Biological Psychology Unit 1 Vocabulary Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering foundational concepts, nervous system divisions, brain structures, cell types, potentials, and neural mechanisms from Lectures 1A and 1B.

Mind-brain problem

The question of how mental experiences relate to the physical brain and body.

Monism

Mind and brain are aspects of one underlying reality; mental activity depends on physical brain activity. Cue: one reality.

Dualism

Mind and body are fundamentally different kinds of things that interact. Cue: two substances.

Pluralism

Reality cannot be explained by only one or two fundamental kinds of things; multiple levels or kinds may be needed. Cue: many.

Nature vs. nurture

Behavior and brain development reflect interacting genetic/biological influences and environmental experience.

Consciousness

Awareness of oneself and the environment; its relationship to brain activity is part of the mind-brain problem.

Chromosome

A DNA-containing structure made of many genes.

Gene

A segment of DNA that contributes instructions for making functional products, commonly proteins.

DNA

Genetic material using adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine. DNA is transcribed into RNA.

RNA

Uses adenine, guanine, cytosine, and uracil and helps direct protein production.

Enzyme

A catalyst that speeds a chemical reaction.

Genetic influence

Inherited variation can shape brain structure, function, and vulnerability; genes do not operate separately from environment.

Environmental influence

Experience changes the brain. Enriched environments support development; deprivation can harm it.

Evolutionary psychology

Examines characteristics and behaviors in terms of how selection may have favored traits that promoted survival or reproduction.

Physiological explanation

Explains a behavior through present physical mechanisms or structures - the 'where/how now.'

Ontogenic explanation

Explains how a behavior or structure develops across the lifetime - the 'when/how it developed.'

Functional explanation

Explains what adaptive purpose a behavior or structure serves - the 'why.'

Nervous system

The body's communication network, divided into the central and peripheral nervous systems.

Central nervous system (CNS)

Brain and spinal cord. Cue: CNS = command center.

Brain

Processes information and generates responses.

Spinal cord

Connects the brain with the rest of the body; carries sensory input, motor output, and autonomic signals.

Peripheral nervous system (PNS)

All neural structures outside the brain and spinal cord; includes somatic and autonomic systems.

Somatic nervous system

Carries sensory information and controls voluntary skeletal muscles.

Autonomic nervous system

Regulates involuntary organs and glands; includes sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions.

Sympathetic division

Prepares the body for action or 'fight or flight.' Cue: gas pedal.

Parasympathetic division

Promotes energy conservation and maintenance functions - 'rest and digest.' Cue: brake.

Afferent neuron

Carries sensory information toward the CNS. Cue: Afferent Arrives.

Efferent neuron

Carries motor commands away from the CNS. Cue: Efferent Exits.

Anterior / posterior

Toward the front / toward the back.

Dorsal / ventral

Toward the back or top / toward the belly or bottom; exact orientation depends on the neural axis.

Medial / lateral

Toward the midline / toward the side, away from the midline.

Proximal / distal

Closer to / farther from the point of origin or attachment.

Ipsilateral

On the same side of the body or brain.

Contralateral

On opposite sides of the body or brain.

Gray matter

Primarily neuron cell bodies, dendrites, synapses, and unmyelinated portions.

White matter

Primarily bundles of myelinated axons; myelin produces the pale appearance.

Meninges

Three protective membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord; unlike brain tissue, they contain pain receptors.

Dura mater

Tough outer meningeal layer. Cue: dura = durable.

Arachnoid mater

Web-like middle layer.

Pia mater

Delicate inner layer that closely follows the surface of the brain and spinal cord.

Subarachnoid space

Space between arachnoid and pia that contains cerebrospinal fluid.

Ventricles

Interconnected cavities inside the brain that contain cerebrospinal fluid.

Central canal

CSF-filled channel running through the spinal cord.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)

Clear fluid produced mainly by the choroid plexus; cushions the CNS, supplies nutrients, and removes waste. It circulates through ventricles, the central canal, and subarachnoid space.

Hydrocephalus

Abnormal accumulation of CSF that enlarges ventricles and may increase pressure on brain tissue.

Blood-brain barrier

Selective barrier that protects brain tissue by limiting what passes from blood. Oxygen, carbon dioxide, water, and many fat-soluble molecules cross; glucose and other necessities use transport mechanisms. Protection can also make drug delivery difficult.

Meningitis

Infection and inflammation of the meninges.

Meningioma

A tumor arising from the meninges.

Subdural hematoma

Bleeding between the dura and arachnoid, often after head injury.

Stroke

Brain injury caused by interrupted blood flow or bleeding in the brain.

Concussion

A mild traumatic brain injury caused by a blow or rapid acceleration/deceleration that disrupts brain function.

Closed-head injury

Brain injury without penetration of the skull; the brain may strike or twist within the skull.

Lesion

An area of tissue that has been damaged.

Hindbrain

Evolutionarily older region that includes the medulla, pons, and cerebellum.

Medulla

Controls vital involuntary functions such as breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure; connects brain and spinal cord.

Pons

Bridge connecting forebrain and cerebellum; contributes to breathing, sleep, and motor functions.

Cerebellum

Coordination center involved in movement, timing, motor learning, language, and coordination. It is very neuron-dense.

Reticular formation

Network through the brainstem involved in arousal, alertness, attention, and sleep-wake regulation.

Basal ganglia

Group of structures that filter and regulate motor signals. Damage is associated with movement disorders.

Forebrain

The largest brain division in mammals; includes cerebral cortex, thalamus, hypothalamus, basal ganglia, and limbic structures.

Thalamus

Major relay station that routes most sensory information toward the cerebral cortex.

Hypothalamus

Regulates homeostasis and motivated behaviors: feeding, drinking, temperature, sexual behavior, hormones, stress, growth, metabolism, reproduction, lactation, and water/salt balance. Cue: if many body-regulation functions appear, think hypothalamus.

Pituitary gland

Endocrine gland controlled by the hypothalamus; releases hormones affecting growth, metabolism, reproduction, stress responses, lactation, and related functions.

Limbic system

Interconnected structures involved in emotion, memory, motivation, and behavior; coordinates with cortex and basal ganglia.

Hippocampus

Critical for forming and organizing new memories.

Amygdala

Important for emotion, emotional learning, and detecting biologically significant or threatening events.

Corpus callosum

Large bundle of axons connecting the brain's left and right hemispheres.

Cerebral cortex

Outer layer of the cerebrum involved in perception, voluntary action, language, thinking, and other higher functions.

Frontal lobe

Planning, decision-making, inhibition, personality, voluntary motor control, and aspects of language.

Parietal lobe

Processes body sensations including touch and spatial/body information.

Occipital lobe

Primary cortical region for vision.

Temporal lobe

Auditory processing, language, object recognition, and memory-related functions.

Motor cortex

Frontal-lobe strip controlling voluntary movement.

Somatosensory cortex

Parietal-lobe strip receiving touch and body-sensation information.

Brain specialization

Different tasks activate different networks; specialization does not mean only one tiny region performs an entire complex behavior.

Sleep

Supports attention, mood, memory, and safety. Deprivation can cause irritability, mood swings, poor concentration and memory, errors, accidents, weight gain, and microsleeps.

Nutrition

The brain requires steady fuel and nutrients; glucose metabolism depends on oxygen.

Exercise

Supports vascular health and can improve executive function and brain activity.

Social connection

Supports learning and stress management; loneliness can contribute to mental distress.

Substance/head-injury prevention

Avoid neurotoxic substance exposure and protect the head from injury.

Neuron

Specialized cell that receives, integrates, and transmits information.

Cell membrane

Selective boundary that separates intracellular fluid from extracellular fluid and contains receptors, pumps, and ion channels.

Nucleus

Contains DNA and regulates cellular activity.

Mitochondria

Generate cellular energy. They are maternally inherited and are crucial because the brain has high energy demands.

Ribosome

Cell structure that produces proteins.

Endoplasmic reticulum

Membrane network involved in producing and transporting materials within the cell.

Dendrites

Branching structures that receive input from other cells.

Cell body / soma

Contains the nucleus and integrates many incoming signals.

Axon hillock

Trigger zone where summed graded potentials can reach threshold and initiate an action potential.

Axon

Conducts action potentials away from the cell body.

Myelin

Fatty insulation around axons that speeds conduction.

Node of Ranvier

Gap between myelin segments where the action potential is regenerated.

Presynaptic terminal / terminal button

Axon ending that releases neurotransmitters.

Neurotransmitter

Chemical messenger released by a neuron to influence another cell.

Synapse

Junction where one neuron communicates with another cell.

Local neuron

Neuron without a long axon; communicates through graded changes rather than a traveling axonal action potential.

Glial cell

Non-neuronal nervous-system cell that supports, protects, nourishes, regulates, and insulates neurons; glia are not merely 'glue.'

Oligodendrocyte

Forms myelin around axons in the CNS.

Schwann cell

Forms myelin around axons in the PNS.

Astrocyte

Supports neurons, helps regulate the chemical environment and blood flow, and helps isolate and coordinate synaptic activity.