AP Psychology - Nervous System

Biopsychology

examines the physiological roots of how behavior and thinking are influenced by neurotransmitters

Biopsychologists

examine function of various brain structures and role of genetics as well as mental processes

Nervous System

an extensive network of specialized cells that carry information to and from all parts of the body

Central Nervous System

made up of the brain and spinal cord

Peripheral Nervous System

all the nerves in your body (not part of brain and spinal cord)

Autonomic System

deals with the automatic or involuntary functions

Somatic Nervous System

deals with the voluntary functions

Sensory Pathways

nerves coming from the sensory organs to the CNS consisting of sensory neurons

Motor Pathways

nerves coming from the CNS to the voluntary muscles consisting of motor neurons

sympathetic nervous system

fight or flight response - stressful events/situations
increasing heart rate, dilating pupils, inhibiting digestion, salivation

parasympathetic nervous system

Brings the body back to normal/balanced, homeostasis
decreasing heart rate, constricting pupils, increasing digestion, decrease saliva

Neurons

the building blocks of the nervous system, basic cell unit that makes up nervous system and recieves and sends messages within the system

Dendrites

branch like projections that recieve messages from other neurons and send them to neurons

Axon

carries neural messages to other cells

Soma

the cell body of the neuron, maintains the life of the cell

Action Potentials

the message/electrical impulse moving down the axon

Glial Cells

provides support for the neurons to grow, deliver nurtrients to cells, produce myelin to coat axon

Myelin Sheath

insulates the axon with a thick fatty substance, and increases the action potential speed

multiple sclerosis

a chronic progressive nervous disorder involving loss of myelin sheath around certain nerve fibers

Nodes of Ranvier

allow exchange of potassium and sodium ions

Axon terminals

the knobs at the end of each axon that house chemical messangers called neurotransmitters

Synapse

where neurotransmitters are released into during an action potential

Resting Potential

when the neuron is at rest but can still fire a message

Ions

charged particles, inside = negative, outside = positive

All or none

refering to the fact that a neuron either fires completly or does not fire at all

Neurotransmitters

chemicals found in the synaptic vesicles which when released has an effect on the next cell

Receptor Sites

proteins on the surface of the dendrites, or on muslces and glands that allow certain neurotransmitters to bind

Refractory Period

period of time in which the cell cannot fire again

Reuptake

neurotransmitters are taken back into the synaptic vesicles

agonists

enhance or amplify the action of certain neurotransmitters

antagonists

inhibits or impedes the action of certain neurotransmitters

sensory neurons

afferent nerve fibers in the axon which carry messages from sensory organs towards the brain and spinal cord

interneurons

located within the brain and spinal cord for processing

motor neurons

efferent nerve fibers wich are sent to the muscles and the glands

Excitatory Neurotransmitters

stimulate the firing of messages

Inhibitory

restricting the transmission of activity

Acetylcholine

learning and memory

Norepinephrine

play a role in mood

Endorphins

bodys natural painkillers

Serotonin

mood regulation, appetite, sleep and wake cyces

Dopamine

pleasure

GABA

most abundant inhibitory neurotransmitter

Glutamate

communication, memory formation, learning

Deep Lesioning

insertion of a thin wire into the brain that destroys the brain cells

Electrical Stimulation of Brain

milder electrical current that causes neurons to react if they recieved a message

Human Brain Damage

can show where function or thought occur

EEG

machine to record the brain wave patterns produced by electrical activity

CT

brain imaging method using computer controlled xray of the brain

MRI

brain imaging mathod using radio waves and magnetic fields of the body to produce detailed images of the brain

Functional MRI

computer makes sort of a "movie" of changes in the activity of the brain using images from different time periods

PET

shows colored images of the brain and activity in the brain

Brain Stem

contributes to survival and directs incoming messages to the opposite hemipsheres of the brain

Medulla

control breathing, swallowing, heart rate and digestion, located below brainstem

Pons

sleep and dreaming, located above medulla

Cerebellum

below occipital lobe, balance, coordination, smooth muscle movements

Reticular Formation

network of neurons, extends from hindbrain to midbrain

Midbrain

sensory info

forebrain

many different activities

limbic system

seat of emotion and basic primal motivation

hippocampus

formation of memories

amygdala

anger and fear

thalamus

switchboard, sensory info (except smell)

hypothalamus

appetite, thirst, sleep/wake cycle, sex drive, maintaining body temp, fight or flight response

Cerebrum

convoluted shell of the brain

Cerebral Cortex

advanced higher order thinking and complex cognative abilities

frontol lobes

speech production and motor activity

Prefrontal Lobe

decision making, judgement, self-control, planning

Motor Cortex

voluntary muscle movement

Broca's Area

speech production (left frontal lobe)

Broca's Aphasia

inability to produce speech

Parietal Lobes

sensory infomration regarding touch, temperature, and pain

Somatosensory cortex

evaluates incoming sensory info from skin

Primary visual cortex

located in occipital lobe and processing visual info

Auditory Cortex

processes information from both ears

Temporal Lobes

contain an area essential to your sense of smell

Wernickes Area

speech comprehension

wernicke's aphasia

cannot understand speech

Corpus Callosum

thick bundle of neurons that links the two hemispheres

Split brain

participants couldn't verbally report what they had seen when an image was flashed on the right visual field, the image was only going to the right hemisphere that doesn't have language capabilities

left hemisphere

controls language, writing, logical thoughts, analysis and mathematical abilities, sense of time, CAN SPEAK

right hemisphere

spatial perception, recognition of faces, patters, melodies, emotions,

Brian Plasticity

some peoples brains have somehow compensated for the loss of funtion from injury or illness

glands

responsible fore releasing hormones into the bloodstream

pituitary glands

releases oxytocin and human growth hormone

Thyroid gland

located near the base of the neck; growth and metabolism

Adrenal glands

fight or flight response

Pancreas

secrete insulin required for metabolism of blood sugar

pineal gland

secretes melatonin

Gonads

the sex organs

Female and Male gonads

Female: Ovaries produce estrogen and progesterone
Male: Testes produce testosterone