Video Flashcards: Psychology Concepts (Heredity, Environment, and Brain)

50 vocabulary flashcards covering key psychology concepts from the lecture notes.

Psychology

Scientific study of the human mind and its functions.

Nature

Biological/genetic factors that shape behavior and traits.

Nurture

Environmental influences on behavior and development.

Evolutionary psychology

Study of how natural selection has shaped mental processes and behavior.

Natural selection

Process by which favorable traits become common in a population.

Adaptation

A trait that improves an organism's fit to its environment.

Mutation

Random genetic change that introduces new variation.

Behavior genetics

Field studying genetic and environmental influences on behavior.

Heredity

Genetic transmission of traits from parents to offspring.

Genome

Complete set of an organism's genetic material.

Genes

DNA segments that store and pass genetic information.

Monozygotic twins

Identical twins from a single fertilized egg that splits.

Dizygotic twins

Fraternal twins from two separate eggs.

Epigenetics

Environment's influence on gene expression without changing DNA.

Nervous system

Body's network of cells and nerves transmitting messages to and from the brain.

Central nervous system

Brain and spinal cord; processes information.

Peripheral nervous system

Nerves outside the CNS connecting it to the body.

Autonomic nervous system

Div of the PNS controlling involuntary functions like heart rate and digestion.

Somatic nervous system

Div of the PNS controlling voluntary muscles and sensory input.

Sympathetic nervous system

Arouses the body in stress ('fight or flight').

Parasympathetic nervous system

Promotes rest and digestion; conserves energy.

Afferent neurons

Sensory neurons carrying information toward the CNS.

Efferent neurons

Motor neurons carrying commands from the CNS to muscles and glands.

Interneurons

Neurons that connect afferent and efferent neurons within the CNS.

Reflexes

Involuntary, rapid responses to stimuli.

Neuron

Fundamental cell of the nervous system that transmits signals.

Dendrite

Part of a neuron that receives signals from other neurons.

Soma

Cell body; integrates signals and generates nerve impulses.

Axon

Long fiber that transmits impulses away from the cell body.

Axon terminals

End of the axon that releases neurotransmitters into the synapse.

Myelin sheath

Fatty insulation speeding transmission along the axon.

Nodes of Ranvier

Gaps in myelin where conduction leaps from node to node.

Schwann cells

Glial cells in the PNS that produce the myelin sheath.

Glial cells

Supportive cells that nourish, insulate, and remove waste for neurons.

Action potential

Brief electrical impulse that travels along the neuron.

Threshold

Level of stimulation required to trigger an action potential.

Resting potential

Neuron's baseline electrical charge when not firing.

Refractory period

Brief period after firing when a neuron is less responsive.

All-or-none principle

Neurons fire fully or not at all when threshold is reached.

Neurotransmitters

Chemical messengers released at synapses to affect neurons.

Synapse

Gap between neurons where communication occurs.

Reuptake

Process by which neurotransmitters are reabsorbed into the presynaptic neuron.

Excitatory neurotransmitters

Increase the likelihood of the postsynaptic neuron firing.

Inhibitory neurotransmitters

Decrease the likelihood of the postsynaptic neuron firing.

Acetylcholine (ACh)

Learning, memory, muscle contraction, and attention.

Dopamine

Reward, motivation, and motor control; linked to Parkinson's, addiction.

Serotonin

Mood regulation; sleep, appetite, memory, and arousal.

Norepinephrine

Arousal and the fight-or-flight response; mood and attention.

GABA

Primary inhibitory neurotransmitter; reduces neuronal excitability.

Glutamate

Primary excitatory neurotransmitter; important for learning and memory.