AP Psych unit 1

1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6

Nature

Heredity, passion on of different physical and mental traits from one generation to another

Nurture

Environmental factors, family life, social groups, societal influences

Charles Darwin

How heredity and environment impacted an individual

theory of evolution

evolution happens by natural selection

eugenics

belief in improving the genetic quality of the human population by selectively breeding for desirable traits and discouraging reproduction among the undesired traits

Epigenetics

focuses on how the environment and a person behavior affect a person’s genes and how they work

Plasticity

brains ability to change and adapt as a result of experiences

Central nervous system

consists of brain and spinal cord; sends out orders to the body

Peripheral nervous system

consists of different nerves that branch out from the spine: connect CNS to the body’s organs, muscles

Afferent Neurons (Sensory neurons)

sends signals from sensory receptors to CNS- approaches brain

Efferent neurons (Motor neurons)

Sends signals from CNS to PNS- Exits brain

somatic nervous system (skeletal nervous system)

includes 5 senses and skeletal muscle movements that happen consciously and voluntarily

Autonomic nervous system (sympathetic division and Parasympathetic division)

controls involuntary activities, making sure your heart keeps beating, stomach keeps digesting, and you keep breathing

sympathetic system

mobilizes your body and gets it ready for action (Fight or flight)

parasympathetic system

relaxes the body (sloes heart rates,increases digestion, helps focusing on storing and saving energy)

Galil Cells

Most abundant cells in nervous system used for structure, insulation and communication, and waste transport and forms the basis of the nervous system

Neurons

basic functional unit of the nervous system, they communicate with each other by using electrical impulses and chemical signals

Reflex Arc

Nerve pathway that allows body to respond to stimulus without thinking (sensory neurons, motor neurons, interneurons)

Action potential

when a neuron fires and sends an impulse down the axon

resting potential

the stable electrical charge difference across a cell membrane when the cell is not actively sending signals.

After Action reaction a neuron….

goes through the process of repolarization which brings the neuron back to resting potential

chemical synapses use…

neurotransmitters (Chemical messengers) that send messages through the nervous system

electrical synapses

for messages that need to be sent quickly and immediately

when neurotransmitters are sent they…

diffuse through synaptic gap to deliver their messages

presynaptic terminal

axon terminal of the neuron, which converts the electrical signal to a chemical one and sends neurotransmitters into synaptic gap

Postsynaptic terminal

where neurotransmitters are accepted in dendrite of the receiving neuron

reuptake

process of taking excess neurotransmitters left in the synaptic gap

Excitory neurotransmitters

will increase the likelihood that a neuron will fire an action potential, through the depolarization process in the POSTSYNAPTIC NEURON

inhibiting neurotransmitters

decrease the likelihood that a neuron will fire an action potential which leads to hyperpolarization to occur

hyperpolarization

when the inside of the neuron become more negative, moving the euron father away from its threshold or intensity level needed for action potential

Acetylcholine

enables muscle action, leaning and helps with memory

substance P

helps transmit pain signals from sensory nerves to CNS

dopamine

helps with movement leaning, attention and emotions

serotonin

impacts an individual’s hunger, sleep, arousal, and mood

endorphins

help with pain control and impact an individuals pain tolerance

epinephrine

helps with the body’s response to high emotional situations and helps form memories

norepinephrine

increases your blood pressure, heart rate, alertness, and helps with the body’s flight or fight

glutamate

helps with long term memory and learning

Gaba

helps with sleep movement and slows down nervous system

endocrine system

slower moving, sending hormones through body;s blood to target larger areas of the body, all to help regulate different biological processes

Nervous system

uses neurons to quickly send and deliver messages to localized areas of the body

Agonist drug

increase effectiveness of neurotransmitter

Antagonist drug

decrease effectiveness of neurotransmitter

psychoactive substance

alter individuals perception, consciousness, and mood

Stimulants

excite and promote neural activity- gives energy, reduce appetite, becomes irritable (Caffeine, nicotine, cocaine)

depressants

reduce neural activity in an individual- causes drowsiness, muscle relaxation, lowered breathing, if abused death (Alcohol or sleeping pills)

hallucinogens

cause an individual to sense things that aren’t there, can reduce motivation and lead to panic (Marihuana, peyote, LSD)

opiods

function as a depressant, but have their own category due to their addictive nature- pain relief (morphine, heroin, oxycodone)

Hindbrain

spinal cord; connects the brain to the rest of your body (information highway)

Brainstem

Medulla, pons, midbrain

Medulla

helps with regulation of a person’s cardiovascular respiratory system- takes care of autonomic function

Pons

bridge between different areas of nervous system- connects medulla with cerebellum and helps coordinate movement

midbrain

visual and auditory information- motor control, integrating society, motor pathways

Reticular actuating syste

network of nerve cells bodies and fibers within brain stem (arousal, alertness, sleep wake cycle )

Cerebellum

coordinating voluntary movements, posture and balance, refining motor skills, role in cognitive functions

Frontal lobe

Prefrontal cortex and Motor cortex

Prefrontal cortex

foresight, judgement, speech, and complect thought

Motor cortex

voluntary movement, located in the back of the frontal lobe

left motor cortex

controls right side

right motor cortex

controls left side

broca’s area

left hemisphere, front of motor cortex, helps with language production, particularly in controlling the movements of the muscles involved in speech

Broca’s aphasia

lost inability to produce language

parietal lobe

upper part of your brain right behind frontal lobe- receives sensory information (Touch, pain, temperature, spatial orientation, different senses, processing and organizing)

somatosensory cortex

processing touch, pressure, temperature, and body position

temporal lobe

processes auditory and linguistic information recognizing faces and assists with memory

Amygdala

emotional reactions, fear and anxiety, aggression

auditory cortex

located in the superior temporal gyrus, processes different sounds, allows you to recognize them

wernicke’s area

left temporal lobe, creates speech

Wernicke’s aphasia

lost ability to create speech

occipital lobe

responsible for processing information

primary visual cortex

what receives input from eyes, recognizes objects, understanding spacial relationships, perceiving depth, movement

thalamus

receives sensory information from sensory organs for everything expect sense of smell, relays information to appropriate areas of cerebral cortex for processing

limbic system

emotions, learning, memory, basic drives (amygdala, hippocampus, thalmus, etc)

hypothalamus

helps keep body balances, allows one to have homeostasis, what controls drives (thirst, hunger, temperature, sex), works with pituitary gland to regulate and control hormones

Pituitary gland (master gland)

produces and releases hormones that regulate body functions and controls endocrine glands

brain lateralization

differing functions between left and right hemispheres (division of labor between 2 hemispheres)

Left hemispheres (Brocas and wenickes area)

words, letters, interpreting language

right hemisphere

spatial concepts, facial recognition, discerning direction

split brain procedure

cuts the callosum, which connects left and right hemispheres (Helps treat severe eplispsy)

cortex specitatization

allows researchers to understand how different areas of cerebral cortex are specialized for specific functions

lesion studies

doctors and researchers destroy specific parts of the brain to gain insight into different functions of brain

EEG

electrodes are placed in individuals scalp which allows researchers to record electrical signs form neurons firing

FMRI

similar to MRI but shows metabolic functions, can help better understand brain activity

Conscious

Awareness of ourselves and out environment

wakefullness

aware of surrondings, can think, feel, react

sleep

not fully aware but brain is till active can process sounds or sensations

cognitive neuroscience

studies how brain activity is linked with cognition

circadian rhythm

biological clock that changes blood pressure, internal temperature, hormones, regulating sleep wake cycle

NREM stage 1

light sleep, 5-10 minutes (alpha waves) body starts to relax and your mind starts to slow

NREM stage 2

lasts 10- 20 minutes (Theta waves) K complexes and sleep spindles which burst of neural activity

NREM stage 3

deep sleep 30 minutes (Delta waves) growth hormones are produced, may experience sleepwalking or sleep talking

REM (rapid eye movement)

(Beta Waves) lates 10 minutes, external muscles= paralyzed, internal muscles= active, person may experience dreams or nightmares

REM Deprivation

REM rebound, next sleep they will enter REM sleep quickly and spend more time in rem

Hypnagogic sensations

occur in NREM stage 1; experiences sensations that you imagine are real

Activation- synthesis theory

dreams are the way of making sense of random neural activity during sleep

consolidation theory

dreams help process and strengthen our memory and experiences

restoration theory

Dreams help process and strengthen our memories and experiences

Restoration theory

we sleep because we get tired from daily activities and sleep to restore energy and resources

insomina

sleep disorder where individual has trouble falling and slaying asleep

sleep apena

individual had a hard time falling and staying asleep due to trouble breathing