AP Psych Unit 3

biological psychology

scientific study of how biological processes affect psychological processes

body systems

enable communication and information processing

1. receive info from the previous and other neurons, 2. carry the info down its length, 3. pass the info on to the next neuron in line

how do neurons function?

dendrites, soma, axon, myelin sheath, axon terminals

parts of a neuron

dendrites

receive info and conduct impulses toward the cell body

soma

cell body of the neuron that contain the cell nucleus that keep the cell healthy and functioning

axon

passes messages away from the cell body to other neurons

myelin sheath

protects the axon and speed up the transmission and information

axon terminals

contain neurotransmitters and sends message to the next neurons

action potential

neurons fire an impulse; brief electrical charge that travels down the axon

refractory period

neurons pump and charged ions back outside

resting potential

positively charged ions outside and negative charged ions inside

all or none principal

Refers to the fact that the action potential in the axon occurs either full-blown or not at all.

threshold

level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse

synapse

tiny fluid gaps between the neurons

neurotransmitters

travel across the synapse and latch onto receptor sites on the dendrite of the next neuron

reuptake

the sending neuron reabsorbs the excess neurotransmitters

only receptors that fit their shape

which receptors do neurotransmitters attach to?

excitatory effect

more likely for an action potential

inhibitory effect

less likely for action potential

antagonist

blocks effect of neurotransmitters

agonist

boosts effects of neurotransmitters

nervous system

brain, spinal cord, nerves, sense organs

communication system

what type of system is a nervous system?

sensory information enters the body through the receptor cells in eyes, ears nose etc

step 1 of the neural chain

sensory neurons

carry info to the brain and spinal cord

Interneurons

in the brain and processes the sensory information and decides what to do next

motor neurons

receive commands from the brain and react

spinal reflex

A simple automatic action of the spinal cord not requiring involvement of the brain, such as the knee-jerk reflex

central nervous system

brain and spinal cord, most processing in the brain and the spinal cord is the main pathway and interneurons make it up

peripheral nervous system

outside the brain and spinal cord where all the sensory and motor nerves connect the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body

somatic nervous system

the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's skeletal muscles
- motor nerves activate muscles

autonomic nervous system

the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs such as bp and digestive process

sympathetic nervous system

the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations

which nervous system is responsible for fight or flight

sympathetic nervous system

parasympathetic nervous system

the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy

endocrine system

a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream

hormones

Chemical messengers, mostly those manufactured by the endocrine glands, that are produced in one tissue and affect another and circulate the blood

pituitary gland

master gland and controls other hormones

Hypothalamus

what controls the pituitary gland?

Acetylcholine (ACh)

enables muscle action

Dopamine

influences movement learning, attention and excitement to do something new

serotonin

affects overall mood

Norepinephrine

helps control alertness and arousal

GABA

inhibitory neurotransmitter (less likely for action potential to take place)

Glutamate

A major excitatory neurotransmitter; involved in memory

thyroid

metabolism and energy levels

pancreas

regulates level of sugar in the blood

case study

how did most people study the brain back then?

lesion

destroy tiny parts of the brain and examine the effects

EEG

amplified recording of waves of electrical brain activity and used to study sleep

CT Scan

xray photo taken to reveal damage to the brain
- cheaper and doesnt show fine detail

PET scan

a visual display of the brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task

MRI

uses a magnetic field and radio waves to produce images of a soft tissue
- more detail and more expensive

Functional MRI (fMRI)

shows brain function as well as structure by detecting the blood flow

brainstem

Connects the brain and spinal cord

Medula

the base of the brainstem; controls basic life support

pons

coordinate facial movement

reticular formation

wakefulness and arousal
- if there is damage you will be in coma

thalamus

acts as a sensory switch board and directs messages to the sensory receiving areas except smell

cerebellum

controls voluntary movement and balance and makes it possible to smoothly complete tasks
-nonverbal learning or memory

the limbic system

ring of structure at the boarder of the brainstem

hypothalamus, hippocampus, amygdala

parts of the limbic system

hypothalamus

regulates hunger and thirst, fight or flight reaction to stress, sexual desire and body temperature

hippocampus

Helps process new memories for permanent storage

Amygdala

controls emotional responses especially fear and anger

cerebal cortex

wrinkled outer surface and intricate fabric of interconnected neurons

gilal cells

support, nourish, and protect neurons
- role in learning/memory

frontal lobes

just behind the forehead and helps with judgment, thinking and planning

parietal lobes

body sensations (touch, pressure, temperature)

somatosensory cortex

area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations

occipital lobe

visual processing back of the head

the left

if the right occipital lobe is used it is seen by what eye?

temporal lobe

auditory processing

the left

if the right temporal lobe is used what ear processes the info?

back of the frontal lobe

where is the motor cortex located?

motor cortex

controls movement

areas requiring the most precise control

what takes up the most space in the motor cortex

somatosensory cortex

registers and processes body sensations

front edge of the parietal lobe

where is the somatosensory cortex located?

areas that are more sensitive

what takes up the most space in the somatosensory cortext?

association areas

areas of the cerebral cortex that are composed of neurons that help provide sense and meaning to information registered in the cortex

Phineas Gage

railroad worker with an iron rod that blasted through his head and his personality changed because of damage to frontal lobes

Plasticity

the brain's ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience

plasticity

a deaf person having better peripheral vision is an example of what

neurogenesis

the formation of new neurons in the brain

Michael Gazzaniga and Roger Sperry

who created the split brain?

corpus callosum

what separates the two hemispheres of the brain?

recognizing faces, solving problems involving spatial relationships, making associations inference, and artistic activities

right hemisphere

center for language, speaking, writing, reading, and mathematical computation

left hemisphere

left frontal lobe

where is broncas area?

left temporal lobe

where is wernickes area

expressive language

function of broncas area?

receptive language

function of wenickes area?

sleep

a periodic natural loss of unconsciousness

circadian rhythm

biological 24 hour clock

age and experience

what alters the circadian rhythm?

temperature, hormones, and digestive system

what does the circadian rhythm impact

alpha waves

the relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake state

Nrem

non rapid eye movement