AP Psych (Biological Basis)

NT

neurotransmitters

AP

Action Potential

NS

nervous system

Neuron

Basic cell of the nervous system

Dendrites

receive incoming NTs

Soma

Cell Body (includes nucleus)

Axon

AP (Action potential) travels down this

Myelin Sheath

Speeds up Action potential down axon, protects axon, MS destroys this

Terminals

release NTs -- send signal onto next neuron

Vesicles

sacs inside terminal contain NTs

Synapses

Gap b/w neurons

Action potential

movement of Na and K ions across membrane sends an electrical charge down the axon

All or non response

stimulus must trigger the AP past its threshold, but does not increase the intensity of the response (flush the toilet)

Refractory period

neuron must rest and reset before it can send another AP (toilet resets)

Sensory neurons

receive sense signals

Afferent neurons

Brain accepts signals, the outside world into the brain

Motor neurons

signals to move

Efferent neurons

signal exits brain, from the brain to the peripheral nervous system in order to initiate an action

Interneurons

cells in spinal cord responsible for reflex loop

Central Nervous System

Brain and spinal cord

Peripheral Nervous System

Rest of the nervous system

Somatic Nervous system

Voluntary movement

Autonomic Nervous System

Involuntary (heart, lungs, etc)

Sympathetic Nervous System

arouses the body fight/flight (generally activates -- sympathetic to you getting eaten by tiger helps you run away)

Parasympathetic nervous system

established homeostasis after a sympathetic response

Neurotransmitters (NT)

chemicals releases in synaptic gap, received by neurons

GABA

Major inhibitory neurotransmitter in your central nervous system, Fluctuating levels of GABA are linked to medical conditions including anxiety, autism, and Parkinson's disease. Low GABA activity leads to anxiety, depression, insomnia, and mood disorders. 

GlutamatE

Major excitatory neurotransmitter (get excited when seeing your mates)

Dopamine

Reward and movement

Seratonin

Moods and emotions

Acetylcholine (ACh)

Memory

Epinephrine and Norepinephrine

Sympathetic nervous system arousal

Endorphins

pain control

Oxytocin

Love and bonding, involved in childbirth and breast-feeding. It is also associated with empathy, trust, sexual activity, and relationship-building

Agonist

drugs that mimics a neurotransmitter

Antagonist

drug that blocks a neurotransmitter

Reuptake

Unused NTs are taken back up into the sending neuron. SSRIs )selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) block

Hindbrain

oldest part of the brain

Cerebellum

movement/balance (walking a tightrope)

Medulla

vital organs, (HR, BP) controls your heart rate, breathing, blood pressure and more

Pons

Bridge b/w regions -- basic functions,  handles unconscious processes and jobs, such as your sleep-wake cycle and breathing

Reticular formation

alterness, a complex network of brainstem nuclei and neurons that serve as a major integration and relay center for many vital brain systems to coordinate functions necessary for survival.

Forebrain

higher thought processes, the processing of information related to complex cognitive activities, sensory and associative functions, and voluntary motor activities

Limbic system

 functions to facilitate memory storage and retrieval, establish emotional states, and link the conscious, intellectual functions of the cerebral cortex with the unconscious, autonomic functions of the brain stem.

Amygdala

emotions, fear

Hippocampus

memory (if you saw a hippo on campus you’d remember it)

Hypothalamus

reward/pleasure center, eating behaviors -- link to endocrine system, the area of the brain that controls body temperature, hunger, and thirst.

Thalamus

relay center for all but smell

Cerebral Cortex

outer portion of the brain -- higher order thought processes. carries out essential functions of your brain, like memory, thinking, learning, reasoning, problem-solving, emotions, consciousness, and sensory

Occipital Lobe

vision

Frontal Lobe

decision making, planning, judgement, movement, personality

Parietal lobe

Sensations

Temporal lobe

hearing and face recognition

Somatosensory Cortex

map of our touch receptors -- in parietal lobe

Motor cortexx

map of our motor receptors --- located in frontal lobe

Left hemisphere only -- damage

results in aphasia damaged speech)

Brocas area

inability to produce speech (Broca -- broken speech)

Wernickes area

cant comprehend speech (Wernickes what???)

Corpus Callosum

bundle of nerves that connects the 2 hemispheres -- sometimes severed in patients with severe seizures leads to “split-brain patients”

Split-brain experiments

Done by Sperry and Gazzanlga, Sperry severed the corpus callosum in cats and monkeys to study the function of each side of the brain. He found that if hemispheres were not connected, they functioned independently of one another, which he called a split-brain. 

Brain Plasticity

brain can “heal” itself (brain is malleable),

Nature vs. Nurture

Nature is what we think of as pre-wiring and is influenced by genetic inheritance and other biological factors. Nurture is generally taken as the influence of external factors after conception, e.g., the product of exposure, life experiences, and learning on an individual.

Identical twins

monozygotic (MZ)

Fraternal twins

Dizygotics (DZ)

Genetics

MZ twins will have a higher percentage of also developing a disease

Environment

MZ twins raised in different environments show differences

Endocrine system

sends hormones throughout the body

PIturitary gland

controlled by hypothalamus, release growth hormones

Adrenal glands

related to sympathetic nervous system; releases adrenaline

EEG

brain activity -- not specific, metal discs (electrodes) attached to the scalp

Xray

Not useful, doesnt show tissues,  used for diagnostic purposes to visualize internal body structures:

CT/MRI

shows structures (tumors)

PET

glucose shows brain activity -- is an imaging test that allows doctors to see how your brain is functioning. The scan captures images of the activity of the brain after radioactive “tracers” have been absorbed into the bloodstream. These tracers are “attached” to compounds like glucose (sugar).

fMRI

oxygen shows activity; real time

Lesion

destruction of brain tissue

Higher-Level (state of consciousness)

controlled processes -- totally aware,  elevated awareness and perception that allows individuals to develop a deeper understanding of the nature of reality.

Lower-level

automatic processing, (daydreaming, phone numbers)

Altered States

produced through drugs. Fatigue, hypnosis

Subconscious

sleeping and dreaming

No awareness

knocked out

Beta Waves

awake (you betta be awake for the exam)

Alpha Waves

high amp.. drowsy

NREM (non rem) stages -

stage 1: light sleep

Stage 2: bursts of sleep spindles

Stage 3 Delta Waves: Deep sleep

REM

Entire cycle takes 90 minutes, REM occurs in b/w each cycle.

Rapid Eye Movement (REM)

dreaming, cognitive processing.

Circadian Rhythm

24 hour biological clock of body temp and sleep, controlled by the suprachismatic nucleus (SCN) in the brain, explains jet lag.

Insomnia

inability to fall asleep (due to stress/anxiety)

Sleep walking/talking

(due to fatigue, drugs, alcohol) NOT during REM

Night terrors

extreme nightmares -- NOT in REM sleep -- typical in children

Narcolepsy

fall asleep of out no where (due to deficiency in orexin)

Sleep apnea

stop breathing suddenly while asleep (due to obesity usually)

Freud’s Unconscious with Fulfillment

dreaming is gratification of unconscious desires and needs

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Latent Content

hidden meaning

Manifest content

obvious storyline

Activation Synthesis

brain produces random bursts of energy -- stimulating lodged memories in limbic sys. Dreams start random then develop meaning

Depressants

Alcohol, barbiturates, tranquilizers, opiates (narcotics), decreases sympathetic nervous system activation, highly addcitive

Stimulants

Amphetamines, Cocaine, MDMA (ecstasy). Caffeine, Nicotine, increase sympathetic nervous system activation, highly addictive.

Hallucinogens

LSD, Marijuana, causes hallucinations and is less adictive

Tolerance

needing more of a drug to achieve the same effects

Dependence

become addicted to the drug -- must have it to avoid withdrawal symptoms

Withdrawal

psychological and physiological symptoms associated with sudden stoppage. Unpleasant - can kill you.