AP Psychology Unit 1

Epigenetics

the study of how enviornment influences genetic expression

Twin Studies

examines siblings who grew up in a shared, or differing, environment to determine how nature vs nurture affects our development

Central Nervous System

includes the brain and spinal cord and is the body’s decision maker

Peripheral Nervous System

Gathers info and transmits CNS decisions to other body parts; includes autonomic and somatic nervous systems

Autonomic Nervous System

Part of Peripheral and controls self-regulated action of internal organs and glands

Somatic Nervous System

part of Peripheral and enables voluntary control of our skeletal muscles

Sympathetic Nervous System

the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy “fight or flight response”, accelerates heartbeat, dialates pupils, slows digestion

Parasympathetic Nervous System

The division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving it energy. Slows heartbeat, allows blood flow, stimulates digestion, etc.

Motor neurons

neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands. they allow movement

Sensory Neurons

neurons that carry incoming information from the body’s tissues and sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord for processing

interneurons

neurons within the brain and spinal cord; they only communicate internally and process information between the sensory inputs and motor outputs. “middle man”

Reflex Arch

neural pathway that controls a rapid response to a stimulus. Doesnt involve the brain

Cell body/soma

part of a neuron that contains the nucleus; the cells life support center

Dendrite

A neurons branching extensions that receive and integrate messages, conducting impulses toward the cell body.

axon

the segmented neuron extension that passes messages through its branches to other neurons or to muscles or glands

Axon terminal

forms junctions with the other cells, transmitting signals from a neuron to other cells by releasing chemical messengers called neurotransmitters

Myelin Sheath

A fatty tissue layer segmentally encasing the axons or some neurons; enables vastly greater transmission speed as neural impulses hop from one mode to the next

Glial Cell

provide scaffolding on which the nerbous system is built on. help neruons line up closely, transport nutrients and waste

action potential

a breif electrical charge that travels down an axon. This si the impulse a neuron fires to send a message. Tempory in flow of positive ions caused by depolarization

Resting potential

when fluid outside an axons membrane is positively charged and the interior had mostly negative charge

refractory period

a brief resting pause that occurs after a neuron has fired, subsequent action potentials cannot occur until it returns to resting state

ACH

a neurotransmitter that enables muscle action, learning and memory. Too little can lead to muscle weakness or Alzheimers disease

Dopamine

a neurotransmitter that contributes to pleasurable experiences, motivation, and coordinarion/initiation of movement.Too much can lead to schizophrenia while too little can lead to Parkinson’s

Seratonin

neurotransmitter that affects mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal. Too little is linked with depression and anxiety and trouble sleeping

Norepinephrine

Neurotrasnmittter involved in promoting wakefullness, and a flight or fight response.

GABA

neurotransmitter that reduces brain activity. too much leads to drowsiness, over supply linked to seizures

Glutamate

an excitarory neurotransmitter involved in learning and memory. too much leads to migraines and seizures

endorphins

neurotransmitter that influences perception of pain.

adrenaline

fight or flight hormone

ghrelin

stimulates hunger and increases food uptake

leptin

regulates energy balance by inhibiting hunger

melatonin

regulates sleep wake cycle

oxytocin

increases trust and bonding

agonists

increase a neurotransmitters action/production, or mimic that neurotransmitter to have the same effect

antagonist

inhibit neurotransmitters, block production

hallucinogens

distort perceptions of reality and make fake images. Marihuana, LSD, ecstasy

depressants

calm neural activity and slow body functions, alcohol, barbituates, opioids

stimulants

excite neural activity, caffeine, nicotine, cocaine,

opioids

depress neural functioning, pleasure replaces pain, heroin, narcotics, morphine, fetanyl

neuroplasticity

brains ability to change, especially during childhood, allows you to build new pathways and grow different brain areas based on experience

Lesion

tissue destruction to get rid of defective brain cell clusters

EEG

recording of waves of electrical activty in brain, show where signlas in brain go

Functional MRI

show brain structure and function, shows blood flow to different brain parts, reveals brain activty

forebrain

manages complex cognitive abilities, sensory and associative functions and voluntary motor activties. Incl cerebral cortex, thalamus, hypothalamus

Midbrain

on top of brainstem, transmits audiotory and visual information, is teh bridge

Hindbrain

directs survival functions like breathing, sleeping, coordination, etc

brainstem

responsible for automatic survival functions

Medulla

hindbrain, brainstems base, controls heartbeat and breathing

reticular formation

nerve network that controls arousal and alertness, wakes you up

cerebellum

coordinating movement and balance, sarah balances on a beam

Thalamus

forebrain sensory control center, directs messages

Pituitary gland

tells the other glands what to do, secretes hormones

limbic system

neural system in the firevraub that is associated with emotions and drives memory formation

Hypothalamus

limbic system structure that is responsible for five f’s…. fight, flight, feeding, fahrenheit, fornication, directs activties

Hippocampus

part of limbic system involved in making memories and learning

amygdala

part of limbic system linked to emotion, enables agression and fear, angry amy

corpus callosum

axons fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres that enables communication

occipital lobe

areas in back of head that recieve information from visual fields

visual cortex

recieves all visual information

temporal lobe

includes audiotory areas abd recieves information from the opposite ear

wernickes area

responsible for speech comprehension, understanding spoken and written langauge

parietal lobe

recieves sensory information for touch and body position

somasensory cortex

registers and processes touch and movement

frontal lobe

enables lingusitic processing, higher order thinking, movement, etc

motor cortex

directs voluntary and purposefull movement

prefrontal cortex

enables judgement, planning, higher order thinking, oversees executive functioing

broca’s area

plays a role in speech production, on the physical side

executive functioning

management sustem that helps you plan, focus, multitask or remember instructions

neurogenesis

formation of new neurons that help maintain plasticity

aphasia

communictaion disorder caused by damage to brains langaueg areas that makes it difficult to understand or produce language