at various angles to make a 3d image inside body

mirror neurons

fire when an action is observed as well as when done

somatosensory cortex

front of parietal lobe, responsible for touch, pressure, temp, pain, position of body awareness

hippocampus

part of limbic system, memory formation

basal ganglia

neurons help regulate voluntary movement

forebrain

most advanced, largest part of brain, contains thalamus, basal ganglia, hypothalmus, limbic system, cerebral cortex

midbrain

above hindbrain, connects hind and forebrain, contains reticular formation

medulla

regulates basic life functions, marrow of the brainstem, reflexes like swallowing and coughing

pons

part of hindbrain, helps regulate wakefulness, sleep, lies above medulla, conducts info from spinal cord and lower brain to midbrain where it goes to forebrain

hindbrain

lowest, evolutionarily oldest part of brain for basic life functions, includes medulla, brainstem, pons, cerebellum

spinal reflex

reflex controlled by spinal cord, bypasses brain

antidepressants

agonists that boost availability of norepinephrine and seratonin

amphetamines

synthetic stimulants, agonists that boost dopamine by blocking reuptake

Neuron

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

Dendrite

neuron extensions that receive messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body

Axon

neuron extensions that pass messages to other neurons or cells

Action Potential

a nerve impulse

Synapse

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

Threshold

the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse

All-or-none Response

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

Neurotransmitters

neuron-produced chemicals that cross synapses to carry messages to other neurons or cells

Opiates

chemicals, such as opium, morphine, and heroin, that depresses neural activity, temporarily lessening pain and anxiety

Endorphins

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

Nervous System

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

Central Nervous System

the brain and spinal cord

Peripheral Nervous System

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

Nerves

bundled axons that formed neural "cables" connecting the central nervous system with muscles, glands, and sense organs

Sensory Neurons

neurons that carry incoming information from the sensory receptors to the central nervous system

Motor Neurons

neurons that carry outgoing information from the central nervous system to the muscles and glands

Interneurons

neurons that communicate internally and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs

Somatic Nervous System

the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's skeletal muscles, voluntary movement

Autonomic Nervous System

involuntary the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs. sympathetic division arouses; parasympathetic division calms

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

Endocrine System

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

Hormones

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

Adrenal Glands

a pair of endocrine glands that sit just above the kidneys and secrete hormones that help arouse the body in times of stress

Pituitary Gland

the endocrine system's most influential gland. Under the influence of the hypothalamus, this gland regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands

Brainstem

the oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; this is responsible for automatic survival functions

Medula

the base of the brainstem, controls heartbeat and breathing

Thalamus

area at the top of the brainstem, directs sensory messages to the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla

EEG

recording apparatus, using electrodes placed on the scalp, that records waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain's surface

PET scan

a view of brain activity showing where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task

MRI

a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer generated images of soft tissue. These scans show brain tissue

fMRI

a technique for revealing blood flow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans.

Reticular Formation

a nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal

Cerebellum

the "little brain" at the rear of the brainstem, functions include processing sensory input and coordinating voluntary movement output and balance

Limbic System

neural system located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions and drives, includes amygdala, hypothalamus, hippocampus

Amygdala

two lima-beam-sized neural clusters in the limbic system; linked to emotion

Hypothalamus

a neural structure lying below the thalamus; directs several maintenance activities; helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion

Cerebral Cortex

thin layer of interconnected neurons covering the cerebral hemisphere; the body's ultimate control and information processing center

Frontal Lobes

portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgments

Parietal Lobes

portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; receives sensory input for touch and body positions

Occipital Lobes

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

Temporal Lobes

portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; auditory processing, language comprehension (Wernicke’s area), memory encoding, emotion regulation, object/face recognition

Motor Cortex

area at the rear of the frontal lobe; controls voluntary movements

Sensory Cortex

area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations

Hallucinations

false sensory experiences, such as hearing something in the absence of an external auditory stimulus

Association Areas

areas of the cerebral cortex that are primarily involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking

Broca's Area

an area of the frontal lobe, usually in the left hemisphere, that directs the muscle movements involved in speech; controls language expression

Wernicke's Area

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

Plasticity

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

Corpus Callosum

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

Split Brain

condition in which the brain's two hemispheres are isolated by cutting the fibers connecting them

Cognitive Neuroscience

subfield of psychology that studies the connections between our brain activity and the processes of thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating

Consciousness

our awareness of ourselves and our environment

Selective Attention

focusing conscious awareness on a particular stimulus

Inattentional blindness

failure to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere

Circadian Rhythm

the biological clock; regular bodily rhythms that occur on a 24-hr cycle

REM sleep

recurring sleep stage during which vivid dreams commonly occur. Also known as paradoxical sleep, because the muscles are relaxed, but other body systems are active

Alpha Waves

relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake state

Sleep

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

Insomnia

recurring problems in falling or staying asleep

Narcolepsy

sleep disorder in which a person has uncontrollable sleep attacks, sometimes lapsing directly into REM sleep

Sleep Apnea

a sleep disorder in which a sleeping person repeatedly stops breathing until blood oxygen is so low it awakens the person just long enough to draw a breath

Dream

a sequence of images, emotions, and thoughts passing through a sleeping person's mind

Manifest Content

according to Freud, the remembered story line of a dream

Latent Content

according to Freud, the underlying meaning of a dream

REM Rebound

the tendency for REM sleep to increase following REM sleep deprivation

soma

main body of cell, houses nucleus, life sustaining functions

terminal buttons

swellings at tips of axons where neurotransmitters stored and released