AP Psychology Unit 2: Brain and Behavior Vocabulary 💡

Brain and Behavior Vocabulary 💡

CT

Computed Tomography (________) Scan: type of scan that uses x- rays to reveal brain damage.

Emission Tomography

Positron ________ (PET) Scan: type of scan that shows brain consumption of chemical fuel, such as glucose.

Brainstem

central trunk of the brain connecting to the spinal cord; consists of the medulla, pons, and midbrain, controlling mostly automatic functions

Medulla

contains the cardiac, respiratory, vomiting and vasomotor centers and therefore deals with the autonomic functions of breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure

Thalamus

large mass of gray matter with several functions such as relaying of sensory and motor signals to the cerebral cortex, and the regulation of consciousness, sleep, and alertness

Hypothalamus

controls body temperature, hunger, important aspects of parenting and attachment behaviors, thirst, fatigue, sleep, and circadian rhythms

Limbic System

set of brain structures that includes the olfactory bulbs, hippocampus, hypothalamus, and amygdala

Hippocampus

important roles in the consolidation of information from short-term memory to long-term memory, and in spatial memory that enables navigation

Olfactory Bulbs

perceive information dealing with olfaction (smell)

Amygdala

primary role in the processing of memory, decision-making, and emotional reactions

Cerebral Cortex

two hemispheres are joined beneath the cortex by the corpus callosum; plays a key role in memory, attention, perception, awareness, thought, language, and consciousness

Pons

deals primarily with sleep, respiration, swallowing, bladder control, hearing, equilibrium, taste, eye movement, facial expressions, facial sensation, and posture

Cerebellum

plays an important role in motor control, and it may also be involved in some cognitive functions such as attention and language as well as in regulating fear and pleasure responses

Motor Cortex

the region of the cerebral cortex involved in the planning, control, and execution of voluntary movements

Somatosensory Cortex

middle of parietal lobe, deals with sensory information (soft, hot, cold, etc.)

Corpus Callosum

white matter at the center of the brain connecting the two hemispheres of the cerebral cortex

Frontal Lobe

lobe dealing with speaking, planning, logic, personality, abstract thinking, problem solving

Occipital Lobe

lobe dealing with vision

Temporal Lobe

lobe dealing with audition (hearing)

Central Nervous System

nervous system that runs through the spine and neck, relaying all messages to the brain

Peripheral Nervous System

nervous system that covers the rest of your body beyond the spine to the extremities of your body and its tissues

Somatic Nervous System

nervous system, in two parts, that controls voluntary movement and sensory neurons

Autonomic Nervous System

nervous system that maintains heartbeat, breathing, and organs

Sympathetic Nervous System

nervous system that increases heart rate, breathing, and glucose levels

Parasympathetic Nervous System

nervous system that decreases heart rate, breathing, and glucose levels

Neurons

official name for nerve cells

Dendrite

the part of the nerve cell that receives signals

Axon

the part of the nerve cell that sends signals

Soma

the part of the nerve cell that contains the nucleus, ribosomes, mitochondria, etc

Synapses

the part of the nerve cell that transfers neurochemicals to the next neuron

Reuptake

the part of neurotransmission at the synapse that sends neurochemicals back to the original neuron after activating receptors

Sodium (Na+) ion

the primary ion outside the axons membrane that provides a polarized positive charge

Potassium (K+) ion

the primary ion inside the axons membrane that, along with proteins, provide a polarized negative charge

Neurochemicals

the name for chemicals that cause us to feel happy, sad, alert, etc

Sodium-Potassium Pump

the mechanism that re-polarizes axons by moving ions outside the membrane once the charge has evened

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

type of scan that targets the electrical waves in ones brain, down to a specific stimulus

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scan

type of scan that shows brain consumption of chemical fuel, such as glucose

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Scan

type of scan that puts ones head in a strong magnetic field that aligns spinning electrons of brain molecules, then disorients them with a radio wave; when they return to normal, it gives a detailed picture of the soft tissues

Endocrine System

system that uses the bloodstream and hormones to send messages

Pituitary Gland

the master gland that controls growth and other organs

Thyroid

organ that controls metabolism

Pancreas

organ that manages blood sugar and insulin

Ovaries

organ responsible for sex hormones in women

Testes

organ responsible for sex hormones in men

Adrenal Gland

organ that releases adrenaline in fight or flight situations