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Ch 3 - Psychology
Psychology and the Brain
Question | Answer |
---|---|
hemispherectomy | removal of one-half of the brain's cerebral cortex |
psychosocial dwarfism | stunted physical growth of a child due to lack of stimulation of the hypothalmus and the pituitary gland |
myelin | a fatty white substance that forms sheaths around certain axons and increases the speed of neural impulses |
corpus callosum | a thick bundle of axons that provides a means of communication between the cerebral hemispheres |
heritability | the proportion of variability in a trait across a population attributable to genetic differences among members of the population |
nervous system | the chief means of communication in the body |
neuron | a cell specialized for the transmission of information in the nervous system |
central nervous system | the division of the nervous system consisting of the brain and the spinal cord |
brain | the structure of the central nervous system that is located in the skull and plays important roles in sensation, movement, and information processing |
spinal cord | the structure of the central nervous system tha tis located in the spine and plays a role in bodily reflexes and in communicating information between the brain and the peripheral nervous system |
reflex | an automoatic, involuntary motor response to sensory stimulation |
peripheral nervous system | the division of the nervous system that conveys sensory information to the central nervous system and motor commands from the central nervous system to the skeletal muscles and internal organs |
nerve | a bundle of axons that conveys information to or from the central nervous system |
somatic nervous system | the division of the peripheral nervous system that sends messages from the sensory organs to teh central nervous system and messages from the central nervous system to the skeletal muscles |
autonomic nervous system | the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls automatic, involuntary physiological processes |
sympathetic nervous system | the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body to prepare it for action |
parasympathetic nervous system | the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body and performs maintance functions |
endocrine system | the physiological system whose glands secrete hormones into the bloodstream |
hormones | chemicals, secreted by endocrine glands, that play a role in a variety of functions, including synaptic transmission |
pituitary gland | an endocrine gland that regulates many of the other endocrine glands by secreting hormones that affect the secretion of their hormones |
adrenal gland | an endocrine gland that secretes hormones that regulate the excretion of minerals and the body's response to stress |
gonads | the male and female sex glands |
testes | the male gonads, which secrete hormones that regulate the development of the male reproductive system and secondary sex characteristics |
ovaries | the female gonads, which secret hormones that regulate the development of the female reproductive system and secondary sex characteristics |
sensory neuron | a neuron that sends messages from sensory receptors to the central nervous system |
motor neuron | a neuron that sends messages from the central nervous system to smooth muscles, cardiac muscle, or skeletal muscles |
interneuron | a neuron that conveys messages between neurons in the brain or spinal cord |
soma | the cell body, which is neurons in the brain or spinal cord |
dendrites | the branchlike structures of the neuron that receive neural impulses |
axon | the part of the neuron that conducts neural impulses to glands, muscles, or other neurons |
synapse | the junction between a neuron and a gland, muscle, sensory organ, or another neuron |
neurotransmitter | chemicals secreted by neurons that provide the means of synaptic transmission |
alzheimer's disease | a brain disorder characterized by difficulty in forming new memories and by general mental deterioration |
parkinson's disease | a degenerative disease of dopamine, which causes marked disturbances in motor behavior |
endorphins | neurotransmitters that play a role in pleasure, pain relief, and other functions |
electroencephalograph (EEG) | a device used to record patterns of electrical activity produced by neuronal activity in the brain |
position-emission tomography (PET) | a brain scanning technique that produces color-coded pictures showing the relative activity of different brain areas |
computed tomography (CAT) | a brain-scanning technique that relies on x-rays to construct computer-generated images of the brain or body |
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) | a brain-scanning technique that relies on strong magnetic fields to construct computer-generated images of the brain or body |
functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) | a brain-scanning technique that relies on strong magnetic fields to construct computer-generated images of physiological activity in the brain or body |
brain stem | a group of brain structures that provide life-support functions |
medulla | a brain stem structure that regulates breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, and other life functions |
pons | a brain stem structure that regulates the sleep-wake cycle |
cerebellum | a brain stem structure that controls the timing of well-learned movements |
reticular formation | a diffuse network of neurons, extending through the brain stem, that helps maintain vigilance and an optimal level of brain arousal |
thalamus | the brain stem structure that acts as a sensory relay station for taste, body, visual, and auditory sensations |
limibic system | a groups of brain structures that, though their influence on emotion, motivation, and memory, promote the survival of the individual and, as a result, the continuation of the species |
hypothalamus | a limbic system structure that, through its effects on the pituitary gland and the autonomic nervous system, helps regulate aspects of motivation and emotion, including eating, drinking, sexual behavior, body temperature, and stress responses |
amygdala | a limbic system structure that evaluates information from the immediate environment, contributing to feelings of fear, anger, or relief |
hippocampus | a limbic system structure that contributes to the formation of memories |
cerebral cortex | the outer covering of the brain |
cerebral hemisphere | the left and right halves of the cerebrum |
primary cortical area | regions of the cerebral cortex that serve motor or sensory functions |
wernicke's area | the region of the temporal lobe that controls the meaningfulness of speech |
frontal lobe | a lobe of the cerebral cortex responsible for motor control and higher mental processes |
motor cortex | the area of the frontal lobes that controls specific voluntary body movements |
parietal lobe | a lobe of the cerebral cortex responsible for processing bodily sensations and perceiveing spatial relations |
sensory cortex | the area of the parietal loves that processes information from sensory receptors in the skin |
temporal lobe | a lobe of the cerebral cortex responsible for processing hearing |
auditory cortex | the area of the temporal lobes that processes sounds |
occipital lobe | a lobe of the cerebral cortex responsible for processing vision |
visual cortex | the area of the occipital lobes that processes visual input |
broca's area | the region of the frontal lobe responsible for the production of speech |