AP Psychology Unit 2: Biological Bases of Behaviors

Consciousness

Awareness of oneself and their environment, with different levels and including sleep.

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

Neural imaging using electrodes on the scalp to record the brain's electrical activity.

fMRI

A neuroimaging technique that measures brain activity by detecting changes in blood flow.

Circadian Rhythm

The body's internal clock that regulates sleep-wake cycles, which can be disrupted by factors like jet lag, and shifts depending on your age.

NREM Stage N1

The stage of sleep where one begins to fall asleep; heartbeat and breathing slow down.

Hypnagogic Sensations

Sensations you imagine are real, such as the feeling of falling, occurring during NREM Stage 1.

Sleep Stage N2

Light sleep characterized by no eye movements and body temperature drops; lasts about 25 minutes.

Sleep Stage N3

Slow Wave Sleep, the deepest sleep stage, where body is fully relaxed and no eye movements occur.

REM Sleep

The primary dreaming stage of sleep, marked by rapid eye movements and increased brain activity.

REM Sleep Behavior Disorder

A condition where loss of muscle atonia leads to acting out dreams.

REM Rebound

The phenomenon where an individual enters REM sleep more often or easily after a period of deprivation.

Narcolepsy

A chronic neurological disorder causing difficulty in regulating sleep-wake cycles.

Sleep Apnea

A sleep disorder that causes people to stop breathing or breathe shallowly while sleeping.

Somnambulism

Sleepwalking that occurs during deep NREM sleep (NREM Stage 3).

Forebrain

The part of the brain that includes the cerebrum and limbic system, responsible for higher order processing, emotions, learning, and memory.

Midbrain

A region of the brain that connects the forebrain to the hindbrain, involved in visual and auditory processing.

Hindbrain

The lower part of the brain that includes structures such as the brainstem, pons, and cerebellum, responsible for basic functions.

Broca’s Aphasia

A type of aphasia characterized by difficulty in speech production, while comprehension remains relatively intact.

Cerebellum

A brain structure that coordinates movements, controls posture and balance, and is involved in fine motor movement.

Amygdala

An almond-shaped structure in the temporal lobe responsible for emotions such as fear, anxiety, and aggression.

Hippocampus

A brain structure key to forming long-term memories and spatial navigation.

Thalamus

A structure located above the brainstem that acts as a sensory relay station for all senses except smell.

Pituitary Gland

The 'master gland' that produces and releases hormones and controls other endocrine glands in the body.

Medulla Oblongata

The part of the hindbrain that regulates cardiovascular and respiratory functions, as well as other autonomic functions.

Pons

A structure in the hindbrain that relays sensory information and is involved in regulating sleep, dreaming, and breathing.

Reticular Activating System

A network of nerve cells within the brainstem that regulates arousal, alertness, and sleep-wake cycles.

Cerebral Cortex

The outer layer of the brain involved in complex brain functions such as thought, perception, and action.

Neuroplasticity

The brain's ability to change and adapt over time, or to 'rewire' itself.

Hemispherectomy

A surgical procedure that involves removing or disconnecting half of the brain to treat seizures.

Corpus Callosum

The bundle of nerve tissue that connects the two brain hemispheres.

Split Brain

Condition resulting from the severing of the corpus callosum, which can impair communication between the two hemispheres.

Prosopagnosia

The inability to recognize faces, often caused by damage to the right hemisphere.

Broca's Area

A region in the frontal lobe associated with speech production.

Wernicke's Area

A region in the temporal lobe associated with understanding spoken and written language.

Broca's Aphasia

A condition characterized by difficulty speaking fluently, resulting from damage to Broca's area.

Wernicke's Aphasia

A condition characterized by difficulty understanding or producing meaningful speech, resulting from damage to Wernicke's area.

Neuron

A nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system.

Dendrites

Terminal branches of an axon that receive messages from other cells.

Axon

Passes messages away from the cell body to other neurons, muscles, or glands.

Cell body

The cell's life-support center.

Neural impulse (action potential)

An electrical signal traveling down the axon.

Myelin sheath

Covers the axon of some neurons and helps speed neural impulses.

Synapse

The junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron.

Neurotransmitter

Chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gap and bind to receptor sites on the receiving neuron.

Neurogenesis

The process by which new neurons are formed in the brain.

Resting potential

The state of a neuron when it is not firing; typically has a negative charge inside.

Action potential

A brief electrical charge that travels down an axon.

All-or-nothing principle

The principle that a neuron either fires completely or does not fire at all.

Excitatory neurotransmitters

Neurotransmitters that encourage an action potential to occur.

Inhibitory neurotransmitters

Neurotransmitters that discourage an action potential from occurring.

Acetylcholine

A neurotransmitter involved in muscle action, learning, and memory.

Serotonin

A neurotransmitter that affects mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal.

GABA

A major inhibitory neurotransmitter that calms firing nerves in the central nervous system.

Glutamate

A major excitatory neurotransmitter involved in learning and memory.

Antagonists

Substances that bind to neurotransmitter receptors to prevent a response.

Agonists

Substances that bind to neurotransmitter receptors to produce a response.

Psychoactive drugs

Substances that affect brain function and can change perception, mood, and behavior.