ap psych unit 1.1

Biological psychology

The scientific study of the links between biological (genetic

Nature-nurture issue

The longstanding controversy over the relative contributions that genes & experience make to the development of psychological traits & behavior

nature and nuture

today's science views traits & behaviors as arising from the interaction of nature & nurture

Natural selection

The principle that the inherited traits enabling an organism to survive & reproduce in a particular environment will (in competition with other trait variations) most likely be passed on to succeeding generations

Evolutionary psychology

The study of the evolution of behavior & the mind

Mutation

A random error in gene replication that leads to a change

Environment

Every nongenetic influence

Heredity

The genetic transfer of characteristics from parents to offspring

Genes

The biochemical units of heredity

Identical (monozygotic) twins

Individuals who developed from a single fertilized egg that split in two

Fraternal (dizygotic) twins

Individuals who developed from separate fertilized eggs

they are genetically no closer than ordinary siblings

but they shared a prenatal environment

Interaction

The interplay that occurs when the effect of one factor (such as environment) depends on another factor (such as heredity)

Nervous system

The body's speedy

Central nervous system (CNS)

The brain & spinal cord

Peripheral nervous system (PNS)

The sensory & motor neurons that connect the central nervous system (CNS) to the rest of the body

Nerves

Bundled axons that form neural cables connecting the CNS with muscles

Sensory neurons

Neurons that carry incoming information from the body's tissues and sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord

Motor neurons

Neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain & spinal cord to the muscles & glands

Interneurons

Neurons within the brain & spinal cord

they communicate internally & process information between the sensory inputs & motor outputs

Somatic nervous system

The division of the PNS that controls the body's skeletal

muscles

also called the skeletal nervous system

Autonomic nervous system

The part of the PNS that controls the glands & muscles of the internal organs (such as the heart)

its sympathetic division arouses

its parasympathetic division calms

Sympathetic nervous system

The division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body

Parasympathetic nervous system

The division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body

Reflex

A simple

Neuron

A nerve cell

the basic building block of the nervous system

Cell body

The part of a neuron that contains the nucleus

the cell's life support center

Dendrites

A neuron's often bushy

Axon

The segmented neuron extension that passes messages through its branches to other neurons or to muscles & glands

Myelin sheath

A fatty tissue layer segmentally encasing the axons of some neurons

it enables vastly greater transmission speed as neural impulses hop from one node to the next

Glial cells (glia)

Cells in the nervous system that support

they may also play a role in learning

thinking

Action potential

A neural impulse

a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon

Threshold

The level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse

Refractory period

In neural processing

subsequent action potentials cannot occur until the axon returns to its resting state

All-or-none response

A neuron's reaction of either firing (with a full strength response) or not firing

Synapse

The junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron & the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron

the tiny gap at this junction is called the synaptic gap or synaptic cleft

Neurotransmitters

Chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gap between neurons

when released by the sending neuron

neurotransmitters travel across the synapse & bind to receptor sites on the receiving neuron

Reuptake

A neurotransmitter's reabsorption by the sending neuron

Endorphins

"Morphine within"

natural

opioid-like neurotransmitters linked to pain control & to pleasure

Agonist

A molecule that increases a neurotransmitter's action

Antagonist

A molecule that inhibits or blocks a neurotransmitter's action

Endocrine system

The body's "slow" chemical communication system

a set of glands & fat tissue that secrete hormones into the bloodstream

Hormones

Chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands

Biopsychosocial approach

An integrated approach that incorporates biological

Levels of analysis The differing complementary views

from biological to psychological to social-cultural

Neuroplasticity

The brain's ability to change

Lesion

Tissue destruction

brain lesions may occur naturally (from disease or trauma)

during surgery

EEG (electroencephalogram)

An amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity sweeping across the brain's surface

these waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp

CT (computed tomography)

scan A series of X-ray photographs taken from different angles & combined by computer into a composite representation of a slice of the brain's structure

PET (positron emission tomography)

A technique for detecting brain activity that displays where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)

A technique that uses magnetic fields & radio waves to produce computer-generated images of soft tissue

MRI scans show brain anatomy

fMRI (functional MRI)

A technique for revealing blood flow &

fMRI scans show brain function as well as structure

Hindbrain

Consists of the medulla

directs essential survival functions

such as breathing

Midbrain

Found atop the brainstem

connects the hindbrain with the forebrain

controls some motor movement

Forebrain

Consists of the cerebral cortex

manages complex cognitive activities

sensory & associative functions

Brainstem

The central core of the brain

the brainstem is responsible for automatic survival function

Medulla

The hindbrain structure that is the brainstem's base

controls heartbeat & breathing

Thalamus

The forebrain's sensory control center

it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex & transmits replies to the cerebellum & medulla

Reticular activating system

A nerve network that travels through the brainstem into the thalamus

it filters information & plays an important role in controlling arousal

Cerebellum

The hindbrain's "little brain" at the rear of the brainstem

its functions include processing sensory input

coordinating movement output & balance

Limbic system

Neural system located mostly in the forebrain - below the cerebral hemispheres - that includes the amygdala

associated with emotions & drives

Amygdala

Two lima bean-sized neural clusters in the limbic system

linked to emotion

Hypothalamus

A limbic system neural structure lying below (hypo) the thalamus

it directs several maintenance activities (eating

drinking

Hippocampus

A neural center in the limbic system that helps process explicit (conscious) memories - of facts & events - for storage

Cerebral cortex

The intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the forebrain's cerebral hemispheres

the body's ultimate control & information-processing center

Frontal lobes

The portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead

they enable linguistic processing

muscle movements

Parietal lobes

The portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head & toward the rear

it receives sensory input for touch & body position