Unit One

  1. Epigenetics: How environmental factors (like stress/diet) "switch" genes on or off without changing DNA. (GENE EXPRESSION)

  2. Neuroplasticity: The brain's ability to reorganize itself or build new pathways after damage. (ADAPTABILITY)

  3. Glial Cells: Cells that support, nourish, and protect neurons. (NEURON SUPPORT STAFF)

  4. Reflex Arc: An automatic signal that goes to the spinal cord and back to the muscle before reaching the brain. (BYPASSES BRAIN)

  5. Central Nervous System (CNS): The brain and spinal cord; the body's decision-maker. (COMMAND CENTER)

  6. Peripheral Nervous System (PNS): The "wires" connecting the CNS to the rest of the body. (BODY'S EXTENSIONS)

  7. Afferent (Sensory) Neurons: Neurons that carry incoming info from senses Award the brain. (SENSORY INPUT)

  8. Efferent (Motor) Neurons: Neurons that carry outgoing info Exiting the brain to muscles. (MOTOR OUTPUT)

  9. Somatic Nervous System: The part of the PNS that controls voluntary skeletal muscles. (VOLUNTARY)

  10. Autonomic Nervous System: The part of the PNS that controls involuntary functions (heart, glands). (INVOLUNTARY)

  11. Sympathetic Division: Arouses the body for "Fight or Flight" (increases heart rate, dilates pupils). (AROUSAL)

  12. Parasympathetic Division: Calms the body for "Rest and Digest". (CALMING)

II. Neural Firing & Chemistry

  1. Action Potential: A brief electrical charge that travels down an axon to send a message. (NEURAL IMPULSE)

  2. Dendrites: Branching extensions that receive messages from other cells. (LISTENERS)

  3. Soma: The cell body; maintains the health of the neuron. (CELL LIFE SUPPORT)

  4. Axon: Long fiber that passes messages away from the cell body. (SPEAKER)

  5. Myelin Sheath: Fatty tissue layer that insulates the axon and speeds up the signal. (SPEED)

  6. Nodes of Ranvier: The gaps in the myelin sheath where the signal "jumps". (SIGNAL GAPS)

  7. Synaptic Gap: The tiny fluid-filled space between neurons. (THE GAP)

  8. Depolarization: When positive ions rush into the neuron, making it fire. (FIRING)

  9. Resting Potential: The state of a neuron when it is charged and ready but not yet firing. (POLARIZED/READY)

  10. Reuptake: When the sending neuron reabsorbs leftover neurotransmitters. (RECYCLING)

  11. Agonists: Drugs that mimic or enhance a neurotransmitter. (MIMIC)

  12. Antagonists: Drugs that block or inhibit a neurotransmitter. (BLOCKER)

  13. Acetylcholine (ACh): Enables muscle action and memory; linked to Alzheimer's. (MOVEMENT/MEMORY)

  14. Dopamine: Reward, pleasure, and movement; linked to Schizophrenia (too much) and Parkinson’s (too little). (REWARD)

  15. Serotonin: Affects mood, hunger, and sleep; linked to depression. (MOOD)

  16. Endorphins: Natural painkillers released during exercise or pain. (PAIN RELIEF)

  17. GABA: Major inhibitory neurotransmitter; stops the brain from over-firing. (BRAKES/CALMING)

  18. Glutamate: Major excitatory neurotransmitter; involved in memory. (GO/EXCITEMENT)

III. Brain Structures

  1. Medulla: Controls heartbeat and breathing. (LIFE SUPPORT)

  2. Pons: Coordinates movement and controls sleep/dreams. (SLEEP/COORDINATION)

  3. Cerebellum: Coordinates balance and voluntary muscle movement. (BALANCE/ATHLETE)

  4. Reticular Activating System (RAS): Controls arousal and alertness. (AWAKE/ALERT)

  5. Thalamus: The brain's sensory switchboard (all senses except smell). (RELAY STATION)

  6. Hypothalamus: Maintains homeostasis (hunger, thirst, body temp) and controls the pituitary. (THERMOSTAT)

  7. Amygdala: Linked to emotion, specifically fear and aggression. (FEAR CENTER)

  8. Hippocampus: Processes new memories for permanent storage. (MEMORY MAKER)

  9. Corpus Callosum: Nerve fibers connecting the two hemispheres. (COMMUNICATION BRIDGE)

  10. Frontal Lobe: Planning, decision-making, and voluntary movement. (DECISION MAKER)

  11. Parietal Lobe: Processes sensory input for touch and body position. (TOUCH)

  12. Temporal Lobe: Responsible for hearing and language. (HEARING)

  13. Occipital Lobe: Responsible for visual processing. (VISION)

  14. Motor Cortex: Area at the rear of frontal lobe that controls voluntary movement. (MOVEMENT OUTPUT)

  15. Somatosensory Cortex: Area at the front of parietal lobe that processes touch. (SENSATION INPUT)

  16. Broca’s Area: Responsible for producing speech (Frontal Lobe). (SPEAKING)

  17. Wernicke’s Area: Responsible for understanding speech (Temporal Lobe). (COMPREHENSION)

  18. Split Brain: Condition where the corpus callosum is cut to stop seizures. (SEPARATED SIDES)

  19. fMRI: Shows brain function by tracking blood flow. (FUNCTION/BLOOD)

  20. EEG: Measures electrical activity (brain waves). (BRAIN WAVES)

IV. Sleep & Sensation

  1. Beta Waves: Brain waves of an alert, waking state. (ALERT)

  2. Alpha Waves: Brain waves of a relaxed, awake state. (RELAXED)

  3. Delta Waves: Large, slow brain waves of deep sleep (Stage 3). (DEEP SLEEP)

  4. REM Sleep: Paradoxical sleep where muscles are paralyzed but brain is active; dreaming occurs. (DREAMS)

  5. REM Rebound: Tendency for REM to increase after sleep deprivation. (CATCHING UP)

  6. Activation-Synthesis: Theory that dreams are the brain's attempt to make sense of random neural static. (BRAIN NOISE)

  7. Consolidation Theory: Sleep helps transfer info into long-term memory. (MEMORY FILING)

  8. Sensory Transduction: Converting physical energy (light/sound) into neural impulses. (CONVERSION)

  9. Absolute Threshold: Minimum stimulus needed to detect it 50% of the time. (DETECTION)

  10. Just-noticeable Difference (JND): Minimum difference between two stimuli to detect change. (DIFFERENCE)

  11. Weber’s Law: Two stimuli must differ by a constant percentage to be perceived as different. (PROPORTION)

  12. Sensory Adaptation: Diminished sensitivity to a constant stimulus (e.g., a smell goes away). (GETTING USED TO IT)

  13. Retina: Light-sensitive inner surface of the eye. (VISUAL SCREEN)

  14. Rods: Detect black, white, and gray; used for night vision. (NIGHT VISION)

  15. Cones: Detect fine detail and color; used in daylight. (COLOR/DETAIL)

  16. Fovea: Central point in the retina where cones cluster; sharpest vision. (SHARPEST VISION)

  17. Trichromatic Theory: The retina has three color receptors (Red, Green, Blue). (RGB)

  18. Opponent-Process Theory: Color is processed in opposing pairs (Red-Green, Blue-Yellow); explains afterimages. (AFTERIMAGES)

  19. Place Theory: We hear pitch based on where the cochlea is stimulated. (LOCATION PITCH)

  20. Frequency Theory: We hear pitch based on the rate of neural impulses. (MATCHING RATE)

  21. Sensorineural Deafness: Hearing loss from damage to the cochlea or auditory nerve. (NERVE DAMAGE)

  22. Conduction Deafness: Hearing loss from damage to the ear's mechanical system. (MECHANICAL DAMAGE)

  23. Gate Control Theory: The spinal cord blocks or allows pain signals to reach the brain. (PAIN GATE)

  24. Vestibular Sense: Monitors body position and balance (controlled by inner ear). (BALANCE)

  25. Kinesthesis: Sensing the position and movement of individual body parts. (PART POSITION)