ap psych unit 1 concepts

Biological Bases of Behavior

Heredity (Nature)

The passing of traits from parents to their children through genes.

Environment (Nurture)

The surroundings and life experiences that influence how a person develops.

Genetic predisposition

a higher chance of developing a certain trait or condition because of the specific genes you inherit

Adoption studies

Research that compares adopted children with their biological and adoptive parents to understand the influence of nature (genetics) from nurture (environment)

Evolutionary perspective

this is psychological perspective theory that explains behaviors and mental process’s by studying how behavior and traits aided in survival

Natural selection

The process in which organisms with helpful traits are more likely to survive, reproduce, and pass those traits to their offspring.

Eugenics

The harmful belief that humans can be improved by improving the genetic quality of the human population.

Twin studies

Research that compares identical and fraternal siblings to understand how genes and life experiences influence traits.

Family studies

Research that examines relatives to determine how traits and behaviors may be passed down or influenced by shared experiences.

Central nervous system

The brain and spinal cord work together to process information and control the body's activities.

Peripheral Nervous System

The network of nerves that carries messages between the brain and spinal cord and the rest of the body.

Somatic nervous system

The part that controls voluntary movements and carries sensory information to the brain and spinal cord.

Autonomic nervous system

The part that controls automatic body functions, such as breathing, digestion, and heart rate.

Sympathetic nervous system

The part that prepares the body to respond to danger or stress by increasing alertness and heart rate.

Parasympathetic nervous system

The part that calms the body after stress and helps with rest, digestion, and energy conservation.

Glial Cell

A type of cell that supports, protects, and provides nutrients to nerve cells.

Neural cell (neuron)

A specialized cell that receives and sends messages throughout the body.

Reflex arc

The pathway that allows the body to respond quickly and automatically to a stimulus.

Sensory neurons

Nerve cells that carry information from the senses to the brain and spinal cord.

Motor neurons

Nerve cells that carry messages from the brain and spinal cord to muscles to produce movement.

Interneurons

Nerve cells that connect other nerve cells and help process information in the brain and spinal cord.

Neural transmission

The process of sending messages between nerve cells through electrical and chemical signals.

All-or-none principal

A nerve cell either sends a full electrical signal or does not send one at all.

Depolarization

The inside of a nerve cell becomes less negatively charged, helping start an electrical signal.

Refractory period

The short recovery time after a nerve cell fires before it can send another signal.

Resting potential

The electrical charge difference across a nerve cell's membrane when it is not sending a signal.

Reuptake

The process in which a sending nerve cell absorbs chemical messengers after releasing them.

Threshold

The minimum level of stimulation needed for a nerve cell to send an electrical signal.

Multiple sclerosis

A disease in which the immune system damages the protective covering of nerves (myelin sheath), disrupting communication between the brain and body.

Myasthenia gravis

A disease in which the immune system interferes with communication between nerves and muscles, causing muscle weakness.

Neurotransmitters

Chemical messengers that carry signals between nerve cells or from nerves to other cells.

Location in NS

The specific place in the body's communication network where a nerve cell or chemical messenger is found.

Excitatory

A type of signal that increases the chance of a nerve cell firing.

Inhibitory

A type of signal that decreases the chance of a nerve cell firing

Dopamine

A chemical messenger involved in movement, motivation, learning, and feelings of reward.

Serotonin

A chemical messenger that helps regulate mood, sleep, and appetite

Norepinephrine

A chemical messenger that helps control alertness, attention, and the body's response to stress.

Glutamate

The brain's main chemical messenger that increases nerve cell activity and helps with learning and memory.

GABA

The brain's main chemical messenger that reduces nerve cell activity and helps promote calmness.

Endorphins

Natural chemicals produced by the body that help reduce pain and create feelings of pleasure.

Substance P

A chemical messenger that helps send pain signals to the brain.

Acetylcholine

A chemical messenger that helps control muscle movement, learning, and memory.

Hormones

Chemical messengers released by glands into the bloodstream to regulate body functions.

Adrenaline

A chemical released during stress or danger that increases heart rate and prepares the body for action.

Leptin

A chemical produced mainly by fat cells that signals to the brain that the body has enough stored energy.

Ghrelin

A chemical produced mainly by the stomach that signals hunger to the brain

Melatonin

A chemical produced by the brain that helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle.

Oxytocin

A chemical that helps with social bonding, childbirth, and milk release.

Psychoactive drugs

Substances that affect the brain and change mood, thoughts, feelings, or behavior.

Agonist

A substance that activates a receptor and produces a biological response.

Antagonist

A substance that blocks a receptor and prevents or reduces a biological response.

Reuptake inhibitors

Substances that prevent nerve cells from quickly reabsorbing chemical messengers, allowing them to remain active longer.

Stimulants (caffeine, cocaine)

Substances that increase activity in the brain and body, making a person feel more awake and alert.

Depressants (alcohol)

Substances that slow down brain activity and can cause relaxation, drowsiness, and slower reactions.

Hallucinogens (marijuana)

Substances that alter perception, thoughts, and sensory experiences, sometimes causing a person to experience things differently from reality.

Opioids (heroin)

Substances that act on certain receptors in the brain and body to reduce pain and can cause strong feelings of pleasure.

Tolerance

A condition in which the body becomes less responsive to a substance, requiring more of it to produce the same effect.

Addiction

A condition in which a person continues using a substance or engaging in a behavior despite harmful consequences and difficulty stopping.

Withdrawal symptoms

Physical or emotional effects that occur when a person reduces or stops using a substance their body has become dependent on.

Brainstem

The lower part of the brain that connects to the spinal cord and controls basic functions like breathing and heart rate.

Medulla

A structure at the base of the brain that controls automatic functions like breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure.

Reticular activating system

A network of nerve cells that helps control alertness, attention, and wakefulness.

Reward center

A group of structures that create feelings of pleasure and motivate people to repeat certain behaviors.

Cerebellum

A structure at the back of the brain that helps control balance, coordination, and smooth movements.

Cerebral cortex

The outer layer of the brain that controls thinking, memory, and voluntary movement.

Hemispheres

The two halves of the brain that control different functions and communicate with each other.

Limbic system

A group of structures involved in emotions, memory, and motivation.

Thalamus

A structure that receives and sends most sensory information to the appropriate parts of the brain.

Hypothalamus

A structure that helps regulate hunger, thirst, body temperature, and other basic needs.

Pituitary gland

A small organ that releases chemical messengers to control growth, reproduction, and other body functions.

Hippocampus

A structure that helps form new memories and supports learning.

Amygdala

A structure involved in processing emotions, especially fear and aggression.

Corpus callosum

A thick bundle of nerve fibers that connects the left and right halves of the brain.

Lobes of the cortex

The four main sections of the brain's outer layer that perform different functions.

Occipital lobes

The areas at the back of the brain that process visual information.

Temporal lobes

The areas on the sides of the brain that help process sounds, language, and memories.

Parietal lobes

The areas near the top of the brain that process touch and help with spatial awareness.

Somatosensory cortex

An area of the brain that processes sensations such as touch, pressure, pain, and temperature.

Association areas:

Regions of the brain that combine information to support thinking, learning, memory, and decision-making.

Frontal lobes

The areas at the front of the brain involved in planning, decision-making, personality, and voluntary movement.

Prefrontal cortex

The frontmost part of the brain that helps with judgment, planning, self-control, and decision-making.

Motor cortex

An area of the brain that controls voluntary muscle movements.

Split brain research

The study of people whose connection between the two halves of the brain has been cut to understand how each side functions.

Specialization of hemispheres

The idea that the left and right halves of the brain are better at performing certain tasks.

Broca's area

A region usually located in the left frontal lobe of the brain that helps produce speech.

Wernicke's area

A region usually located in the left temporal lobe of the brain that helps people understand language.

Aphasia

A condition caused by damage to certain parts of the brain that makes speaking, understanding, reading, or writing difficult.

Test with split-brain patients

An experiment that presents information to one side of the brain to examine how each half processes it.

Cortex specialization

The idea that different regions of the brain's outer layer perform specific functions.

Contralateral organization

The arrangement in which each side of the brain mainly controls movement and processes sensations from the opposite side of the body.

Brain plasticity

The brains ability to change, reorganize, and form new connections through learning or after injury.

EEG

A test that records electrical activity in the brain.

fMRI

A scanning technique that measures changes in blood flow to show which parts of the brain are active.

Case studies

in depth investigation of a small group or 1 person

Lesioning procedure

A method in which a specific area of tissue is damaged or removed to study its function

Varying levels of consciousness

The different states of awareness a person experiences, ranging from being fully awake to being deeply asleep.

Sleep/wake cycle

The regular pattern of being asleep and awake over a 24-hour period.

Circadian rhythm (disruptions)

The body's internal 24-hour clock that controls daily patterns and can be disturbed by changes in schedules or light exposure.

Jet lag

A temporary condition caused by traveling across time zones that makes the body's internal clock out of sync with local time.

Shift work

A job schedule that involves working outside normal daytime hours, which can interfere with the body's internal clock.