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Unit 3 Psych

TermDefinition
Biological Psychology - Scientific study of the links between biological (genetic, hormonal, neural) and psychological processes
Phrenology - Franz Gall suggested that the bumps of the skull represented mental ability and character traits - Theory incorrect, proposed different mental abilities were modular
Neuron - Individual nerve cells - Basic building block of the nervous system - Body's information system is built from billions of interconnected neruons
Cell Body - Life support center for the neuron
Dendrite - Branching extensions of the cell body - Dendrites to terminal branches
Axon - Long single extension of a neuron covered with Myelin Sheath - Dendrites to terminal branches
Myelin Sheath - To insulate and speed up messages through hormones
Terminal Branches - Branched ending of axons - Transmitting messages to other neurons
Threshold - When neuron is stimulated by pressure, heat, light or chemical messages, the electrical charge inside the axon can reach a tipping point known as __________ - More positive than the resting potential
Action Potential - Neural impulse - Brief electrical charge that travels down an axon generated by the movement of positively charged atoms (ions) in and out of channels in the axon's membrane
Depolarization - Occurs when positive ions (Na+) enter the neuron making it more susceptible to fire an action potential
Hyperpolarization - Occurs when negative ions (K-) enter the neuron making it less susceptible to fire
Refractory Period - After neuron has fired an action potential it pauses for a short period to recharge itself to fire again
Sodium/Potassium Pump - Pumps positive ions out from inside of the neuron, making it ready for another action potential
All or None Law - When depolarizing current exceeds the threshold a neuron will fire, below the threshold it will not
Intensity - ________of the action potential remains the same, throughout the length of the axon
Synapse - a junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron, thereby influencing it to generate an action potential
Neurotransmitters - (chemicals) released from the sending neuron, travels across the synapse and binds to receptor sites on the receiving neuron, influencing it to generate an action potential
Reuptake - neurotransmitters in the synapse are reabsorbed into the sending neurons through the process of ______ - this process applies brakes on neurotransmitters
Serotonin - ______ pathways are involved with mood, hunger and sleep regulation - lack of ________ has been linked to clinical depression
Acetylcholine - function is motor movement, memory and learning - lack of __________ has been linked to Alzheimer's disease
Dopamine - function is motor movement and alertness - lack of _________ is associated with Parkinson's disease - overabundance is associated with schizophrenia
Norepinephrine - helps control alertness and arousal - undersupply can depress mood
Gaba - a major inhibitory neurotransmitter - undersupply linked to seizures, tremors, insomnia
Glutamate - a major excitatory neurotransmitter - involved in memory - oversupply can overstimulate brain, producing migraines or seizures
Endorphins - involved in pain control - many of most addictive drugs drugs deal with _________
Agonists - mimics a neurotransmitter - blocks the reuptake of a neurotransmitter
Antagonists - can be a drug that inhibits(slows down) neurotransmitter - MAY look like a neurotransmitter - Occupies a receptor site - NOT similar enough to stimulate the receptor
Nervous System - consists of all the nerve cells - it's the body's speedy, electrochemical communication system
Central Nervous System - the brain and spinal cord - carries sensory info via afferent (sensory) nerve fibers from receptors throughout the body to the brain - conducts info via efferent (motor) nerve fibers from the brain to muscles and glands
Peripheral Nervous System - the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body
Sensory Neurons (afferent) - carry incoming information from the sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord for processing
Motor Neurons (efferent) - carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands
Interneurons - neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicates internally and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs
Somatic Nervous System - skeletal part of Peripheral Nervous System - voluntary actions
Autonomic - second part of Peripheral Nervous System - non-voluntary actions - regulation of internal organs - constriction of blood vessels - regulates bladder, stomach, and heart
Sympathetic - arousal part of the body (Fight/Flight)- speed up
Parasympathetic - calms body (Feed/Breed)- slows down
Neural Networks - interconnected neurons from networks in the brain - these networks are complex and modify with growth and experience
Endocrine System - the body's "slow" chemical communication system - communication is carried out by hormones synthesized by a set of glands - similar to nervous system, hormones work a lot slower than neurotransmitters
Hormones - chemicals synthesized by the endocrine glands and secreted in bloodstream - affects the brain and many other tissues of the body
Pituitary Gland - "master gland" - releases hormones that regulate other glands
Thyroid Gland - regulate metabolic and calcium rate
Parathyroid - helps regulate the level of calcium in the body
Adrenal Glands - consists of __________medulla and cortex - secretes hormones (epinephrine and norepinephrine) during stress and emotions - _______ cortex regulates salt and carbohydrate metabolism
Gonads - sex glands are differentially placed in men and women - regulate bodily development and maintain reproductive organs in adults
Lesion - experimentally destroys brain tissue to study animal behaviors after such destruction
EEG - an amplified recording of the electrical waves sweeping across brain's surface, measured by electrode placed on scalp - measures electrical currents and brain activity
PET Scan - scan a visual display of brain activity that detects a radioactive form of glucose while the brain performs a given task - patients drink radioactive glucose and image shows areas of brain activity
MRI - uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images that distinguish among different types of brain tissue
CT/CAT Scan - uses x-ray equipment from different angles
Hindbrain - consists of structures in the top part of the spinal cord
Brainstem - oldest part of the brain - beginning where the spinal cord swells and enters the skull - responsible for automatic survival functions
Medulla - base of the brainstem - controls heartbeat and breathing
Cerebellum - "little brain" - attached to the back of the brainstem - helps coordinate voluntary movements and balance
Midbrain - between the hindbrain and the forebrain - integrates some type of sensory information and muscle movements
Reticular Formation - a nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal - part of the midbrain
Forebrain - controls what we think of as thought and reason
Thalamus - the brain’s sensory switchboard, located on top of the brainstem - directs messages to the sensory areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla
Limbic System - doughnut-shaped system of neural structures at the border of the brainstem and cerebrum - associated with fear, aggression and drives for food and sex
Hippocampus - looks like a seahorse - vital to memory system - surgery or injury: the person would become unable to process new memories
Amygalda - two almond shaped neural clusters - linked to emotion, fear, aggression and anger
Hypothalamus - lies below the thalamus - directs several maintenance activities (eating, drinking, emotions) -
Reward Deficiency Syndrome - addictive disorders (substance abuse/binge eating) may stem from malfunctions in the reward system - crave whatever provides that missing pleasure
Cerebral Cortex - fabric of interconnected neural cells that covers the cerebral hemispheres - body's ultimate control and information processing center
Glia Cells - cells in the nervous system that support, nourish and protect neurons - may play a role in learning and thinking
Motor Cortex - back of the frontal lobes - controls voluntary movements
Sensory Cortex - receives information from skin surface and sense organs - parietal cortex
Somatosensory Cortex - area at the front of the parietal lobes - registers and processes body touch and movement sensations
Association Areas - areas of the cerebral cortex not involved in primary motor or sensory functions - involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking and speaking - can't be electrically probed
Four Lobes - each brain hemisphere is divided into Frontal, Parietal, Temporal and Occipital
Frontal Lobe - judge, plan and process new memories - higher level thinking - controls personality, social control, attention and planning - Motor Cortex
Parietal Lobe - located on the top and rear of head - Contains the sensory cortex (part of brain that registers and processes tactile (touch) information) (phantom limb) and body position
Temporal Lobe - located on sides of the head, above ears - receives and processes auditory information - damage: Impaired hearing or deafness - includes Wernicke's area (left hemisphere): part of brain involved in understanding language
Occipital Lobe - located in the back of the head - contains the visual cortex - damage: Partial or complete blindness
Aphasia - an impairment of language, usually caused by left hemisphere damage to Broca's area or to Wernicke's area
Broca's Area (Damage) - Frontal lobe - impaired and disrupts speaking - can usually understand what words mean and follow commands, but have trouble with motor or output aspects of speech - reading ability is impaired, aware of what’s happening
Wernicke's Area (Damage) - Temporal lobe - impaired understanding - disrupts understanding of other’s speech and production of meaningful language - unable to tell others what they want and think
Angular Gyrus - Parietal Lobe - trouble understanding written languages or pictures because visual information is not processed and transmitted to Wernicke's Area
Hearing - auditory cortex and Wernicke's area
Seeing - visual cortex and angular gyrus
Speaking - Broca's area and the motor cortex
Plasticity - brain is sculpted by our genes but also our experiences - neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain to change with learning - plasticity also refers to the brain's ability to modify itself after some type of injury or illness
Neurogenesis - brain often attempts self repair by reorganizing existing tissues - sometimes attempts to mend itself by producing new neurons
Splitting the Brain - procedure in which the two hemispheres of the brain are isolated by cutting the connecting fibers between them
Corpus Callosum - large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carries messages between them
Split Brain Patients - with the corpus callosum severed, objects in the right field CAN be named, objects in the left field CANNOT be named
Handedness - inherited - modern studies point that right hand is preferred - suggested that genes and/prenatal factors influence handedness
Created by: mayasharma
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