IB Psychology: Biological Approach - Brain and Behaviour

Neurotransmitters

Chemical messengers that transmit information from one neuron to another

Neurotransmission

The process of transferring information from one neuron to another at a synapse

Synapse

the junction between two neurons (axon-to-dendrite) or between a neuron and a muscle

Excitatory

Causes next cell to fire

Inhibitory

Keeps next cell from firing

Agonists

drugs that increase the action of a neurotransmitter

Antagonists

drugs that block the function of a neurotransmitter

Serotonin

A neurotransmitter that affects hunger,sleep, arousal, and mood.

Dopamine

A neurotransmitter that regulates motor behavior, motivation, pleasure, and emotional arousal.

Dopaminergic pathway

Ventral tegmental area (VTA)

Midbrain structure where dopamine is produced: associated with mood, reward, and addiction

fMRI

Placebo

harmless medicine with no effect; dummy medicine

Dendrite

Nucleus

Axon

Myelin sheath

Vesicle

Pre-synaptic neuron

Delivers an impulse to another neuron

Post-synaptic neuron

Receives an impulse from another neuron

Receptors

Reuptake

a neurotransmitter's reabsorption by the sending neuron

Action potential

A neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon.

Acetylcholine

A neurotransmitter that enables learning and memory and also triggers muscle contraction

Scopolamine

Blocks the acetylcholine receptor sites

Physostigmine

Breaks down the enzyme acetylcholinesterase which breaks down acetylcholine in the synapse.

t-maze

Hippocampus

A neural center located in the limbic system that helps process declarative memories for storage.

Broca's area

Controls language expression - an area of the frontal lobe, usually in the left hemisphere, that directs the muscle movements involved in speech.

Wernicke's area

Controls language reception - a brain area involved in language comprehension and expression; usually in the left temporal lobe

insula

Part of the brain that plays a role in compassion, empathy, taste, perception, motor control, self-awareness, cognitive functioning and interpersonal relationships.

corpus callosum

A broad band of nerve fibers connecting the two hemispheres of the brain.

Split-brain patient

A patient who has had most or all of his or her corpus callosum severed.

equipotentiality

A theory proposed by Lashley that the effects of damage to the brain are determined by the extent rather than the location of the damage. For example, memory is distributed throughout the brain rather than confined to any specific location.

reductionist

Overly simplifies a complicated human process.

holistic

dealing with something as a whole rather than by its individual parts

Neuron

neuroplasticity

The brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life.

synaptic plasticity

the ability to adjust synaptic connections between neurons

grey matter

dendritic branching

the neurons connecting to create a new trace in the brain.

synaptic pruning

the elimination of neurons as the result of nonuse or lack of stimulation

neurogenesis

formation of new neurons

Localisation of function

The theory that different areas of the brain are responsible for different behaviours, processes or activities.

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