AP Psych Unit 2

brain plasticity

The capacity for the brain to alter its structure and function.

endocrine system

glands secrete hormones into bloodstream to communicate

hypothalamus

brain region controlling the pituitary gland

pituitary gland

regulates all other glands

pineal gland

secretes melatonin

thyroid

regulates metabolism

adrenal gland

releases adrenaline and cortisol

pancreas

produces insulin

ovary

produce estrogen and progesterone

testes

produce testosterone

adrenaline hormone

flight or fight response

oxytocin hormone

powerful uterine contractions, ejects milk during nursing

cortisol hormone

stress hormone

testosterone hormone

sexual arousal and competition

estrogen hormone

sexual desires and reproduction

leptin hormone

suppresses appetite (lean)

ghrelin hormone

increases hunger (grr)

melatonin hormone

sleep

nervous system

speedy electrochemical communication system

CNS

controls brain and spinal cord

PNS

bundle of nerves that transmits info from brain -\> body and backwards

two parts of PNS

somatic nervous system and autonomic nervous system

somatic nervous system

voluntary movements

autonomic nervous system

involuntary movements

parts of the autonomic nervous system

sympathetic and parasympathetic

sympathetic nervous system

fight or flight

parasympathetic nervous system

calms body down after sympathetic does its job

glial cells (glia)

glue that protect neurons

dendrites

branches receive messages from other cells

soma

cell body

axon

carries impulses away from the cell body

myelin sheath

covers the axon speeds neural impulses

axon terminal

The endpoint of a neuron where neurotransmitters are stored

nodes of ranvier

promote action potential

afferent neurons

sensory neurons that are sent to the brain

efferent neurons

motor neurons that sends info from brain to body

mirror neurons

activated when watching others

refractory period

a period of inactivity after a neuron has fired

Neurotransmitters

chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons

inhibitory neurotransmitters

inhibit the next cell from firing

excitatory neurotransmitters

excite the next cell into firing

acetylcholine

calms body

dopamine

how we feel pleasure

serotonin

Affects mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal

endorphin

pain reduction

epinephrine

adrenaline

norepinephrine

helps control alertness and arousal

glutamate

excitatory neurotransmitter

gaba

inhibitory neurotransmitter

agonist

mimics neurotransmitter and fires

antagonist

blocks neurotransmitter from firing

hindbrain

medulla, pons, cerebellum

medulla

controls heartbeat and breathing

pons

relays information from the cerebellum to the rest of the brain

cerebellum

balance and coordination

reticular formation

arousal and alertness - in brainstem

limbic system

hypothalamus, amygdala, hippocampus

amygdala

emotion

hippocampus

memory formation

thalamus

mails signals from the body to the brain

frontal lobe

thinking, memory, behavior, movement

motor cortex

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

Broca's area

needed to talk

parietal lobe

receives sensory input for touch and body position

somatosensory cortex

where signals from skin are sent

occipital lobe

visual perception

primary visual cortex

processes visual information

temporal lobe

processes auditory info

auditory cortex

process hearing

Wernicke's area

language comprehension (temporal lobe)

corpus callosum

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

left hemisphere of brain

logic, thinking, language

right hemisphere of brain

visual processing, facial recognition, emotion

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

record of the electrical activity of the brain

pet scan

inject glucose into subject and scanners pick up brain activity

magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

use radio waves and magnetic fields of the body to produce detailed images of the brain

fMRI

mri + pet scan love child -\> measures oxygen frp, blood flow

psychoactive drugs

chemicals that affect the central nervous system and alter activity in the brain

depressants

reduce neural activity and slow body functions

opioids

pain relievers and depressant effect

stimulants

excite neural activity and speed up body functions

hallucinogens

provoke hallucinations

4 stages of sleep

NREM-1, NREM-2, NREM-3, REM

NREM-1

naps - alpha waves - 5-10 min

NREM-2

harder to waken - theta waves - 10-20 min

NREM-3

deepest sleep - delta waves

REM

brain activity increases again

how many times does the sleep cycle repeat

4-5 per night

restoration theory of sleep

The body wears out during the day, and thus, sleep is necessary to put it back into shape.

adaptive theory of sleep

evolutionary approach - sleep protects us

sleep disorders

insomnia, narcolepsy, sleep apnea, night terrors

insomnia

cant sleep

narcolepsy

uncontrollable sleep attacks - rare

sleep apnea

a disorder in which the person stops breathing for brief periods while asleep

night terrors

episodes of screaming, intense fear and flailing while still asleep

conscious level

The level at which mental activities that people are normally aware of occur

nonconscious level

body processes controlled by your mind that we are not aware of (heartbeat, respiration, and digestion)

preconscious level

memories and stored knowledge

subconscious level

information that we are not consciously aware of but we know must exist due to behavior - ex: priming, mere-exposure affect

unconscious level

a level of mental activity that influences consciousness but is not conscious