Chapter 4 PSY Notes  Vocab

  • Central Nervous System-the brain and spinal cord
  • Spinal Cord-A long cylinder of neutral tissue extending from the medulla of the brain downto the middle of the back; part of the CNS
  • Peripheral nervous system(PNS)-the nerves existing from the CNS that carry sensory and motor information to the rest of the body
  • Brainstem-The part of the brain that contains the midpoint,pons and medulla
  • Medulla-The brain stem structure that lies above the spinal cord
  • Pons-A part of the brainstem that is located between the medulla and midbrain
  • Cerebellum- A structure attached to the brainstem that participates in skilled movements and in human, complex cognitive processing
  • Midbrain- The part of the brainstem that lies between the pons and cerebral hemisphere.

- Opiate painkillers such as morphine and Oxycontin produce some of their analgesic effects by interacting with opioid receptors in the periaqueductal gray.

  • Reticular Formation-A collection of structures located along the midline of the brainstem that participates in mood arousal and sleep
  • Thalamus- A subcortical structure involved with the processing of sensory information, states of arousal and learning memory
  • Basal Ganglia-A collection of subcortical structures that participate in reward and control of the movement
  • Hypothalamus- A subcortical structure that participates in the regulation of thirst, temperature, hunger, sexual behavior, and aggression.
  • Hippocampus- A subcortical structure that participates in memory and stress.
  • Cingulate Cortex-A subcortical structure above the corpus callosum. Its anterior (forward) segment participates in decision making and emotion, and its posterior (rear) segment participates in memory and visual processing. 
  • Amygdala- A subcortical structure located in the temporal lobe believed to participate in emotional processing.
  • Nucleus Accumbens-A subcortical structure that participates in reward and addiction. corpus callosum A wide band of nerve fibers connecting the right and left cerebral hemispheres. 
  • Cerebral Cortex-The thin layer of neurons covering the outer surface of the cere-bral hemispheres.
  • Frontal Lobe-The most forward of the four lobes of the cerebral cortex; location of the primary motor cortex and areas responsible for some of the most complex cognitive processes. 
  • Parietal Lobe-The lobe of the cerebral cortex that lies at the top of the brain between the frontal and the occipital lobes; location of the primary somatosensory cortex.
  • Occipital Lobe-The lobe of the cerebral cortex located at the back of the brain; location of the primary visual cortex. 
  • Temporal Lobe-The lobe of the cerebral cortex that curves around the side of each hemisphere; location of the primary auditory cortex
  • Prefrontal Cortex-The most forward part of the frontal lobe of the cerebral cortex.
  • Somatic Nervous System The part of the peripheral nervous system that brings sensory information to the central nervous system and transmits commands to the muscles.
  • Autonomic Nervous System-The division of the peripheral nervous system that directs the activity of glands, organs, and smooth muscles.
  • Sympathetic Nervous System-The division of the autonomic nervous system that coordinates arousal.
  • Parasympathetic Nervous System-The division of the autonomic nervous system associated with rest, repair, and energy storage. 
  • Enteric Nervous System-A division of the autonomic nervous system consisting of nerve cells embedded in the lining of the gastrointestinal system.
  • Neuron-A cell of the nervous system that is specialized to send and receive neural messages.
  • Glia-Nervous system cells that perform a variety of support functions, including formation of the blood–brain barrier and myelin. cell body The large, central mass of a neuron, containing the nucleus. 
  • Cell Body-The large, central mass of a neuron, containing the nucleus. 
  • Axon-The branch of a neuron that is usually responsible for transmitting information to other neurons.
  • Dendrite-A branch from the neural cell body that usually receives input from other neurons.
  • Myelin-The insulating material covering some axons.
  • action potential The electrical signal arising in a neuron’s axon.
  • Resting Potential-The measure of the electrical charge across a neural membrane when the neuron is not processing information
  • Synapse- A point of communication between two neurons.

Neurotransmitter-A chemical messenger that communicates across a synapse.