Unit 1 Psych Notes

Nervous System

Body’s communication network

Central Nervous System

Brain and spinal cord

Peripheral Nervous System

All nerves outside the brain and spinal cord

Autonomic Nervous System

Regulates involuntary functions (autonomic → automatic)

Sympathetic Nervous System

Activates fight or flight preparing body for danger/action (s = stress)

Parasympathetic Nervous System

Promotes relaxation and restores body to calm state (a parachute slows you down)

Somatic Nervous System

Controls voluntary movements and sends sensory info from body to central nervous system

Electroencephalogram “EEG”

Records electrical activity of brain by placing electrodes on scalp

CT (CAT) Scan

X-ray photo

PET Scan

Displays brain activity by detecting radioactive glucose

MRI

Magnetic field that gives a detailed picture of the brains soft tissues

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)

Measures brain activity by detecting changes in blood flow and oxygen levels

Lesion

Specific tissue destruction

Lesioning

Studying brain function by intentionally damaging or destroying specific areas of the brain in experimental animals

Evolutionary Perspective

Study of how psychological traitors and behaviors have evolved over time to enhance survival and reproductive success

Natural Selection

Traits that are better suited for the government and more likely to survive and reproduce are passed down generations

Nature “Genes”

Biologically and genetic factors that influence a persons psychological development, traits, behaviors and cognitive abilities

Nurture “Environment”

Environmental influences and experiences that shape a persons psychological development, behaviors and cognitive abilities

Heredity

Genetic info passed down from parents to children

Heritability

Helps us figure out how much of our Graig has come from genes and how much comes from environment

Genetic Predisposition

Inherited likelihood of developing specific traits or conditions due to genetic factors from parents (alcoholism)

Eugenics

BAD - Belief in improving genetic qualities of the population by controlling reproduction to increase desirable traits and decrease undesirable ones (forced sterilization, selective breeding)

Neurons

Basic building block of the nervous system

Sensory Neurons

Sends sensory info (from things like skin, muscles, organs) to the central nervous system

Afferent

Brings info to brain

Efferent

Takes messages from brain

Interneurons

Serve as connectors in the central nervous system sending signals between sensory neurons and motor neurons

Motor Neurons

Sends signals from the central nervous system to muscles, glands and organs controlling voluntary and involuntary movements (tells the muscles to move)

Dentrites

Receive chemical messages and carry them to the cell body (soma)

Axon

Carry electrical signals away from the cell

Myelin Sheath

Layer of fatty cells that protect the axon

Node of Ranvier

Gaps between myelin sheath

Axon Terminals

Contain neurotransmitters (chemicals)

Terminal Buttons

Discharge the neurotransmitters into the synaptic gap

Synapse

The gap between neurons

Mirror Neurons

Brain responds the same when we perform an action and when we see someone doing the same action (it’s why visualization works in sports)

Glial Cells

“Support cells” of the nervous that provide structural support, insulation and nourishment to neurons

Relax Arc

Neural pathway that controls reflex reactions (automatic responses to stimuli without conscious thought)

The Homunculus Mapper

There’s a map of your body surface on your brains cortex

Multiple Sclerosis

Chronic autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system by attacking the myelin sheath causing inflammation and damage

Myasthenia Gravis

Chronic autoimmune that affects the neuromuscular junction by producing antibodies that block or distort the receptors for acetylcholine (neurotransmitter that stimulates muscle contraction)

Neural Transmission

Neurons communicate with each other through electrical and chemical signals

Neural Firing

Fluid of the resting axon has negatively charged ions

Resting Potential

Stable, negative electrical charge that exists across the cell membrane of a neuron when it is not actively transmitting signals (more sodium ions outside, more potassium ions inside)

Depolarization

The inside of the neuron becomes less negative compared to outside due to the arrival of positively charged ions through ion channels in the cell membrane

Threshold

Level of stimulation needed to trigger action potential

Action potential

All or none electrical charge that travels down am axon

All or Nothing Principle

Once a neuron reaches the threshold it will fire an action potential and can’t stop

Refractory Period

Period after an action potential when the neuron is unable to make another action potential

Direction of Impulse

Neuron firing only goes in one direction

Neurotransmitters

Chemical messages that transmit signals between neurons allowing for communication within nervous system

Excitatory Neurotransmitters

Increase the likelihood of an action potential

Presynaptic Neuron

Neuron 1 releases neurotransmitters

Postsynaptic Neuron

Neuron 2 catches neurotransmitters