AP Psychology Unit 1: Part 1

sensory neurons

send information from the body to the brain & spinal cord

interneurons

located in brain & spinal cord, processes information

motor neurons

send information from brain & spinal cord to the rest of the body

reflexes

automatic body response

neural networks

neurons in the brain connect with one another to form networks

endocrine system

series of glands and hormones

hormones

cause different behaviors and feelings

pituitary gland

master glad

pancreas

breaks down blood sugars, produces insulin

adrenal glands

adrenaline

biological psychology

the connection between your brain and behaviors

dendrites

receive messages from other neurons or parts of your body

cell body (soma)

contains the nucleus, control center

axon

send messages to other neurons

myelin sheath

speeds up messages

terminal branches of axon

shooting messages to dendrites in other neurons

resting potential

no messages are being sent, + charge ions on the outside, - charged ions on the inside

selectively permeable

only lets certain things happen

action potential

messages are being sent (depolarized)

refractory period

repolarizing

threshold

minimum stimulus that needs to occur for action potential to occur

excitatory

trying to get messages

inhibitory

trying to stop messages

all-or-none response

as long as the threshold is met, the message will be sent at the same speed

synapse

the gap between two neurons

neurotransmitters

chemical messengers sent through the synapse and to the next neuron

dopamine

influences movement, learning, attention, and emotion

serotonin

affects mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal

norepinephrine

helps control alertness and arousal

endorphins

neurotransmitters that influence the perception of pain or pleasure

reuptake

the sending neuron reabsorbs the excess neurotransmitters

agonists

mimics the effects of our body's transmitters

antagonists

block our body's natural neurotransmitters

lesion

brain tissue damage

electroencephalogram (EEG)

show electric activity in the brain through waves

CT (computed tomography) scan

x-ray of the brain that shows brain STRUCTURE, light = dense, dark = less dense

PET (positron emission tomography) scan

shows brain ACTIVITY, warm colors = high levels of activity, cool colors = lower levels of activity, black = no activity

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)

shows structure; magnetic fields are placed over the body, altering the axis an atom spins on

fMRI (functional MRI)

shows structure and function

medulla

vital functions (breathing, heartbeat)

pons

helps coordinate movements

reticular formation

where information is switched, arousal

thalamus

sensory switchboard (all senses except for smell)

cerebellum

balance & coordination

limbic system

border between old & new brain, motivations & emotions

hippocampus

temporarily stores short term memories, turns short term into long term

amygdala

fear & agression

hypothalamus

controls endocrine system, contains reward centers, Four F's (feeding, fleeing, fighting, fornicating)

cerebrum

surrounds the hind brain & mid brain

cerebral cortex

complex thinking, problem solving and buildings abilities are all processed here; outer surface layer

occipital lobe

in the back, vision

temporal lobe

along the temples & ears; taste, smell, & hearing

parietal lobe

spatial skills, facial recognition

somatosensory cortex

front of parietal lobe; touch

frontal lobe

planning, problem solving, judgment, right & wrong

motor cortex

back of frontal lobe; voluntary muscle movements

cerebrum

surface area

glial cells

glue cells; work to keep clean and functioning

association areas

surface of cerebral cortex; where cognition takes place

plasticity

ability to rewire after damage, younger is more plastic

neurogenesis

birth of neurons

aphasia

loss of language

Broca's area

speech production (motor coretx, left)

Wernicke's area

speech comprehension (left)

Broca's aphasia

hard time speaking

Wernicke's aphasia

can speak, doesn't make sense

corpus-callosum

sends info to different sides

split-brain

someone who has a severed corpus-callosum

behavior geneticist

studies behavior and genetics

active genes

comes into development

inactive genes

doesn't develop

identical twins

comes from one egg & one sperm and then splits into two, DNA = 100% same

fraternal twins

two eggs, similar as normal siblings, opposite sex

genetic relatives

biological

environmental relatives

not biological

molecular geneticist

person who studies genes and their DNA

epigenetics

studying how environment can cause certain genes to be expressed

evolutionary psychology

how psychology has evolved over the years