Unit 1 AP psych

Dendrite

receives signals from other neurons

Axon

Carries signals from both ends

Soma

Cell body (contains DNA and nucleus)

myelin sheath

Protection for axon and helps speed neural impulses

Axon terminal.

Sends signals to next neuron

gilal cells

support, nourish, and protect neurons

Synapse

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

excitatory neurotransmitters

excite the next cell into firing

inhibitory neurotransmitters

inhibit the next cell from firing

Glutamate

A major excitatory neurotransmitter; involved in memory

GABA

Calms you down

Endorphins

Pain and pleasure control ("feel good")

Acetylcholine

enables muscle action, learning, and memory

Reflex arc

Automatic response to stimuli

peripheral nervous system

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

Oxytocin

Love hormone

Pons

A brain structure that relays information from the cerebellum to the rest of the brain (sleep and arousal)

Limbic system

neural system located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions and drives

Reuptake

a neurotransmitter's reabsorption by the sending neuron

NREM-1

Alpha waves

NREM-2

theta waves and sleep spindles

REM

beta waves

NREM 3

delta waves

Activiation-synthesis theory

Dreams are the result of the brain's attempts to make sense of random brain activity by synthesizing the activity with stored memories.

consolidation theory

Dreams help process and store memories.

Transduction

The process of converting outside stimuli, such as light, into neural activity

sensory adaptation

a decrease in sensitivity to a constant level of stimulation

Cocktail party effect

Ability to concentrate on one voice amongst a crowd

Wavelength

The distance between two corresponding parts of a wave

accomidation

the process by which the eye's lens changes shape to focus near or far objects on the retina

Lens

Focuses and directs incoming light to the retina

Retina

Light sensitive layer of the eye; contains rods and cones

Blind spot

the point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye and no receptor cells are located there.

Dichromatism

Can't see red/yellow or blue/green

Frequency

Length (pitch)

Amplitude

Height (loudness)

Kinesthesis

the sense of movement and body position

Vistibular sense

the sense of body movement and position, including the sense of balance

sensorineural hearing loss

hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea's receptor cells or to the auditory nerves; also called nerve deafness

conductive hearing loss

Blockage from outer and middle ear