AG - AP PSYCHOLOGY UNIT 1 VOCAB

UNIT 1 VOCAB (52 TERMS)

Dendrites

Receive signals from other cells.

Soma

Cell body; keeps neuron alive.

Axon

Passes signals away from soma.

Myelin Sheath

Fatty layer; speeds up signal.

Nodes of Ranvier

Gaps in myelin; signal jumps across.

Terminal Buttons

Ends of axon; release neurotransmitters.

Synapse

Gap between neurons.

Resting Potential

Neuron at rest (negatively charged inside, -70 mV).

Threshold

Minimum stimulation needed to fire (approx. -55 mV).

Action Potential

Electrical impulse traveling down axon.

All-or-None Response

Neuron fires completely or not at all.

Refractory Period

Pause after firing; neuron resets.

Reuptake

Unused neurotransmitters reabsorbed by sending neuron.

Acetylcholine (ACh)

Movement, memory. (Deficit = Alzheimer's)

Dopamine

Reward, movement. (Excess = Schizophrenia, Deficit = Parkinson's)

Serotonin

Mood, sleep. (Deficit = Depression)

Norepinephrine

Alertness, fight-or-flight.

GABA

Main inhibitory (calming) chemical.

Glutamate

Main excitatory (active) chemical.

Endorphins

Natural pain relief.

Agonist

Mimics neurotransmitter (triggers response).

Antagonist

Blocks neurotransmitter (prevents response).

Central Nervous System (CNS)

Brain + Spinal Cord.

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

Connects CNS to body.

Somatic Nervous System

Voluntary muscle movements.

Autonomic Nervous System

Involuntary functions (heart, organs).

Sympathetic Nervous System

Fight or Flight (arouses body).

Parasympathetic Nervous System

Rest and Digest (calms body).

Endocrine System

Glands releasing hormones into bloodstream (slow).

Pituitary Gland

"Master gland"; controls growth and other glands.

Medulla

Survival functions (heartbeat, breathing).

Pons

Sleep, movement coordination.

Reticular Formation

Alertness, arousal.

Thalamus

Sensory router (all senses except smell).

Cerebellum

Balance, motor coordination, implicit memory.

Amygdala

Fear and aggression.

Hypothalamus

Drives (hunger, thirst, sex); controls pituitary.

Hippocampus

Forms new long-term memories.

Cerebral Cortex

Outer layer; high-level thinking.

Frontal Lobes

Decisions, planning, personality.

Motor Cortex

Voluntary movement.

Broca’s Area

Speech production (left frontal).

Parietal Lobes

Touch sensations.

Somatosensory Cortex

Touch processing.

Occipital Lobes

Vision.

Temporal Lobes

Hearing.

Wernicke’s Area

Speech comprehension (left temporal).

Neuroplasticity

Brain's ability to adapt or rewire.

Neurogenesis

Formation of new neurons.

Corpus Callosum

Axon bridge between brain hemispheres.

Split Brain

Severed corpus callosum. (Left visual field -> Right brain; Right visual field -> Left brain/Speech).

Heritability

Percent of variation in a population due to genes.