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ThinkPsychology CH03
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Central nervous system (CNS) | the largest part of the nervous system; it includes the spinal cord and the brain |
| Peripheral nervous system (PNS) | the part of the nervous system that serves the limbs and organs |
| Somatic nervous system | the part of the peripheral nervous system that picks up stimuli from the outside world, coordinates movements, and performs other consciously controlled tasks |
| Autonomic nervous system | the part of the peripheral nervous system that performs tasks that are not consciously controlled |
| Sympathetic nervous system | is the part of the autonomic nervous system that is always active and acts as a brake for organs. |
| Parasympathetic nervous system | the part of the autonomic nervous system that is responsible for functions that do not require immediate action and acts as a brake for organs |
| Neurons | excitable cells that receive different types of stimulation; the building blocks of the nervous system |
| Dendrites | relatively short, bushy, branch-like structures that emerge from the neuron's cell body and receive signals from adjoining neurons |
| Soma | the cell body of a neuron |
| Axon | a cable-like extension that transmits a signal away from a neuron's soma toward the target of communication |
| Myelin | a fatty substance that coats and insulates axons |
| Terminal buttons | structures at the ends of the branches that extend from axons |
| Sensory neurons | a neuron that carries information from the sensory receptors to the brain as a coded signal |
| Motor neurons | neurons that carry information away from the central nervous system to operate muscles and glands |
| Interneurons | neurons that carry information between sensory neurons and motor neurons |
| Threshold | the number of positive inputs a neuron must receive before it transmits information |
| Synapse | the area between neurons across which nerve impulses travel |
| Neurotransmitter | a chemical message created by a synapse from an electric message transmitted by terminal buttons |
| Spinal cord | a cord that connects the spinal nerves to the brain and organizes simple reflexes and rhythmic movements |
| Reflexes | rapid and automatic neuromuscular actions generated in response to a specific stimulus |
| Brainstem | the base of the brain; responsible for survival oriented functions such as breathing, cardiac function, and basic arousal |
| Limbic system | a system in the brain made up of a number of structures that control social and emotional behavior; influences cognitive processes, most notably forms of memory |
| Medulla | a part of the brain that regulates cardiac and respiratory function |
| Plasticity | a flexible ability to grow and change |
| Thalamus | a part of the brain located just above the brainstem that receives sensory information, processes it, and sends it to the cerebral cortex; helps to regulate the states of arousal , sleep and wakefulness, and consciousness |
| Cerebral cortex | an outer part of the brain that is mainly involved in the coordination of sensory and motor information |
| Cerebellum | a part of the brain that coordinates muscle movements and maintains equilibrium. It is involved in conditioning and forming procedural memories and habits related to movement |
| Amygdala | part of the limbic system; involved in fear detection and conditioning; it is essential for unconscious emotional responses such as the fight-or-flight response |
| Hypothalamus | a small structure in the brain that links the nervous system to the endocrine system |
| Fight-or-fight response | a physiological response to stressors, triggered by the amygdala, in which the body becomes prepared for action |
| Endocrine system | involved in the release of hormones that regulate metabolism, growth, development, tissue function, and mood from the caudate and putamen to the thalamus |
| Pituitary gland | secretes human growth hormone and influences all other hormone-secreting glands |
| Gray matter | a substance that makes up the cerebral cortex; covers the cerebrum and cerebellum |
| Occipital lobes | parts of the brain involved in visual processing; the smallest of the four lobes in the human brain |
| Temporal lobes | parts of the brain involved in auditory processing |
| Frontal lobes | parts of the brain that performs a variety of integration and management functions. They are involved in the encoding and storage of working and long-term memory and, to a lesser extent, in sensory memory processing |
| Primary motor cortex | a part of the brain that is responsible for generating the neural impulses that control the execution of movements |
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vjambriz
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