Gen Psyc Chapter 2

Learning

It is the acquisition of knowledge, values, attitudes, and emotional reactions. It is a long-term change in one's mental representations brought about by an experience.

Principle

universal and timeless laws of nature
fundamental truths that govern our world

Theory

an explanation using an integrated set of principles that organizes observations and predicts behaviors or events

Soma

Responsible for the health and well-being of the neuron

Dendrites

Responsible for receiving messages from other neurons

Axon

Responsible for transmitting messages to other neurons

Myelin Sheath

Helps in the speed and efficiency of transmission of information within the neuron

Synapses

contact points between neurons

Chemical

Kind of energy of information that travels from one neuron to another

Electrical

Kind of energy of transmission of information within a neuron

Neurotransmitters

chemicals that travel across the synapses and stimulate the dendrites or somas of neighboring neurons

10%

Percentage of neurons in the brain

Glial Cells

Majority of cells in the brain

White Matter

Glial Cells

Glial Cell Nutritionist

they control the blood flow to neurons

Glial Cell Doctor

they tend to infections and injuries

Glial Cell clean up crew

they dispose of unwanted brain garbage

hindbrain

part of brain containing medulla, pons, cerebellum
balance and motor behavior

midbrain

part of brain involved in: vision & hearing; attention & consciousness; alerts us to stimuli

forebrain

front and upper portion of the brain; complex activity;

frontal

lobe of brain involved in conscious thinking

parietal

lobe of brain the interprets somasensory information (pain, temperature, pressure)

occipital

back part of the brain involved in interpreting and remembering visual info

temporal

located behind the ears; interpret and remember auditory info; long-term memory

Limbic system

system in forebrain involved with learning, memory, motivation

hippocampus

a neural center located in the limbic system; helps process explicit memories for storage

amygdala

A limbic system structure involved in memory and emotion, particularly fear and aggression.

thalamus

the brain's sensory switchboard, located on top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla

hypothalamus

brain region controlling the pituitary gland

prenatal development

forms 3 chambers; neuron formation & reproduction between 5th - 20th week; majority of neurons we'll ever have is formed here

infancy & early childhood

between 0-3 months, brain triples in size (proliferation of glial cells); synaptogenesis; differentiation; synaptic pruning; myelination

synaptogenesis

formation of synapses

synaptic pruning

the elimination of neurons as the result of nonuse or lack of stimulation

Differentiation

neurons begin specialization

myelination

the formation of a fatty sheath around the axons of a neuron

middle childhood up to adulthood

synaptic pruning; hormones; maturation occurs in this stage

critical periods

times during which certain environmental influences can have an impact on the development of the infant

sensitive periods

times in development when a person is particularly open to certain kinds of experiences

experience-expectant

processes of brain development that seem to anticipate experiences that are universal in all normally developing members of our species

experience-dependent

brain functions that depend on particular, variable experiences and therefore may or may not develop in a particular person