AP Psych Unit 1

evolutionary perspective, natural selection, eugeneics

central nervous system (CNS)

consists of the brain and spinal cord, its the command center of the body repsonsible for processing infirmation, coordinating reponses, and regualtion bodily functions

peripheral nervous system (PNS)

consists of all nerves and ganglias outside brain and spinal cord, communication network transmitting sensory information fron the bodu to the central nervous system (CNS)

autonomic nervous system

divisiton of the peripheral neverous system that regulates involuntary bodily funcrions, it operates automatically, without control (has two main branches: sympathetic and parasympathetic

sympathetic nervous system

responsible for body's flight or fight response in times of stress or danger

parasympathetic nervous system

responsible for promoting relaxation and restoring the body to a calm state after experiencing stress or danger

somatic nervous system

division of the peripheral nervous system responsible for controlling voluntary movements and relaying sensory information from the body to the central nervous system

neurons

specialized cells that are the building blocks of the nervous system, transmit electrical and chemical signals throughout tje body (cell body, dendrites, and axon)

gilal cells

"support cells", provide structural support, insulation, and nourishment to neurons

motor neurons

specialized nerve cells that transmit signals from the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) to muscles, glands, and organs, initiating and controlling voluntary and involuntary movements

sensory neurons

specialized nerve cells that transmit sensory information from sensory receptors, such as those in the skin, muscles, and organs, to the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord)

interneurons

nerve cells that serve as connectors within the central nervous system, relaying signals between sensory neurons and motor neurons

heredity

transmission of genetic information from biological parents to offspring

neurotransmitters

chemical messengers that transmit signals between neurons, allowing for communication within the nervous system

adrenaline (epinephrine)

hormone and neurotransmitter that plays a key role in the body's stress response, often referred to as the "flight or fight" response

norepinephrine (noradrenalin)

neurotransmitter that functions as both a hormone and a neurotransmitter in the body. It is involved in the body's "flight or fight" response, regulating arousal, attention, and stress.

oxytocin

hormone and neurotransmitter that plays a key role in social bonding (emotional connections, trust, intimacy)

melatonin

hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle and circadian rhythms in the body

leptin

hormone produced primarily by fat cells that regulates energy balance and appetites

ghrelin

hormone produced primarily by the stomach and small intestine that stimulates appetite and promotes hunger

hormones

chemical messengers produced by glands in the endocrine system that travel through the bloodstream to target cell or organs, where they regulate various physiological processes and behaviors

pituitary gland

the maestro (boss) gland secretions direct other endocrine glands to release their hormones

acetylcholine

enables muscle action, learning and memory

dopamine

influences movement, learning, attention, and emotion

serotonin

affects mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal

norepinpherine

helps control alertness and arosual

GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)

a major inhibitory neurotransmitter

glutamate

A major excitatory neurotransmitter; involved in memory

endorphins

neurotransmitters that influence the perception of pain or pleasure

Substance P

involved in pain perception and immune response

genetic predesposition

the inherited likelihood of developing specific traits or conditions due to genetic factors from biological parents

epigenetics

the study of the molecular mechanisms by which environments can influence genetic expression (without permanently changing DNA)

agonists

substances that can mimic the action of a neurotransmitter, block reuptake, or increase production (INCREASE)

antangonists

drugs or chemicals that block receptor sites, decrease production, and release of neurotransmitters (DECREASE)

axon

passes electrical messages over a distance

myelin sheaths

covers axons, speeds communication

cell body

life support

dendrites

recieve chemical message

terminal buttons

passes a chemical message to next cell

vesicles

bundles of neurotransmitters waiting to be realeased

reuptake channel

reabsorbtion of neurotransmitters

ion channels

lets ions in and out

depolarization

neuron fires radpidly changing from - to +

threshold

level of stimulation required to trigger nerve firing

refractory periord

the cell cant fire, too negative, breif pause in neruon firing

outer ear

outer opening of the ear, including the ear canal, leading to the eardrum

middle ear

the chamber between the eardrum and the cochlea containing three tiny bones that concentrate the vibrations of the eardrum on the cochelas’s oval window

inner ear

the innermost part of the ear, containing the cochlea, semicircular cana;s, and vestibular sacs

cochlea

a coiled, bony, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear ear; a site of auditory signal

transduction (in the ear)

occurs in the cochlea where hair cells convert sound vibrations into electrical signals that are sent to the brain

audition

transduction of sound waves into sound perception aka hearingp

pitch perception

the brain's interpretation of the frequency of sound waves, determining whether a sound is high or low in tone. Higher frequencies are perceived as higher pitches, while lower frequencies are perceived as lower pitches.

wavelength/frequency

olfactory system

responsible for smells (special receptors in the nose detect smells and send signal to the brain via the olfactory nerve, further processing occurs in the limbic system, then frontal lobe)

corpus callosum

thick band of nerve fibers that connects the left and right hemispheres of the brain, facilitating communication and info sharing between the two hemispheres

hemispheric speciliation

concept that each hemishere has specialized funcions and abilities

hemispeheric non specialiation

no activity to which only one hemisphere makes a contibution

linguistic processing

complex cognitive processes involved in understanding and producing language (based in the left hemisphere)

nature “genes”

inherent biological an genetic factors that influence an individuas psycolgical devoplment, traits, behaviors, and cognifitve abilities

nuture “enviroment”

environmental influences and experiences that influence an individual’s psychological development, traits, behaviors, and cognitive abilities

brainstem

responsible for basic life sustaining functions (breathing, heart rate, sleep-awake cycle)

medulla

regulates essential autonomic functions (heartbeat, breathing, blood pressure)

pons

helps coordinate movements and controls sleep

thalamus

processes and relays sensory info (sight, sound, touch, taste, NOT smell)

Reticular Formation/reticular activiating system (RAS)

network of neurons in the brainstem that plays a critical role in regylating arousal, attention, and consciousness

cerebellum

responsible for coordinating movement (w pons), balence, and posture

limbic system

involved in emotions, memory, and motivation

amygdala

involved in processing emotions, particularly fear and agression

hypothamus

directs homeostasis (eating, drinking, body temp), helps govern endocrine system, and linked to emotion and reward

reward center

processes pleasurable experineces and reinforces behaviors associaled with them

hippocamps

helps process explicit (concious) memiores of facts and events for storage

cerebral cortex

responsible for higher-level cognitive functions, such as thinking, perceiving, and decision making

frontal lobe

higher level cognitive functions such as decisioning making, problem solving, planing, personality expression, and voluntaryp movement

prefrontal cortex

responsible for executive function

motor cortex

responsible for voluntary movement

pariental lobes

responsible for processing sensory information from the body, such as touch, temperature, and spatial awareness.

occcipital lobe

processing visual information received from the eyes

visual cortex

interprets visual stimuli, helps us perceive shapes, colors, and motion

association areas

parts of the brain that take information from all over the place (see, hear, smell, and touch) and put it together to help us understand the world around us

neurogenisis

formation of new neurons in adults

brocas area

responsible for speech production and language pocessing

wrenicke’s area

involved in language comprehension, and understanding spoken and written language