Ap-psych unit 1

Heredity (Nature)

Traits you inherit from your parents through genes.

Environmental Factors (Nurture)

Things around you that influence who you are, like family, culture, or school.

Evolutionary Perspective

How natural selection has shaped behavior and thinking.

Eugenics

A movement to control human breeding to increase 'desirable' traits (now seen as unethical).

Twin Studies

Research comparing twins to see how much behavior is due to genes or environment.

Adoption Studies

Studies comparing adopted kids with biological and adoptive parents to study nature vs. nurture.

Nervous System

The body's system for sending messages using nerves.

Central Nervous System

The brain and spinal cord.

Peripheral Nervous System

All the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord.

Autonomic Nervous System

Controls automatic body functions like heartbeat and digestion.

Somatic Nervous System

Controls voluntary movements (like moving your arms).

Sympathetic Nervous System

Gets your body ready for action (fight or flight).

Parasympathetic Nervous System

Calms your body down after stress.

Neurons

Nerve cells that send messages in the brain and body.

Glial Cells

Support cells that help neurons stay healthy.

Reflex Arc

A quick automatic response (like pulling away from something hot).

Sensory Neurons

Carry messages from the senses to the brain.

Interneurons

Connect neurons in the brain and spinal cord.

Motor Neurons

Carry messages from the brain to muscles.

All or Nothing Principle

A neuron either fires completely or not at all.

Depolarization

When a neuron fires and becomes active.

Refractory Period

Time after a neuron fires when it can't fire again.

Resting Potential

The state of a neuron when it's not firing.

Reuptake

When leftover neurotransmitters are taken back into the neuron.

Threshold

The level needed for a neuron to fire.

Myasthenia Gravis

A disease that causes weak muscles due to problems in nerve signaling.

Multiple Sclerosis

A disease where the protective layer on neurons is damaged, slowing messages.

Neurotransmitters

Chemicals that carry messages between neurons.

Excitatory Neurotransmitters

Chemicals that make neurons more likely to fire.

Inhibitory Neurotransmitters

Chemicals that make neurons less likely to fire.

Dopamine

A chemical that affects mood, movement, and reward.

Serotonin

A chemical that affects mood, sleep, and appetite.

Norepinephrine

A chemical involved in alertness and stress response.

Glutamate

An excitatory chemical important for learning and memory.

GABA

An inhibitory chemical that calms the brain.

Endorphins

Natural painkillers produced by the body.

Substance P

A chemical that carries pain messages.

Acetylcholine

A chemical important for memory and muscle movement.

Hormones

Chemical messengers released by glands into the blood.

Adrenaline

A hormone that gets the body ready for action.

Leptin

A hormone that tells your brain you're full.

Ghrelin

A hormone that makes you feel hungry.

Melatonin

A hormone that helps control sleep.

Oxytocin

A hormone that helps with bonding and trust.

Psychoactive Drugs

Drugs that change how your brain works.

Agonists

Drugs that act like neurotransmitters.

Antagonists

Drugs that block neurotransmitters.

Reuptake Inhibitors

Drugs that stop reuptake so more neurotransmitters stay active.

Stimulants

Drugs that speed up brain activity.

Depressants

Drugs that slow down brain activity.

Hallucinogens

Drugs that cause you to see or hear things that aren't there.

Opioids

Drugs that reduce pain and can cause euphoria.

Tolerance

Needing more of a drug to feel the same effect.

Addiction

A strong need to keep using a drug.

Withdrawal

Symptoms you get when you stop using a drug.

Brain Stem

Controls basic body functions like breathing and heartbeat.

Medulla

Controls vital life functions like heart rate and breathing.

Reticular Activating System

Helps control alertness and sleep.

Cerebellum

Coordinates movement and balance.

Limbic System

Group of brain structures linked to emotions and memory.

Thalamus

Sends sensory signals to the correct part of the brain.

Hypothalamus

Controls hunger, thirst, body temperature, and hormones.

Pituitary Gland

Master gland that controls other glands.

Hippocampus

Helps form new memories.

Amygdala

Involved in emotions like fear and anger.

Corpus Callosum

Connects the two brain hemispheres.

Cerebral Cortex

Outer layer of the brain involved in thinking and planning.

Occipital Lobes

Processes visual information.

Temporal Lobes

Processes hearing and speech.

Parietal Lobes

Processes touch and spatial information.

Somatosensory Cortex

Processes touch sensations.

Frontal Lobes

Controls thinking, planning, and movement.

Motor Cortex

Controls voluntary muscle movements.

Brain Lateralization

Different functions on each side of the brain.

Broca's Area (and Aphasia)

Controls speech production; damage causes speaking problems.

Wernicke's Area (and Aphasia)

Controls understanding language; damage causes confusion.

Brain Plasticity

Brain's ability to change and adapt.

EEG

Measures brain wave activity.

fMRI

Shows brain activity using blood flow.

Lesioning

Destroying brain tissue to study its function.

Consciousness

Being aware of yourself and your environment.

Circadian Rhythm

Body's 24-hour natural sleep-wake cycle.

NREM Sleep Stages

Non-dream sleep stages that restore the body.

Hypnogogic Sensations

Dream-like feelings when falling asleep.

REM Sleep

Dream sleep where eyes move rapidly.

REM Rebound

More REM sleep after being sleep-deprived.

Activation Synthesis Theory

Dreams are brain's way to make sense of random signals.

Consolidation Theory

Dreams help store memories.

Insomnia

Trouble falling or staying asleep.

Narcolepsy

Sudden sleep attacks during the day.

REM Sleep Behavior Disorder

Acting out dreams while in REM sleep.

Sleep Apnea

Breathing stops during sleep.

Somnambulism

Another word for sleepwalking.

Sensation

How we detect physical energy from the world.

Absolute Threshold

Smallest amount of a stimulus you can detect.

Transduction

Turning sensory signals into brain signals.

Just Noticeable Difference

Smallest change you can detect in a stimulus.

Sensory Adaptation

Getting used to a stimulus over time.

Weber's Law

The bigger the stimulus, the more change is needed to notice.

Synesthesia

When one sense triggers another (like seeing sounds).