AP Psych Unit 2 Modules 12-14 Vocab Quiz

i didn't type this, i just copied from other quizlets, so sorry for any errors.

Cerebral cortex

The intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the cerebral hemispheres.

Glial cells

Cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons. Also plays a role in learning or thinking

Frontal lobes

Laying behind forehead. Involves speaking and muscle movement and in makinplans/ judgments

Parietal lobes

Lying at the top of the head in the back.

Areas that receive sensory input for touch and body position

Occipital lobes

Lying at the back of head bottom .

Includes areas that receive information from the visual fields

Temporal lobes

Roughly above ears. (Temples)

Auditory areas

Motor cortex

An area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements.

Somatosensory cortex

Are at the front of the parietal lobes.

Registers and processes body touch and movement sensations.

Association areas

Areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor sensory functions.

Involved in higher mental functions such are learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking

Plasticity

The brains ability to change

Neurogenesis

The formation of new neurons

Broca area

Located in the left frontal lobe LEFT FRONTAL LOBE. DAMAGE TO THIS AREA RESULTS IN DIFFICULTY WITH SPOKEN LANGUAGE

Wernicke’s area

the language area that is responsible for comprehending spoken word as well as formulating written and spoken language.

Lateralization

the fact each brain hemishphere has dif functions

corpus callosum

the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them

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

consciousness

our awareness of ourselves and our environment

cognitive neuroscience

the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking, memory, and language)

dual processing

the principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks

blindsight

a condition in which a person can respond to a visual stimulus without consciously experiencing it

parallel processing

the processing of many aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain's natural mode of information processing for many functions, including vision. Contrasts with the step-by-step (serial) processing of most computers and of conscious problem solving.

sequential processing

the processing of one aspect of a problem at a time; used when we focus attention on new or complex tasks

behavior genetics

study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior

Environment

every external influence, form the prenatal nutrition to the people and things around us

Chromosomes

- 23 from mom, 23 from dad
- threadlike structures made of DNA molecules that contain the genes

DNA

complex molecule containing the genetic information that makes up the chromosomes

Genes

biochemical units of heredity that make up the chromosomes; segments of DNA capable of synthesizing proteins

Genome

complete instructions for making an organism, consisting of all genetic material in that organism's chromosomes

Identical Twins

• twins who develop form a single fertilized egg that splits in two, creating two genetically identical organisms

• genetically identical

• they don't always have the same number of copies of genes--why one twin may be more at risk of an illness

• if they had separate placenta, one twin may receive better nourishment

Fraternal Twins

• who develop form separate fertilized eggs

• genetically no closer than brothers and sisters, but share fetal environment

Biological Vs. Adoptive Relatives

• people who grow up together, biologically related or not, do not much resemble one another in personality

• in extraversion and agreeableness, adoptees are more similar to their biological parents than to their adoptive parents.

the environment shared by a family's children has virtually no discernible impact on their personalities

Molecular Genetics

sub field of biology that studies the molecular structure and function of genes

Molecular Behavior Genetics

to find some of the many genes that toegether orchestrate traits such as body weight, sexual orientation, and etc.

Heritability

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

• may vary,depending on the range of populations and environments studied

• differences among people are attributed to genes

• variation among people; "we can never say what percentage of an individual's personality or intelligence is inherited

Gene-Environment Interaction

• our shared biology enables our developed diversity

• nature vs.nurture

Interact

interplay that occurs when the effect of one factor depends on another factor (environment with heredity)

Epigenetics

• genes can either be active (expressed, as the hot water activated the tea bag) or inactive

• study of environmental influences on gene expression that occur without a DNA change

Epigenetic Mark

• organic methyl molecule attached to part of a DNA strand

• instructs the cell to ignore any gene present in that DNA segment, preventing the DNA from producing coded proteins by that gene

Cerebrum

body’s contorl and info processing center.

Left brain functions

speech and language, logical analysis and reasoning, mathematical computations

Right brain functions

spatial awareness, intuition, facial recognition, visual imagery, music awareness, art, rhythm