AP Psychology: Unit Two Vocabulary

Refractory Period

the period immediately following the firing of a nerve fiber when it cannot be stimulated no matter how great a stimulus is applied. It takes up the neurotransmitters just fired

Acetylcholine (ACh)

enables muscle action. This is the messenger at every junction between a motor neuron and skeletal muscle. important for memory. An under supply is linked to Alzheimer's disease

Action Potential

a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon. At this point the neuron has been depolarized

Afferent neurons (SAME)

Sensory neurons that collect messages from sense organs and carry that to the spinal cord and brain

Agonists

excite neurons

All or nothing law

The principle that either a neuron is sufficiently stimulated and an action potential occurs or a neuron is not sufficiently stimulated and an action potential does not occur, rest period

antagonists

inhibit the actions of neurotransmitters

automatic nervous system

serves basic life functions

Axon

the extension of a neuron, ending in branching terminal fibers, through which messages pass to other neurons or to muscles or glands

Broca's area

speech production

Central Nervous System

consists of the brain and spinal cord

Dendrite receptors

receive messages from other neurons

Depolarized neuron

The neuron has fired a neural impulse that races down the length of the axon. When this happens positively charged ions flow into the neuron and negatively charged ions exit the neuron

Dopamine

involved in a wide variety of behaviors and emotions; important for regulation of mood, motivation, and reward. Dopamine regulates pleasure and rewards centers of our brain both of which are critical to our feeling of love and addictions. Too much of dopamine can lead to schizophrenia

Efferent neurons (SAME)

Motor neurons that carry messages from the spinal cord to the muscle or glands. The motor cortex responds and sends the movement command

Endorphins

inhibits pain. Released during strenuous exercise. "Runners High"

GABA

a major inhibitory neurotransmitter

Glail cells

support cells found in the nervous system

Glutamate

major excitatory neurotransmitter

interneurons

association neurons that carry messages from neuron to the other

Limbic system

neural system (including the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus) located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions and drives

Myelin Sheath

covers the axon of some neurons and helps speed neural impulses

neural placticity

The brain's capacity for modification. It is referred as the brains ability to change for the better or worse throughout life

neurogenesis

Parasympathetic nervous system

Calms the body down and maintains energy

Peripheral nervous system

the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body. Contains the somatic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system

Polarized Neuron

When a neuron is at the resting potential it is like a charged battery or a compressed spring ready to fire(work)

post-synaptic neuron

the neuron on the receiving end of the synapse

postsynaptic potential (PSP)

Refers to the change in electrical change on the receiving neuron

Presynaptic neuron

neuron that sends the signal

Reflex

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

Serotonin

involved in a wide array of behaviors- affects mood, hunger, sleep, arousal, including aggression. An under supply is linked to depression

SSRI

selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor

Somatic Nervous System

Conveys sensory information to the central nervous system and sends motor messages to muscles

Synapse

refers to the terminal button of one neuron

Synaptic cleft

The narrow gap that separates the presynaptic neuron from the postsynaptic cell

Synaptic vesicles

Tiny pouches or sacs in the axon terminals that contain chemicals called neurotransmitters

Terminal Buttons

knoblike structures that branch out from an axon

Wernicke's area

language comprehension

Norepinephrine

helps control alertness and arousal-involved in bipolar and anxiety disorders- an under supply is implicated in depression-also plays a part in stress responses

Phineas Gage

railroad worker who survived a severe brain injury that dramatically changed his personality and behavior; case played a role in the development of the understanding of the localization of brain function

Pituitary Gland

Master Gland

Thyroid

Regulates body's metabolism. Controls energy levels and alertness. Weight control

Pineal Gland

Involved in the sleep wake cycle and secretes melatonin

Pancreas

Regulates the level of sugar in the blood. Too much leads to diabetes

Gonads

sex glands

Adrenal Gland

Stimulated by autonomic nervous system. Affects body reaction to stress

Lateralization

is the idea of how the left and right hemisphere of the brain serve different purposes

Split brain

a condition resulting from surgery that isolates the brain's two hemispheres by cutting the fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) connecting them

Left hemisphere function

Responsible for control of the right side of the body, and is the more academic and logical side of the brain. language

Corpus callosum

a broad band of nerve fibers joining the two hemispheres of the brain

heritability

the proportion of variation among individuals that we can attribute to genes

Right Brain

excels in visual and Spatial task, especially non verbal imagery. Pictures, music, and face recognition. Memory for shapes. Prefers open ended questions. Free with feelings

Left Brain

Excels in speaking and writing. Understanding spontaneous responses. Identifying spoken and printed words. Broca's and Wernickie's area(Language). Memory for words and numbers. More analytical, logical, rational, and sequential

Right Frontal Lobe

Control of negative emotions, more easily stressed, more easily upset by unpleasant thigns, more suspicious, more often depressed

Left frontal lobe

Control of positive emotions, more cheerful, sociable, enthusiastic, self-confident

How does the brain process language

The left hemisphere processes what is said while the right processes how it was said

How did Phineas Gage's personality change?

Physically he was unchanged. He had lost all respect for social conventions. "Gage was no longer Gage"

sympathetic nervous system

Readies the body to respond to threat. Flight or Fight

Primary Motor Cortex

Key role in voluntary movement- coordination and initiation of motor movement. The area in the frontal love that sends messages to muscles and glands

primary somatosensory cortex (parietal lobe)

area of the parietal lobe where messages from the sense receptors are registered

Medulla

Part of the brain stem responsible for breathing, heartbeat, and other vital life function

Reticular Formation

Helps screen incoming sensory information and arouses the cortex. Regulation of the brains level of awareness-turned down during sleep

Pons

Part of the brain stem most closely associated with breathing and respiratory rhythms

Thalamus

Major sensory relay center- relay sensory messages to the cortex-except for smell

Cerebral Cortex

The outer surface to the two hemispheres that regulates most complex behaviors

Amygdala

involved in aggression, fear, and learning. Major part of the limbic system involved in processing emotions

Hypothalamus

Portions govern hunger, thirst, sexual drive, body temp, pleasure, oxytocin, and terror

Cerebellum

Supports non verbal learning and procedural memories

Auditory Cortex (Temporal lobe)

the area of the temporal lobe responsible for processing sound information

Olfactory Bulb

the first brain structure to pick up smell information from the nose

Visual Cortex (occipital lobe)

The visual processing areas of cortex in the occipital and temporal lobes

Hippocampus

Important role in the formation of new long term memories

Spinal Cord

Pathway for neural fibers-inter neurons-traveling to and from the brain

Frontal Lobe

coordinates messages from the other cerebral lobes. Motor controls, speech production, high functions

Temporal Lobe

Important role in perception and object and face recognition. Involved in complex visual tasks, balance, and some emotional control

occipital lobe

Especially important regarding visual perception interpretation. Primary visual area of the brain for reception and processing of visual information

Parietal Lobe

Processes attentional awareness-spatial mapping. Involved in manipulating objects and representing numbers

Nodes of Ranvier

Where the Myelin Sheath is pinched. Helps the electrical charge of a neuron go faster

Dendrites

Branchlike parts of a neuron that are specialized to receive information

Neuron

a specialized cell transmitting nerve impulses; a nerve cell