AP Psych | Unit 1

Epigenetics

The environment and genetics play an important role in a person

Interneurons

Central nervous system- the middleman for sensory and motor neurons

Central nervous system

The brain and spinal cord

Peripheral nervous system

Outside brain and spinal cord

Somatic & Autonomic

Somatic nervous system

Voluntary control of muscles, sensory

Autonomic nervous system

Self-regulating actions of internal organs

Sympathetic and parasympathetic

Sympathetic nervous system

Body reaction to fight or flight

Increases heart rate, pupils dilate, etc

Parasympathetic nervous system

Body resetting after sympathetic nervous system activated

Decrease heart rate, slow breathing, etc

Glial cells

Provide nutrients to and protect the mylen sheath of a neuron

Neuron

Specialized cell

Communication

Diagram of a neuron

Know cell body, dendrites, axon, myelin sheath, nucleus, synapse

Neural impulse stages

1. resting potential: polarization

2. depolarization

3. action potential

4. refractory period

Neural pathways

Neurotransmitters flow into synapse and onto receptor sites

Neurotransmitters

Chemical messengers

Excitatory

Encourage neuron to pass the message

Inhibitory

Inhibit neuron from passing the message

Dopamine

Reward based, motivation

Oversupply: hallucinations

Undersupply: depression

Serotonin

Happiness

Oversupply: confusion and agitation

Undersupply: depression

Norepinephrine

Flight or fight; adrenaline on steroids

Oversupply: anxiety, panic attack

Undersupply: low energy, poor concentration

Glutamate

Lock in; focus

Oversupply: excitotoxicity (nerve cells become dangerously overexcited)

Undersupply: impairs cognitive functions

GABA

Relaxed

Oversupply: Drowsiness

Undersupply: Anxiety and insomnia

Endorphins

Pain reliever

Oversupply: suppress pain perception

Undersupply: increased sensitivity

Substance P

Pain

Oversupply: increased pain perception

Undersupply: reduced pain perception

Acetylcholine

Muscle memory

Oversupply: muscle cramps

Undersupply: memory loss

Adrenaline

Fight or flight hormone

Melatonin

Sleep hormone

Ghrelin

Hungry hormone

Leptin

Full hormone

Oxytocin

Love hormone

Agonist

Occupy receptors and activate them

Antagonists

Occupy receptors and block them

Depressants

Slow central nervous system

Depressing, sad

Stimulants

Speed up central nervous system

Jumpy

Opioids

Pain reliever

Hallucinogens

Hallucinate

Cerebral cortex

Outer layer of the brain

Brain plasticity

Brain can heal itself

Left hemisphere

Language

Right hemisphere

Identifying faces

Corpus callosum

Nerve fiber connecting the two hemispheres

Sends messages

Occipital lobe

Vision

Visual association cortex

Recognizes lines and shapes

Temporal lobe

Auditory

Auditory cortex

Sound

Wernicke’s area

Speech comprehension

Fusiform face area

Processes faces

Parietal lobe

Sensory

Somatosensory cortex

Sensations

Frontal lobe

Self awareness, memory, movement, speech

Prefrontal cortex

Self awareness, decision making, planning

Broca’s area

Controls motor function with speech production

Motor cortex

Controls voluntary movement

Medulla

Life sustaining functions

Pons

Acts as a relay station connecting the different parts of the nervous system

Reticular formation/reticular activation system

Network of nerves carrying messages between the brain stem

Cerebellum

Balance

Limbic system

Emotions

Thalamus

Sensory

Hypothalamus

Homeostasis

Pituitary gland

Produces and releases hormones

Hippocampus

Sorting memory

Amygdala

Fear