AP Psychology Unit 1

frontal lobe

accounts for personality, thinking, judgement, emotional responses

Broca’s area

speaking and language processing center in frontal lobe

motor cortex

controls specialized movements of the face and limbs in frontal lobe

parietal lobe

spatial orientation and reasoning, mathematical reasoning

somatosensory cortex

registers and processes bodily sensations, front of parietal lobe

occipital lobe

processes vision

temporal lobe

auditory processing

wernicke’s area

language processing, hearing and seeing, part of temporal lobe

thalamus

receive info from all senses but smell and directs it to the somatosensory cortex

hypothalamus

regulates motivated behaviors, interacts with amygdala and pituitary gland

pituitary gland

produces and releases hormones, important in endocrine system

pineal gland

keeps track of biological cycles and rhythms

hippocampus

transforms info from short term to long term memory

amygdala

attaches emotional significance to stimuli

basal ganglia

controls posture and locomotion

pons

plays a role in sleep and dreams

medulla

controls vital functions

reticular formation

runs through brain stem, filters incoming sensory information during sleep

cerebellum

coordinates gross motor movements, muscle memory

epigenetics

study of molecular mechanisms by which environments can influence genetic expression

central nervous system

brain and spinal cord

peripheral nervous system

sensory and motor neurons that connect CNS to the rest of the body

nerves

bundles axons that connect CNS to muscles and sensory organs

sensory neurons

neurons that carry info from tissues and sensory receptors to CNS

motor neurons

neurons that carry info from CNS to PNS

interneurons

neurons in CNS that communicate internally and process info between sensory inputs and motor outputs

somatic nervous system

controls skeletal muscles and voluntary movements, part of PNS

autonomic nervous system

controls involuntary movements, part of PNS

sympathetic nervous system

arouses body, mobilizes energy, part of ANS

parasympathetic nervous system

calms the body, conserves energy, part of ANS

dendrites

neuron’s bushy extensions that receive and integrate messages, conducting impulses

axon

segmented neuron extension that passes messages through its branches

myelin sheath

covers axon, helps speed neural impulses

action potential

neural impulse, brief electrical charge

resting potential

negative inside, positive outside

depolarization

loss of charge difference

synapse

junction between axon tip of sending neurons and dendrite or cell body of receiving neuron

neurotransmitters

chemical messengers that cross synaptic gaps

agonist molecules

increases neurotransmitter’s action

antagonist molecules

decreases neurotransmitter’s action

endocrine system

slow chemical communication system, secrete hormones into bloodstream

acetylcholine

enables muscle action, learning, memory

dopamine

influences movement, learning, attention

serotonin

affects mood, hunger, sleep

norepinephrine

controls alertness and arousal

GABA

major inhibitory neurotransmitter

glutamate

major excitatory neurotransmitter

endorphins

influence perception of pain or pleasure

substance P

involved in pain perception and immune response

barbiturates

depress central nervous system

neuroplasticity

ability to change by reorganizing after damage

lesion

tissue destruction

optogenetics

control activity of individual neurons

neurogenesis

formation of new neurons