Biopsych Final

May 20. 2026

Ionotropic Receptor

Fast acting receptor connected directly to an ion channel

Sodium Potassium Pump

Take 3 Na+ out, bring back 2 K+, restores action potential

Excitatory Postsynaptic Potential

Higher chance that a postsynaptic neuron will send a signal

Ca++

Calcium

Corpus Collosum

Bundle of fibers connecting 2 cerebral hemispheres

Pituitary Gland

Endocrine gland controlled by Hypothalamus

Depolarization

Caused by Na+ ions entering the neuron

Repolarization

K+ exiting the K+ channels

Action Potential

Sodium Channels open — Na+ rushes in

Potassium channels open — K+ leaves

Na+ channels close — no more comes in

K+ channels close — no more leaves

Sodium Potassium Pump — 3 sodium out, bring back 2 potassium

Medulla Oblongata

Lower portion of brainstem, processes breathing, digestion, heart and blood vessel function, swallowing, and sneezing.

Thalamus

Structure that relays sensory info to the cortex

Chloride — Cl+

more on outside of neural membrane

Potassium — K+

more on inside of neural membrane

Sodium — Na+

More on outside of neural membrane

Ions

Charged particles in neurons

Synaptic Cleft

Neurons do not touch, there is small spaces between them

Exocytosis

Neurotransmitters are released from presynaptic neurons — facilitated by Ca++

Saltatory Conduction

Action potential bounces from one node of Ranvier to the next, increasing speed of signal. Happens on myelinated axons

Metabotropic Receptor

Slower acting receptor that affects an ion channel thru a 2nd Messenger system, more common than ionotropic

Hippocampus

Brain structure in the temporal lobe implicated in learning and memory

All or None law

Principle that neurons either fire completely or not at all

Reticular Formation

brainstem structure involved in sleep and arousal

Temporal lobe

lobe involved in hearing and language comprehension

Somatosensory Cortex

primarily responsible for processing sensory information from the body

Amygdala

neural structure that is primarily responsible for regulating emotional responses, especially fear

Parietal Lobe

involved in processing bodily sensations, visual attention, and integrating the senses

Limbic System

Involved in learning, emotion, memory

Occipital Lobe

Lobe responsible for vision

Motor Cortexe

Strip of cortex responsible for voluntary movement

Cerebellum

Important for muscle control, such as balance and movement/coordination

Glial Cells

Specialized cells that support and protect neurons

Frontal Lobe

responsible for motor output and planning, language, judgment, and decision-making

Behavioral genetics

Investigates how genetic factors influence behavior and psychological traits, often using twin and adoption studies

Evolutionary psychology

Applies principles of natural selection to understand how evolved psychological mechanisms shape behavior

Monism

The view that mind and body are a single unified system

Dualism

The position that mind and body are fundamentally separate substances

Psychoneuroimmunology

interactions among psychological factors, the nervous system, and the immune system

Psychopharmacology

The study of how drugs affect the nervous system and behavior

Psychophysiology

Measures physiological responses (heart rate, skin conductance, brain activity) to understand psychological states

Cognitive neuroscience

Uses brain imaging and other methods to study the neural bases of cognition, perception, memory, attention, and language

Comparative psychology

Studies behavior across species to understand the evolution, development, and mechanisms of behavior

Neuroscience

A broad interdisciplinary field studying the structure and function of the nervous system from molecules and cells to circuits and behavior

Physiological psychology

Directly manipulates biological variables (e.g., lesions, drug injections) to study effects on behavior, typically in animal models

CT scan

Uses X-rays taken from multiple angles to produce cross-sectional images of brain structure

Deep brain stimulation

Implanted electrodes deliver electrical pulses to specific brain regions to modulate neural activity

Functional MRI (fMRI)

Measures brain activity by detecting blood oxygenation changes, used to identify which regions are active during tasks.

PET scan

Tracks a radioactive tracer to show which brain regions are most metabolically active, measuring blood flow or glucose consumption

Stereotaxic surgery

Uses a frame with a 3D coordinate system to precisely target specific brain locations for electrode placement, lesioning, or drug injection

Electrocardiogram (ECG)

Records the electrical activity of the heart via skin electrodes. Used to measure autonomic arousal and stress responses

Knockout mice

Genetically engineered mice with a specific gene deactivated, used to study the gene's function by observing resulting behavioral or physiological changes

Lesion

Damage to a specific brain region

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

Produces high-resolution structural images of the brain using magnetic fields and radio waves, without ionizing radiation

Microelectrodes

Tiny electrodes implanted in brain tissue to record electrical activity of individual neurons, allowing precise study of neural firing patterns

Transgenic mice

Mice genetically modified to carry a foreign or altered gene, used to study gene function and model human diseases

Brain stem

Controls basic life functions like breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, arousal. Connects the brain to the spinal cord.

Cerebral cortex

responsible for higher cognitive functions: perception, language, reasoning, and voluntary movement

Cerebral hemispheres

The two halves (left and right) of the cerebrum, each controlling the opposite side of the body with some specialized functions

Cerebrum

The largest brain region that houses the cortex, basal ganglia, limbic structures, and white matter tracts

Gray matter

Tissue composed of neuron cell bodies, dendrites, and unmyelinated axons.

White matter

Tissue composed mainly of myelinated axons connecting brain regions. color is due to the fatty myelin sheath.

Neurons

The primary signaling cells of the nervous system, specialized to receive, integrate, and transmit electrochemical signals.

Astrocytes

Star-shaped CNS glial cells that support neurons, regulate the synaptic environment, recycle neurotransmitters, and contribute to the blood-brain barrier

Oligodendrocytes

CNS glial cells that form myelin sheaths around axons; one cell can myelinate multiple axon segments.

Microglia

Small CNS immune cells that survey for damage or pathogens, engulf debris, and mediate neuroinflammation.

Schwann Cells

Glial cells in the peripheral nervous system (PNS). Creates myelin for neurons, creates pathway for regrowing axons after injury

Dura mater

The tough, outermost of the three meningeal membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord

Arachnoid

The middle meningeal layer; the subarachnoid space beneath it contains cerebrospinal fluid

Pia mater

The delicate innermost meningeal layer that directly adheres to the surface of the brain and spinal cord

Ventricles

Interconnected fluid-filled cavities within the brain that produce and circulate cerebrospinal fluid to cushion and nourish the CNS

Cingulate cortex

Involved in emotional regulation, pain processing, and conflict monitoring

Pons

involved in sleep, respiration, and facial sensation

CNS

Central Nervous System, The brain and spinal cord; receives, processes, and integrates information and coordinates responses.

PNS

Peripheral Nervous System, All nervous tissue outside the brain and spinal cord; divided into the somatic and autonomic nervous systems.

SNS

Sympathetic nervous system, Autonomic division that prepares the body for "fight or flight". increases heart rate, dilates pupils, and mobilizes energy.

Parasympathetic nervous system

Autonomic division that promotes "rest and digest". slows heart rate, stimulates digestion, and conserves energy.

Axon

transmits information away from the cell body, toward other neurons or muscles and glands

Cell Membrane

The phospholipid bilayer surrounding the neuron

Soma

cell body, contains the cell’s nucleus keeps the cell alive

Dendrite

collects information from other cells sends the information to the soma

Synaptic vesicles

Membrane-bound sacs in the terminal button storing neurotransmitters