AP Psychology Test 1

Franz Gall

created pseudoscience of phrenology

corpus callosum

thick band of tissue connecting brain hemispheres, made of axons

phrenology

mapping out personality by head (noggin) features

neurons

nervous system cells that send messages (communicate electrically but chemically between each other)

sensory neurons

register stimulation through 5 senses

interneurons

interpret info, transfer to motor

motor neurons

movement in response

cell body

holds nucleus, controls neurons

axon

tail-like structure covered in myelin sheath (fatty, protects neurons) transfers action potential from cell body to axon terminal

vesicles

at the end of axon, pouch like structures that contain neurotransmitters

neurotransmitters

chemical messages released from one neuron and absorbed by others and translate into specific behaviors, 250 in the human body

acetylcholine

must be released for muscle contraction, learning/memory

dopamine

fine tuned motor functions, focus/concentration, learning/pleasure (low levels ADHD, high levels schizophrenia)

serotonin

everyday wellbeing (mood), sleep and appetite (low levels depression)

endorphins

painkiller, evolutionary adaptation (painkilling drugs mimic endorphins)

substance P

pain, tells your body to stop something

norepinephrine

alertness, arousal (low levels depressive episodes)

gaba

inhibitory, blocks other neurotransmitters (low levels seizures, tremors, insomnia)

glutamate

exitory, leads to others being released (high levels migraines, seizures)

agonists

increase/mimic effects of a neurotransmitter (ex: stimulants)

antagonists

decreases/blocks effects of neurotransmitters (ex: alcohol, ecstasy)

reuptake

recycling process for neurotransmitters, certain meds block reuptake (ex: Adderall blocks reuptake of dopamine)

neuralplasticity

ability for increased efficiency after practice on a cellular level (dendrites grow closer to axon terminals for ease)

somatic nervous system

skeletal/involuntary, consciously manipulates your body

autonomic nervous system

involuntary, things you can’t control

sympathetic nervous system

part of autonomic system, arousal (ex: pupil dilation, increased heart rate, fight/flight)

parasympathetic nervous system

soothes you (ex: breathing and heart slows, prepares for sleep)

endocrine system

glands releasing hormones

pituitary gland

growth hormones, working during sleep and controlling other glands

thyroid glands

control metabolism

parathyroid glands

regulates calcium

adrenal glands

fight/flight, sympathetic activation

pancreas

regulates blood sugar with insulin

ovaries

releases egg monthly, releases estrogen

lesion

tissue destruction

EEG

measures electrical activity in the brain (action potentials)

PET scan

measures temperature of different areas of the brain indicating the warmer (more active) and colder (less active)

MRI

soft tissue scan

FMRI

works like an MRI and a PET scan

brain stem

medula, tells heart to beat, lungs to breathe, etc.

pons

coordinates movements, alertness/arousal

reticular formation

bundle of nerves running through brain stem and pons, scans sensory info to see if stimulus is important

thalamus

“traffic director” of sensory messages to proper brain area

cerebellum

coordinates motor function, insulates brain stem, muscle memory

hypothalamus

in charge of the endocrine system (metabolism, homeostasis, basic emotions)

limbic system

middle brain/memories and emotions

hippocampus

short term memory, 7 ± 2 pieces of info can be in short term, assembles long term memory

amygdela

assesses stimuli to determine if it’s a threat and if so triggers fear/aggression

cerebral cortex

takes up 1/3 of our brain, 2/3 of neurons in cortex

glial cells

support cells for neurons

occipital lobe

back of brain, visual processing

parietal lobe

sensory cortex

temporal lobe

auditory processing

frontal lobe

motor function (left and right motor cortexes), cognitive abilities

free association areas

within frontal and temporal lobes, no role in motor/sensory function, just cognitive