Psych Unit 1 Test (Brain, Senses, Sleep, etc.)

What is the central nervous system made up of?

Brain and spinal cord

What is the peripheral NS split into?

Autonomic (controls self-regulated action of internal organs and glands) and Somatic (controls voluntary movements of skeletal muscles)

Sympathetic

arousing (gas pedal)

increase in heart rate

decrease in digestion

increase in sugar release by liver

relaxes bladder

increase in epinephrine

Parasympathetic

calming (brake pedal)

stimulates digestion

contracts bladder

slows heart rate

Agonist

encourages neuron firing - mimics neurotransmitter and opens receptor site

Antagonist

discourages neuron firing - blocks reuptake/neurotransmitter from opening receptor site

Neuroplasticity

the brain's ability to change, especially during childhood

Medulla

base of brainstem - controls heartbeat and breathing

Pons

above medulla - controls sleep and helps coordinate movements

Reticular formation

nerve network - controls arousal and filters sensory information

Thalamus

relay station for incoming and outgoing sensory information (EXCEPT SMELL)

I think of it as the two a's in thalamus are passing the baton (the l in thalamus) between one another, like in a relay

Cerebellum

rear of the brain stem - processing sensory input, coordinating movement and balance, nonverbal learning and memory

Amygdala

lima bean sided clusters - linked to emotion, fear, and aggression

aggression begins with A and so does amygdala

Hypothalamus

directs eating, drinking, body temperature

helps govern the endocrine system (hormones) via the pituitary gland

linked to emotion and reward

Hippocampus

small structure with two arms that wrap around the thalamus (blue in picture) - storage for conscious memories

Think of it like you have to remember how to get around a new campus

Cerebral cortex

the intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the cerebral hemispheres

Frontal lobe

speaking, motor movement, judgement, and decision making

Parietal lobe

receives and processes sensory input for touch and body position

Temporal lobe

receives auditory information primarily from opposite ear

Occipital lobe

receives visual information, primarily from opposite visual field

Broca's area

language center located in the left frontal lobe

involved in expressive language

if damaged, you are not able to speak

boca in Spanish means mouth

Wernicke's area

language center located in the left temporal lobe

involved in receptive language

if damaged, can lead to aphasia (inability to understand speech)

Wernicke is German and most people are not able to understand the German language

Circadian Rhythm

the 24-hour cycle of day and night - impacts sleep-wake cycles, temperature, hormonal and digestive cycles

What are the two sleep stages

Non-REM and REM

NREM (Non-REM)

non-rapid eye movement sleep

encompasses all sleep stages except for REM

REM

rapid eye movement sleep

a recurring sleep stage during which vivid dreams commonly occurred

Insomnia

persistent problems in either falling or staying asleep

Narcolepsy

sudden attacks of overwhelming sleepiness, usually lasting less than 5 minutes

Sleep Apnea

stop breathing during sleep

Night terrors

target mostly children who may sit up or walk around, talk incoherently, experience doubled heart and breathing rates, and appear terrified while asleep - seldom wake up during episode and recall little or nothing the next morning

occurs in NREM because you're NOT paralyzed

Cornea

eye's clear protective outer layer covering the pupil and iris

Pupil

small adjustable opening in the center of the eye through which light passes

Iris

a ring of muscle tissue that forms the colored portion of the eye around the pupil and controls the size of the pupil

Retina

the light sensitive inner surface of the eye, containing the receptor rods and cones

Rods

retinal photoreceptors that detect black, white, and gray and are sensitive to movement

Cones

retinal photoreceptors that are concentrated near the center of the retina and function in daylight or in well-lit conditions

Blind spot

the point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye, creating a "blind" spot because no receptor cells (rods or cones) are located there

Color blindness

one in 50 people, usually male, lack functioning red or green-sensitive cones, or sometime both