AP PSYCH UNIT 1

Heredity

The passing on of different physical and mental traits from one generation to another

Nature (Heredity)

Our genetics, biology, and heredity, is what shapes us as individuals

Nurture (environment)

How our parents raised us, what peers we had, the amount of education and wealth we had at our disposal, that shapes us as individuals

Charles Darwin

Argued that our behaviors and bodies were shaped through natural selection (known for the Theory of evolution)

Heritability

A mathematical measure to estimate how much variation there is in a population related to genes

reciprocal determinism

Believes that environment, behavior, and the individual can influence and impact each other (another way to think about the environment)

Epigenetics

The study of how the environment and a person’s behavior affect their genes and how they work

Plasticity

The adaptability of the brain to change in response to a person’s experience. This can be done by reorganizing or building new neural pathways

Endocrine system

Glands and organs that make hormones and release them into the blood (slow process)

Hypothalamus

Control the pituitary gland and autonomic (involuntary) functions of the body(eating, drinking, and body temperature)

Pituitary gland

Regulates growth hormone and controls other glands by the release of hormones “master gland of the endocrine system”

Pineal gland

Controls the production of melatonin “sleepy hormone” - regulates sleep cycle

Thyroid gland

Gland in the throat, regulates metabolism and calcium + phosphate in the blood

Parathyroid gland

Gland in throat, a small area of the thyroid gland - involved in control of calcium and phosphate metabolism

Adrenal gland

gland above kidneys, secretes hormones that regulate salt, blood pressure, oxygen intake, increase heart rate, and increase blood flow.

Epinephrine (adrenaline)

Fight or flight hormone - increases heart rate, expands air passages of the lungs, and redistribute blood to muscles

Norepinephrine

Works with epinephrine in the fight or flight response

Pancreas

In the stomach, secretes hormones insulin and glucagon which regulate blood sugar

Gonads

Ovaries or testes. They produce sex hormones (testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone) - able to reproduce

Homeostasis

The regulation of the body’s internal environment. Maintaining a stable temperature, regulating blood sugar, and more

Central nervous system

Brain and spinal cord.

Peripheral nervous system

The nerves outside the central nervous system. Takes messages from the brain(CNS) and sends it to the rest of the body.

Sensory division of the PNS

PNS takes information from your body and sending that information to your brain.

Sensory receptors

Sense organs that are sensitive to stimuli - eyes, ears nose

Motor division of the PNS

PNS takes information from your brain and sending that information to muscles and glands of the body

Somatic nervous system

“Skeleton nervous system” your movement and your 5 senses (sensory and motor)

Autonomic nervous system

Controls involuntary(internal) activities, heart rate, digestion, and more. Divided into sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions

Sympathetic division

(Arousal) - fight or flight response. Dilating the pupils to facilitate vision, increase heart rate, and reducing intestinal activities.

Parasympathetic division

(Calming) - controls rest, repair, enjoyment and saves energy. Decreases heart rate, and stimulates digestion

Glial cells

Supports and helps neurons. Protect them by providing structural support

Cell Body or Soma

Part of the nerve cell. Houses the cells nucleus

Dentrites

Part of the nerve cell. Receives chemical information from other neurons through receptor cites. Sends the information towards cell body through the axon

Axon

Longest part of the neuron. Carries information from the soma out to the axon terminal branches.

Action potential

The message being sent by the neuron through an electrical impulse traveling down the axon (literally an action that happens less than a second)

Myelin sheath

Fatty tissue covering the axon increasing the speed of the action potential travels down the axon.

Synapse(Synaptic Gap)

The junction between the sending neuron and the receiving neuron

Mirror neurons

Neurons in the brain that makes us mirror the actions of another

Resting potential

When the neuron has mostly negative ions inside and positive ions outside. Neuron doesn’t send a signal

Threshold

The minimum intensity of a stimulus that is needed to trigger an action potential

All or none response

A neurons reaction of firing or not firing (dependent if threshold is met)

Refractory period

A short time when no action potentials can occur until the axon is back in its resting state

Dopamine

Influences learning, attention, and emotion. Undersupply can lead to Parkinson’s disease. Oversupply can lead to schizophrenia.

Serotonin

Impacts hunger, sleep, mood. “Feel good chemical” Undersupply can lead to depression. Oversupply can lead to anxiety.

Endorphins

“Morphine like drug” - influence pain or pleasure.

Glutamate

excitatory messages. Helps with long term memory and learning

GABA

Helps with sleep and movement, slows down the nervous system

Excitatory neurotransmitter

Increases the likelihood of a neuron firing an action potential

Inhibitory neurotransmitter

Decreases the likelihood of a neuron firing an action potential