Unit 1 (Sub 1) Vocab

Nature-nurture issue

The longstanding issue over the relative contributions that genes and experience make to the development or psychological traits and behaviors

Natural Selection

The principle that inherited traits enabling an organism to survive and reproduce in a particular environment will most likely be passed on to succeeding generations

Evolutionary Psychology

The study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection

Behavior Genetics

The study of the relative power and limits of genetic and enivornmental influences on behavior

Mutation

A random error in gene replication that leads to a change

Environment

Every nongenetic influence, from prenatal nutrition to our experiences of the people and things around us

Heredity

The generic transfer of characteristics from parents fo offspring

Genes

The biochemical units of heredity

Genome

The complete instructions for making an organism

Identical monozygotic twins

Individuals who developed from a single egg that split in two, creating two genetically identical organisms

Fraternal dizgotic twins

Individuals who developed from separate fertilized eggs. They are genetically no closer than ordinary siblings, but they shared a prenatal environment

Interacrion

The interplay that occurs when the effect of one factor (such as snvironment) depends on another factor (such as heredity)

Epigenetics

“Above or “in additon to” , the study of the molecular mechanisms by which environments can influence genetic expression (without q DNA change)

Nervous system

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

Central nervous system (cns)

The brain and the spinal cord

Peripheral nervous system (pns)

The sensory and motor neurons thst would connect the central nervous system (cns) to the rest of the body

Nerves

Bundled axons that form neural cables connecting the central nervous system woth muscles, glands, and sensory organs

Sensory (afferent) neurons

Neurons that carry incoming information from the body's tissues and sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord

Motor (efferent) neurons

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

Interneurons

Neurons within the brain and spinal cord; they communicated internally and process information between the sensory inputs and motor outputs

Somatic nervous system

The divison of the peripheral nervous system that controls the bodys skeletal muscles (aka skeletal nervous system)

Autonomic nervous system (ans)

The part of ghe peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs (like the heart). Its sympathetic divisions arouses; its parasymparhetic division calms

Sympathetic nervous system

The divison of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy

Parasympathetic nervous system

The divison of the autonomic nervohs system that calms the body, conserving its energy

Reflex

A simple, automatix response to a sensory stimulus such as the knee-jerk reflex

Neuron

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

Cell body

The part of a neuron that contains the nucleus; the cells life support center

Dendrites

A neuron's often bushy; branching extensions that receive and integrate messages, conductijg impulses toward the cellbody

Axon

The segmented neuron extension that passes messages through its branches to other neurons or to muscles or glands

Myelin sheath

A fatty tiasue layer segmentally encasing the anons of some neurons; it enables vastly greater transmission speed as neural impulses hop from one node to the next

Glial cells (glia)

Cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons, they may also play a role in learning, thinking, and memory

Action potential

A neural impulse, a brief electrical charge thst travels down an axon

Threahold

The level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse

Refractory period

In neural processing, a breif resting pause that occurs after a neuron has fired, subsequent action potentials cannot occur until the axin returns to its resting state

All or none response

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

Synapse

The junction between the axon top of the sending neuron and the dendrite or fell body of the recieving neuron. The tiny gap at this junction is called the synaptic gap or synaptic cleft

Neurotransmitters

Chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gap between neurons. When released by the sending neuron, neurotransmitters travel across the synapse and bind to receptor sites on the receiving neuron

Reuptake

A neurotransmitter reabsorption by the sending neuron

Endorphins

“Morphine within”, natural, opiod-like neurotransmitters linked to pain control and pleasure

Agonist

A molecule that increases a neurotransmitters action

Antagonist

A molecule that inhibits or blocks a neurotransmitters action

Endocrine system

The body's slow chemical communication system; a set of glands and fat tissue that secrete hormones into the blood stream

Hormones

Cehmicak messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands, travel through the blood stream and affect other tissues

Psychoactive drug

A chemical substance that alters the brain, causing changes in perceptions and moods

Substance use disorder

A disorder characterized by continued substance use despite resulting life disruption

Depressants

Drugs that reduce nehral activity and slow body functions

Depressants

Drugs that reduce neural activity and slow body functions.

Tolerance

The diminishing effect with regular use of the same dose of a drug, requiring the user to take larger and larger doses before experiencing the drug’s effect.

Addiction

An everyday term for compulsive substance use (and sometimes for dysfunctional behavior patterns, such as out-of-control gambling) that continue despite harmful consequences.

Withdrawal

The discomfort and distress that follow discontinuing an addictive drug or behavior.

Barbiturates

Drugs that depress central nervous system activity, reducing anxiety but impairing memory and judgement.

Opioids

Opium and its derivatives; they depress neural activity, temporarily lessening pain and anxiety.

Stimulants

Drugs that excite neural activity and speed up body functions.

Hallucinogens

Psychedelic drugs that distort perceptions and evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory input.

Near-death experience

An altered state of consciousness reported after a close brush with death (such as cardiac arrest); often similar to drug-induced hallucinations.

Biological Psychology

Scientific study of the links between biological and psychological processes.

Biopsychosocial approach

An Intergrated approach that incorporates biological, psychological, and social-cultural levels of analysis.

Levels of Analysis

The differing complementary views, from biological to psychological to social-cultural, for analyzing any given phenomenon.

Neuroplasticity

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

Lesion

Tissue destruction. Brain lesions may occur naturally, during surgery, or experimentally.

EEG (Electroencephalogram)

An amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity sweeping across the brain’s surface. These waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp.

MEG (magnetoencephalography)

A brain-imaging technique that measures magnetic fields from the brain’s natural electrical activity.

CT (computed tomography) Scan

A series of X-ray photographs taken from different angles and combined by computer into a composite representation of a slice of the brain’s structure.

PET (positron emission tomography)

A technique for detecting brain activity that displays where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain preforms a given task.

MRI (Magnetic response imagining)

A technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images of soft tissue. Shows brain anatomy.

fMRI (functional MRI(

A technique for revealing blood flow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. fMRI scans show brain function as well as structure.

Hindbrain

Consists of the Medulla, pons, and cerebellum; directs essential survival functions, such as breathing, sleeping, and wakefulness, as well as coordination and balance.

Midbrain

Found atop the brainstem; connects the hindbrain with the forebrain, controls some motor movement, and transmits auditory and visual information.

Forebrain

Consists of the cerebral cortex. thalamus, and hypothalamus; manages complex cognitive abilities, sensory and associative functions, and voluntary motor activities.

Brainstem

The central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; Responsible for automatic survival functions.

Medulla

The hindbrain structure that is the brainstem’s base; controls heartbeat and breathing.

Thalamus

The forebrain’s sensory control center, located on the top of brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla.

Reticular formation

A nerve network that travels through the brainstem into the thalamus; it filters information and plays an important role in controlling arousal.

Cerebellum

The hindbrain’s “little brain” at the rear of the brainstem; its functions include processing sensory input, coordinating movement output and balance, and enabling nonverbal learning and memory.

Limbic system

Neural system located mostly in the forebrain—below the cerebral hemispheres—that includes the amygdala, hypothalamus, hippocampus, thalamus, and pituitary gland; associated with emotions and drives.

Amygdala

Two lima-bean-sized neural clusters in the limbic system that are linked to emotion.

Hypothalamus

A limbic system neural structure lying below the thalamus; it directs several maintenance activities, helps govern the endocrine system, and is linked to emotion and reward.

Hippocampus

A neural central in the limbic system that helps process explicit memories—of facts and events—for storage.

Cerebral Cortex

The intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the forebrain’s cerebral hemispheres; the body’s ultimate control and information processing center.

Frontal Lobes

The portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead. They enable linguistic processing, muscle movements, higher order thinking, and executive functioning.

Parietal lobes

The portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; it receives sensory input for touch and body position.

Occipital lobes

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

Temporal lobes

The portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears, it includes the auditory areas, each of which receives information primarily from the opposite ear. They also enable language processing.

Motor cortex

A cerebral cortex area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary moments.

Somatosensory cortex

A cerebral cortex area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations.

Association areas

Areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in the primary motor or sensory functions, but rather are involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking.

Neurogenesis

The formation of new neurons

Corpus callosum

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

Roger Sperry

Psychologist who discovered that human beings are of two minds or the idea that that the human brain has specialized functions on the right and left.

Michael Gazzaniga

Psychologist whose research had been instrumental in understanding the distinct roles of the left and right hemispheres.

Split Brain

A condition resulting from surgery that separates the brain’s two hemispheres by cutting the fibers.