Chapter 2 Psch 100

Biological psychologists

Psychologists who study how the brain, nervous system, hormones, and genes influence behavior.

Occipital lobe

The part of the brain mainly responsible for vision.

Medulla

A brainstem structure that controls automatic functions such as breathing and heart rate.

MRI

A scan that uses magnets to create detailed images of brain structure.

Neuroplasticity

The brain's ability to change and reorganize itself.

Phrenology

An outdated belief that skull shape could reveal personality and mental abilities.

Prefrontal lobe

The front part of the frontal lobe involved in planning, judgment, and decision-making.

Temporal lobe

A brain region involved in hearing, language, and memory.

fMRI

A scan that shows brain activity by measuring changes in blood flow.

Neuron

A nerve cell that sends and receives information.

Association cortex

Brain areas involved in higher-level functions such as thinking, memory, and language.

Hindbrain

The lower brain region that controls basic survival functions and movement.

Motor cortex

The brain area that controls voluntary movement.

Cell body

The part of a neuron containing the nucleus and keeping the cell alive.

Somatosensory cortex

The brain area that processes touch and body sensations.

Midbrain

A brain region involved in movement, attention, and sensory processing.

Dendrites

Branches of a neuron that receive messages from other cells.

Thalamus

A brain structure that sends most sensory information to the cerebral cortex.

Forebrain

The largest brain region involved in thinking, emotion, memory, and sensory processing.

Axon

The long part of a neuron that carries messages away from the cell body.

Myelin

A fatty covering around axons that speeds up nerve signals.

Glia cells

Cells that support, protect, and nourish neurons.

Cerebellum

A brain structure involved in balance, coordination, and movement.

Action potential

An electrical signal that travels down a neuron's axon.

Amygdala

A brain structure involved in emotion, especially fear and aggression.

Limbic system

A group of brain structures involved in emotion, motivation, and memory.

Threshold

The minimum stimulation needed for a neuron to fire.

Refractory period

A short time after firing when a neuron cannot immediately fire again.

All-or-none response

A neuron either fires completely or does not fire at all.

Frontal lobe

The brain lobe involved in planning, movement, judgment, and personality.

Synapse

The tiny gap between neurons where communication occurs.

Neurotransmitters

Chemicals that carry messages between neurons.

Cerebral cortex

The brain's outer layer responsible for complex thinking and processing.

Reuptake

The process of a sending neuron taking neurotransmitters back in.

Reticular formation

A brainstem network involved in alertness and arousal.

Endorphins

Natural chemicals that reduce pain and can produce pleasure.

Agonists

Substances that increase or copy the effects of a neurotransmitter.

Hypothalamus

A brain structure that regulates hunger, thirst, body temperature, and hormones.

Antagonists

Substances that block or reduce the effects of neurotransmitters.

Spinal cord

A bundle of nerves connecting the brain to the rest of the body.

Nervous system

The body's communication system made of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves.

Central nervous system

The brain and spinal cord.

Sensory neurons

Neurons that carry information from the senses to the brain and spinal cord.

Motor neurons

Neurons that carry commands from the brain and spinal cord to muscles and glands.

Interneurons

Neurons that communicate between other neurons in the brain and spinal cord.

Somatic nervous system

The system controlling voluntary movement of skeletal muscles.

Autonomic nervous system

The system controlling automatic body functions.

Sympathetic nervous system

The system that activates the body during stress or emergencies.

Split brains

A condition where communication between the brain's hemispheres is reduced because the corpus callosum is cut.

Parasympathetic nervous system

The system that calms the body and conserves energy.

Reflexes

Fast automatic responses to stimuli.

Hormones

Chemical messengers released into the bloodstream by glands.

Neurogenesis

The creation of new neurons.

Adrenal gland

A gland that releases stress hormones such as adrenaline.

Corpus callosum

A bundle of nerve fibers connecting the left and right cerebral hemispheres.

Pituitary gland

A gland that controls many other endocrine glands.

How do nerve cells communicate with other nerve cells?

An electrical signal travels down the axon and causes neurotransmitters to cross the synapse and bind to the next neuron.

What is the brain/tool analogy?

Different brain areas are like different tools because each is specialized for certain jobs, but they work together.

What is plasticity?

The brain's ability to change, reorganize, and form new connections.

What is a possible outcome that happens if the brain is damaged?

Other brain areas may sometimes reorganize and take over some lost functions.

Explain what role each structure of the brain stem does.

The medulla controls breathing and heart rate, the pons helps with sleep and movement, and the reticular formation controls alertness.

What is the role of the myelin sheath?

It insulates the axon and makes nerve signals travel faster.

Explain the generally distinct roles of the hindbrain, midbrain, and forebrain.

The hindbrain controls basic survival functions, the midbrain helps with movement and attention, and the forebrain handles complex thought, emotion, and memory.

What tasks can be performed due to the hypothalamus?

It helps regulate hunger, thirst, temperature, sexual behavior, and hormone release.

What is the purpose of the hippocampus?

It helps form and organize new memories.

What role does the endocrine system play in the body?

It releases hormones that regulate growth, stress, metabolism, reproduction, and other body functions.

What are the differences between the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems?

The sympathetic system activates the body during stress, while the parasympathetic system calms the body afterward.

Generally, what are the different functions of the two cerebral hemispheres?

The left hemisphere is often more involved in language and analytical tasks, while the right is often more involved in spatial and visual processing.

What does it mean when we say a neuron fires?

It means the neuron produces an action potential that travels down its axon.

What structures are in the limbic system? What are its primary functions?

It includes structures such as the amygdala, hippocampus, and hypothalamus and is involved in emotion, motivation, and memory.

Who is Phineas Gage and what is he famous for?

He was a railroad worker who survived severe frontal-lobe damage and showed major personality changes, showing that the frontal lobe affects personality and behavior.