Psych- Brain and Behavior

Neurons

carry information from the senses to the brain (vice versa), activates muscles and glands, and work together to do so

Neuronal transmission

process by which neurons communicate with each other by transmitting electrical and chemical signals

Neurotransmitters

chemicals that allow neurons to communicate with each other throughout the body

Endorphins

chemicals in the brain that act as painkillers and natural mood elevators, relieving pain and reducing stress

Ablation

surgical removal or destruction of brain tissue to study behavior

Limbic system

a complex network of brain structures primarily involved in emotion

Interneurons

a type of neuron located in the CNS that act as intermediates between sensory and motor neuron

Action potential

Brief electrical impulse that travels along the axon of a neuron carrying information to other neurons, muscles, or glands

Hippocampus function

converts short term memory to long term memory

Cerebrum function

controls higher mental functions like conscious perception, learning/memory, and creation of motor command

Cerebral cortex function

outer layer of the brain that plays a crucial role in higher functions like perception, memory, language, and decision-making

What makes up the cerebral cortext?

Broca’s area, prefrontal cotex, parietal lobes, temporal laboes, wernicke’s area, occipital lobes

Hemisphere lateralization

the brains process where the left and right cerebral hemispheres play different roles

Corpus callosum

a large bundle of nerve fibers connecting the left and right cerebral hemispheres

Split-brain operation

surgical procedure that severs the corpus callosum (seizures, epilepsy)

Hypothalamus

maintains homeostasis

Wernicke’s area

found in the left temporal lobe, language site responsible for understanding the meaning of words

Broca’s area

part of the brain responsible for speech production, including the planning of muscle movements for articulation and the formation of grammatically correct sentence

Agnosia

inability to recognize familiar objects, people,, sounds, or other stimuli despite intact sensory functions

Aphasia

a neurological disorder that affects the ability to communicate effectively due to damage to the brain's language areas

Pons function

part of the brain stain responsible for your sleep cycle, breathing, and other unconscious processes

Brain stem

controls essential life functions such as breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure

Cerebellum

controls voluntary movements, posture, coordination, balance

Hemisphere dominance

the specialization of functions between the two hemisphere of the brain, left and right

Brain localization

the concept that specific areas of the brain are responsible for different functions

Neuroplasticity

the brain’s ability to change, adapt, and reorganize its network throughout life in response to experience

Default mode networks 

the mode our brain subconsciously goes into

Hemispherectomy

a surgical procedure that removes one hemisphere of the brain to control severe seizures

Peripheral nervous system

consists of all the nerves outside the CNS connecting the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body

Somatic nervous system

carries messages to and from the sense organs and skeletal muscles (voluntary behavior)

Autonomic nervous system

serves internal organs and glands (automatic/vegetative)

Sympathetic branch

Part of autonomic nervous system that prepares body for action

Parasympathetic branch

quiets the body t a low arousal level

Neuronal pruning

the removal of unnecessary or weak connections between neurons

Phantom limb

a sensation in which a person feels pain or other sensations in a limb that has been amputated or lost

Mirror neurons

a type of brain cells that fires when an individual performs and action and when they observe someone else performing the same action

Empathy

the ability to understand and share the feelings of other (mirror neurons)

Soma

receives messages from other neurons and sends message to axon

Dendrites

receives messages from other neurons

Axon

carries messages through the brain and nervous system

Salutory conduction

process by which nerve impulses jump from gap to gap in the myelin layer

Epinephrine

released by adrenal glands, linked to fear

Norepinephrine

released by adrenal glands, linked to anger

Prefrontal cortex

generates sense of self and emotional awareness

Temporal lobes

where auditory information is registered. memory formation and retrieval

Occipital lobes

portion of cerebral cortex where vision is registered

Medulla

controls vital functions like breathing

Reticular formation

regulates level and alertness and wakefulness, controls blood pressure

Thalamus

final switching station for sensory messages on their way to the cortex

Amygdala

limbic system component associated with anger

Pineal gland

regulates body rhythms and sleep cycles

Pituitary gland

influences growth

Thyroid gland

regulates body’s metabolism

Adrenal glands

secretes hormones for arousal, stress, salt balance, and sex function

Motor cortex

responsible for initiating complex voluntary movements