Chapter 2 Psychology in Everyday Life

Biological Psychologist

Study the links between our biology and our behavior.

Neurons

A nerve cell; The building block of the nervous system.

Dendrite

Receive messages from other cells and conducts them towards the cells body.

Axon

They send out messages to other neurons, muscle or gland away from the cell body.

Action Potentials

The messages the neurons carry "nerve impulse"

Glial Cells "glue cells"

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

Synapse

Space between the axon tip of a sending neuron and the dentri our cell body of a new neuron.

Threshold

Level of stimulation to trigger a neural response (action potential)

All-or-none response

A neuron's response of either firing a full strength action potential or not firing at all

Neurotransmitters

Neuron-produce chemical messages that cross synapses to carry the message to other neuron or cells.

Opiate

Chemical such as; morphine or heroin, that depresses neural activity, temporarily lessening pain and anxiety (elevates mood and ease pain.)

Endorphins

"morphine with in"- natural, opiate-like neurotransmitters link to pain control and pleasure.

Nervous System

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

Central Nervous System

The brain and spinal cord

Peripheral Nervous System

The sensory and motor neurons connecting the central nervous system to the rest of the body.

Nerves

Electrical cables form of bundles of axons. Connecting the central nervous system with muscles, glands, and sense organs.

Sensory Neuron

Carry messages from your body's tissues and sensory receptors inward to your spinal cor and brain for processing.

Motor Neuron

Carry instructions from your central nervous system out to your body's muscles and glands.

Interneuron

Neurons with in the brain and spinal cord: communicate internally and process information between sensory inputs and motor outputs.

Somatic Nervous System

Peripheral nervous system division controlling the body's skeletal muscles. Also called the skeletal nervous system.

Automatic Nervous System

Peripheral nervous system division controlling the glands and the muscles of the internal organs (such as the heart) Its sympathetic subdivision arouses; its parasympathetic subdivision calms.

Sympathetic Nervous System

arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations.

Parasympathetic Nervous System

calms the body, conserving its energy.

Reflex

a simple automatic response to a sensory stimulus, such as the knee-jerk response.

Brainstem

The oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; responsible for aromatic survival functions.

Medulla

the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing

Ponds

helps coordinate movement.

Thalamus

Area at the top of the brainstem; directs sensory messages to the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla.

Reticular Formation

Nerve network running through the brainstem and thalamus; plays an important role in controlling arousal.

Cerebellum

"little brain" help judge time, sounds, textures and controls your emotions. ordinates voluntary movement and helps your balance. is at the rear of the brainstem

Limbic System

Lies between the oldest and newest brain areas meaning boarder. (it includes the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalmus.) link to emotions and drives for sex or food.

Amygdala

two lime-beans size neural clusters in the limbic system; enables aggression and fear

Hypothalamus

a neural structure lying below the thalmus; maintains activities (eating drinking body temperature), help govern the endocrine system via the pituitary glad, and is linked to emotion and reward.

Cerebral Cortex

Thin layer of interconnected neurons covering the cerebral hemisphere; the body's ultimate control and information processing.

Frontal lobes

Portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgments.

Parietal lobes

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

Occipital lobes

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

Temporal Lobes

Potion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes areas that receive information from the ear.

Motor Cortex

Cerebral cortex area at the rear of the frontal lobe; control voluntary movements.

Somatosensory cortex

Cerebral cortex are at the front of the parietal lobes; registers and process body touch and movements sensation

Hallucination

False sensory experience, such as hearing something in the absence of an external auditory stimulus.

Association Areas

Cerebral cortex areas involved primarily in higher mental functions, such as learning, remembering thinking and speaking.