AP Psych vocab quiz unit 1A

Heredity

The passing of traits from parents to offspring

Evolutionary Perspective

perspective that focuses on the biological bases of the universal mental characteristics that all humans share

Natural Selection

Individuals that have certain traits tend to reproduce and survive longer than those who don't

Eugenics

science that focuses on improving hereditary qualities

Central Nervous System

consists of the brain and spinal cord

somatic nervous system

the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's skeletal muscles

Peripheral nervous system

The part of the nervous system outside the brain and spinal cord.

Autonomic nervous system

The part of the peripheral nervous system that controls involuntary bodily functions.

Sympathetic nervous system

The division of the autonomic nervous system that prepares the body for fight or flight responses. (FIGHT OR FLIGHT)

Parasympathetic nervous system

The division of the autonomic nervous system that conserves energy and restores the body to a calm state. (REST and DIGEST)

Glial cells

cells that support, nourish, and protect neurons

Reflex arc

The neural pathway that mediates a reflex action.

Sensory neurons

Nerve cells that transmit sensory information to the central nervous system.

Motor neurons

Nerve cells that carry signals from the central nervous system to muscles to produce movement.

Interneurons

Neurons that connect sensory and motor neurons within the central nervous system.

All-or Nothing principle

The principle stating that a neuron either fires completely or does not fire at all.

Depolarization

A neuron's membrane potential becomes less negative or more positive.

Refractory Period

state of recovery after a neuron fires an action potential

resting potential

the stable electrical charge difference

reuptake

neurotransmitters are taken back into the synaptic vesicles of a neuron

multiple sclerosis

body's immune system attacks and destroys the myelin sheath

myasthenia gravis

body produces antibodies that block the acetylcholine receptor

dopamine

neurotransmitter that regulates movement, motivation, pleasure, and emotional responses

serotonin

neurotransmitter that regulates mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal.

norepinephrine

neurotransmitter that regulates functions related to the body's fight or flight response

glucamate

excitatory neurotransmitter that sends signals between nerve cells

GABA

inhibitory neurotransmitter that decreases the responsiveness of a neuron

endorphins

inhibitory neurotransmitter that blocks/reduce the transmission of pain signals, and can promote feelings of pleasure

acetylcholine

excitatory neurotransmitter that activates muscle action in the body

substance P

involved in pain perception and immune response

leptin

hormone that suppresses hunger

ghrelin

hormone that stimulates hunger

melatonin

hormone that is involved in sleep

oxytocin

stimulates the uterus during contractions

agonist

mimics or facilitate the activity of a neurotransmitter

antagonists

blocks or prevents the activity of a neurotransmitter

stimulants

drugs that temporarily excite the CNS and arouses body functions

depressants

drugs that calm neural activity and slows the body functions

hallucinogens

distort perceptions and evoke sensation without sensory input

medulla

regulates breathing, circulation, and digestion

reticular activating system

nerve network that controls arousal, sleep cycles, wakefulness, and the ability to focus.

cerebellum

helps coordinate voluntary movement and balance

cerebral cortex

responsible for higher level functions such as memory, language, and consciousness.

limbic system

includes structures that control emotion, memory, and motivation

thalamus

functions as the information relay station

hypothalamus

regulates the endocrine system and helps maintain homeostasis

pituitary gland

regulates endocrine system and produces GH (growth hormone)

hippocampus

responsible for forming new memories and storing them in the long-term

amygdala

integrates emotion with sensory signals and links them to memories

corpus callosum

bundle of fibers that connect the left and right hemisphere's

occipital lobes

processes visual information received from the opposite visual field

parietal lobes

processes sensations of touch and assembles sensory information

temporal lobes

responsible for processing auditory information, understanding and producing language, memory formation, and facial recognition

frontal lobes

responsible for higher order thinking and creates our human personality.

association areas

responsible for the coordination and interpretation of information

somatosensory cortex

registers and processes body touch and movement sensations

motor cortex

controls voluntary movements

broca's area/ aphasia

inability to produce speech

wernicke's area/ aphasia

inability to comprehend speech

brain plasticity

The capacity for the brain to alter its structure and function.

EEG (electroencephalogram)

Measures electrical activity in the brain.

fMRI (functional MRI)

scan that reveals blood flow identifying brain function.

left hemisphere

responsible for language, math, and logic

right hemisphere

responsible for visual-spatial processing

NREM 1

light sleep, alpha & theta waves, easily woken

NREM 2

sleep spindles

NREM 3

deep sleep theta waves

REM

rapid eye movement sleep

circadian rhythm

the biological clock of the the body that regulates bodily rhythms

hypnogogic sensations

sensations of falling or floating

REM rebound

tendency for REM sleep to increase after a REM sleep deprivation

insomnia

problems in falling or staying asleep

REM sleep behavior disorder

a sleep disorder where the sleeper acts out their dreams.

sleep apnea

a disorder in which the person stops breathing for brief periods while asleep

narcolepsy

uncontrollable sleep attacks

Somnambulism

condition of sleepwalking

activation-synthesis theory

brain tries to interpret random brain activity during sleep by integrating the activity with stored memories