The Brain and the Body Systems (AP Psych)

neuron

Transfers messages throughout your body in the form of fast moving electrical energy.

axon

Large extension of a nerve cell that sends a message to another cell

dendrites

branching extensions of neuron that receives messages from neighboring neurons

terminal buttons

Small modules, at the end of axons, that release chemical signals from the neuron into the synapse.

neurotransmitter

a chemical that is released by a neuron for the purpose of carrying information across the gaps (synapses) between neurons

dopamine

states that schizophrenia results from excess activity at certain dopamine synapses

serotonin

regulates mood/behaivor/ libido/appetite

myelin sheath

Plasma membrane that wraps around the axon to increase electric signals

action potential

The neural impulse that passes along the axon and subsequently causes the release of chemicals from the terminal buttons.

threshold

The lowest possible frequency of a photon that will cause an electron to be emitted from the material.

synapse

a gap between the axon of one neuron

endorphins

Respond to pain

sensory neuron

Carry impulses from sense organ to spinal cord and brain

motor neuron

Carry impulses from the brain and spinal cord to muscle and grands

interneuron

Transmit nerve impulses from neuron to neuron

refractory period

time when sodium channels are inactive, thus action potential can't conduct

reuptake

The process whereby a neurotransmitter is taken back into the presynaptic terminal buttons, thereby stopping it's activity.

acetylcholine

A critical neurotransmitter that controls functions such as memory, attention, sleep, heart rate, and muscular activity.

gaba

An inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain.

glutamate

A major excitatory neurotransmitter; involved in memory

central nervous system

The brain and spinal cord

peripheral nervous system

A division of the nervous system consisting of all nerves that are not part of the brain or spinal cord.

sympathetic nervous system

Fight or flight

parasympathetic nervous system

the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy

autonomic nervous system

A subdivision of the peripheral nervous system. Controls involuntary activity of visceral muscles and internal organs and glands.

somatic nervous system

subdivision of the motor division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the voluntary movement of skeletal muscles

reflex

A simple, automatic, inborn response to a sensory stimulus, such as the knee-jerk response.

blood brain barrier

protects brain from fluctuations & chemical levels in the bloodstream, waste, toxins, and drugs are blocked- O2 & CO2 enter thru capillaries & glucose by facilitated diffusion

pons

A hindbrain structure that connects the medulla to the two sides of the cerebellum; helps coordinate and integrate movements on each side of the body

medulla

Base of brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing

thalamus

Either of two masses of gray matter lying between the cerebral hemispheres on either side of the third ventricle, relaying sensory information and acting as a center for pain perception.

brainstem

The oldest part and central core of the brain, responsible for automatic survival functions.

reticular formation

A nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal.

cerebellum

A large structure of the hindbrain that controls fine motor skills.

limbic system

A doughnut-shaped system of neural structures at the border of the brainstem and cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions such as fear and aggression and drives such as those for food and sex. Includes the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus.

amygdala

A limbic system structure involved in memory and emotion, particularly fear and aggression.

hypothalamus

A neural structure lying below the thalamus; it directs several maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temperature), helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion and reward.

hippocampus

A neural center located in the limbic system that helps process explicit memories for storage.

cerebral cortex

The outermost layer of the cerebrum, responsible for complex perceptual, behavioral, and cognitive processes.

frontal lobe

A region of the cerebral cortex that has specialized areas for movement, abstract thinking, planning, memory, and judgement

temporal lobe

Part of the brain that processes auditory and olfactory information. Associated with emotion, language, and memory formation.

parietal lobe

Portion behind to the frontal lobe, responsible for sensations such as pain, temperature, and touch.

occipital lobe

A region of the cerebral cortex that processes visual information

sensory cortex

area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations

motor cortex

An area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movement.

aphasia

Inability to speak

Broca's area

speech production

Wernicke's area

Contorls language reception. Damage creates inability to comprehend language; usually in the left temporal lobe

plasticity

the brain's ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience.

corpus collosum

large bundle of axons that connect the two hemispheres

split brain

A condition resulting from surgery that isolates the brain's two hemispheres by cutting the fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) connecting them.

dual processing

brain processes information on a conscious and unconscious level at the same time

endocrine system

Glands secrete hormones that regulate processes such as growth, reproduction, and nutrient use (metabolism) by body cells.

hormones

Chemical messengers, mostly those manufactured by the endocrine glands, that are produced in one tissue and affect another

testosterone

Male hormone

estrogen

Female hormone

adrenal glands

A pair of endocrine glands that sit just above the kidneys and secrete hormones that help arouse the body in times of stress.

pituitary gland

The endocrine system's most influential gland. Under the influence of the hypothalamus, the pituitary regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands.

ovaries

Glands that produce the egg cells and hormones

testes

Interstitial cells make testosterone/sperm when stimulated by FSH and LH from the pituitary gland.

biopsychologist

specialist who tries to explain behavior in terms of biological factors, such as electrical and chemical activities in the nervous system, the effects of drugs and hormones, genetics, and evolutionary pressures

EEG

An amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain's surface. These waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp.

PET scan

Active brain scan using radioactive sugar (glucose) to show most active areas during a task

MRI

A technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images that distinguish among different types of soft tissue; allows us to see structures within the brain

FMRI

a technique for revealing blood flow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. MRI scans show brain anatomy; fMRI scans show brain function.

Paul Broca

discovered area in the brain (named for him) in the left frontal lobe responsible for language production

Charles Darwin

English natural scientist who formulated a theory of evolution by natural selection (1809-1882)

Michael Gazzaniga

split-brain research; understanding of functional lateralization in the brain; how the cerebral hemispheres communicate

Roger Sperry

surgery designed to treat epileptics by severing the corpus callosum; contributed greatly to understanding the lateralization of brain function

Carl Wernicke

speech comprehension area in the temporal lobe