Unit 2 AP Psychology Test

"Everything psychological is biological"

It means that everything that happens in our mind is the result of a biological event

cell body (soma)

contains the nucleus and is needed to keep the cell alive

neuron

a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system.

dendrites

branching extensions of a neuron that receive messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body.

axon

the neuron extension that passes, electrical messages through its branches to other neurons or to muscles or glands.

myelin sheath

the fatty tissue layer segmentally encasing the axons of some neurons; increases transmission speed and provides insulation

Axon terminal

the end of an axon that transmit messages to other cells

action potential CHECK NOTES

a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon.

refractory period

a period of inactivity after a neuron has fired.

threshold

the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse.

sodium-potassium pump

???

all-or-nothing response

a neuron's reaction of either firing or not firing.

synapse

the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron.The tiny gap at this junction is called the synaptic gap or synaptic cleft.

neurotransmitters

chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons.

What is reuptake?

a neurotransmitter's reabsorption by the sending neuron.

endorphins?

neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure.

Acetylcholine (ACh)

• Enables muscle action, learning, and memory

• deteriorates with Alzheimer's

Dopamine

• influences movement, learning, attention, and emotion.

• Too much leads to schizophrenia

Serotonin

• Affects mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal

• Undersupply: depression

Norepinephrine

helps control alertness and arousal; undersupply can depress mood

GABA

A major inhibitory neurotransmitter. Undersupply linked to seizures, tremors, and insomnia.

Glutamate

A major excitatory neurotransmitter; an oversupply can lead to migraines and seizures

excitatory neurotransmitters

excite the next cell into firing

inhibitory neurotransmitters

inhibit the next cell from firing

nervous system

the body's speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells

Central nervous system (CNS)

the brain and the spinal cord

Brain

Comprised of the cortex and subcortical structures carrying out various functions

Peripheral nervous system (PNS)

the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system

Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)

• the part of the peripheral nervous system

• controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs (such as the heart).

• its parasympathetic division calms.

sympathetic nervous system

• arouses the body, mobilizing its energy

• fight, flight or freeze

parasympathetic nervous system

• calms the body, conserving its energy

• rest or digest

somatic nervous system

• controls voluntary movements of your body

• allowing you to do things like walk, and pick up objects

sensory neurons

• contain afferent nerve fibers

• carry information from the sense organs to the CNS

motor neurons

carry messages from the CNS to the muscles and glands

interneurons

receive the information from the sensory neurons and send signals back through motor neurons.

Somatic nervous system

the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's skeletal muscles (skeletal nervous system)

Endocrine system

the body's "slow" chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream

Hormones

chemical messengers that are released into the bloodstream.

Cortisol

stress hormone released by the adrenal cortex

Melatonin

sleep-inducing hormone

Ghrelin

hunger hormone

Adrenal glands

a pair of endocrine glands that sit just above the kidneys and secrete hormones (epinephrine and norepinephrine) that help arouse the body in times of stress

Pituitary gland

• the endocrine system's most influential gland

• under the influence of the hypothalamus, the pituitary regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands

Lesion

tissue destruction. It can occur naturally or experimentally by the caused distruction/remove of brain tissues

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

An amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain's surface. These waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp.

CT (computed tomography) scan

a series of x-ray photographs taken from different angles and combined by computer into a composite representaion of a slice through the body. Aslo called a CAT scan

(PET) Positron emission tomography scan

A visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task.

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)

a TECHNIQUE THAT USES MAGNETIC FIELDS AND RADIO WAVES TO PRODUCE COMPUTER generated images that distinguish among different types of soft tissues.

fMRI (functional MRI)

A technique for revealing bloodflow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. fMRI scans show brain function.

Brainstem

the oldest part and central core of brain. AKA reticular formation, or reticular activating system. In charge of automatic survival functions

Medualla

The base of the brainstem. Controls heartbeat and breathing.

Pons

sleep and arousal

Thalamus

the brains 'sensory switch board' Located at top of brainstem; directs messages to the sensory areas and transmits them to cerebellum and medulla.

Reticular Formation

Plays an important role in controlling arousal.

Cerebellum

"little brain" at the rear of the brainstem; functions including processing sensory input, coordinating movement output and balance, and enabling nonverbal learning and memory.

Limbic system

A system of neural structures at the border of brainstem. Associated with emotions like fear, agression, and drives such as those for food and sex. Includes the Hippocampus, Amygdala and hypothalamus.

Amygdala

2Lima bean sized neural clusters in the limbic system, linked to emotion. Includes rage and fear.

Hippocampus

Limbic system. Learning and memory matcher.

hypothalamous

A neural structure lying below the thalamus, it directs several maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temperature) helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion and reward.

Cerebral cortex

Fabric of interconnected neuron cells. Higher order thinking. Takes meaning and puts it to focus. The body's ultimate control and information-processing center.

Glial Cells

Cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons.

Frontal Lobes

the portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgements.

Parietal lobes

The portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; includes the sensory cortex. Receives sensory input for touch and body position.

Occipital lobes

the portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes the visual areas, which receive visual info from the opposite visual feild.

Temporal lobes

The portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughyl above the ears; includes the auditory areas, each of which revieves aditory info primarily from the opposite end.

motor cortex

an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements.

somatosensory cortex

the area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations.

association areas

areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions; rather, they are involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking

Plasticity

The brain's ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience.

Neurogenesis

Formation of new neurons

Corpus Callosum

Large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them.

Split Brain

A conditioning resulting from surgery that isolates the brain's two hemispheres by cutting the fibers connecting them.

Consciousness

our awareness of ourselves and our environment.

Cognitive Neuroscience

The interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition. (including perception, thinking, memory and language.)

Dual Processing

a phenomenon can occur in two different ways, or as a result of two different processes, The principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks

behavior genetics

the study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior

environment

every nongenetic influence, from prenatal nutrition to the people and things around us, Every nongenetic influence, from prenatal nutrition to the people and things around us.

chromosomes

threadlike structure made of DNA molecules that contain the genes

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)

deoxyribonucleic acid) a complex molecule containing the genetic information that makes up the chromosomes

genes

the biochemical units of heredity that make up the chromosomes; segments of DNA capable of synthesizing a protein

genome

the complete instructions for making an organism, consisting of all the genetic material in that organism's chromosomes

identical twins (monozygotic)

twins who develop from a single fertilized egg that splits in two, creating two genetically identical organisms

fraternal twins (dizygotic)

twins who develop from separate fertilized eggs; no genetically closer than brothers and sisters, but they share a fetal environment

molecular geneticists

subfield of biology that study the molecular structure and function of genes

heritability

the proportion of variation among individuals that we can attribute to genes; this may vary depending on population range and the environment being studied

interaction

the interplay that occurs when the effect of one factor (such as environment) depends on another factor (such as heredity)

epigenetics

The study of environmental influences on gene expression that occur without a DNA change.

evolutionary psychologists

The study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection.

natural selection

the principle that, among range of inherited trait variations, those that lead to increased reproduction and survival will most likely be passed on to succeeding generations

mutations

A random error in gene replication that leads to a change