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Module 10-12
WHS AP Psych 1
Term | Definition |
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Nervous system | the body's speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems. |
Central Nervous System | the brain and spinal cord. |
Peripheral Nervous System | the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system (CNS) to the rest of the body. |
Nerves | bundled axons that form neural cables connecting the central nervous system with muscles, glands, and sense organs. |
Sensory/Afferent neurons | neurons that carry incoming information from the body's tissues and sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord. |
Motor/Efferent neurons | neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands. |
Interneurons | neurons within the brain and spinal cord; they communicate internally and process information between the sensory inputs and motor outputs. |
Somatic nervous system | the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's skeletal muscles. Also called the skeletal nervous system |
Autonomic Nervous system | the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs (such as the heart). Its sympathetic division arouses; its parasympathetic division calms. |
Sympathetic nervous system | the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy. |
parasympathetic nervous system | the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy. |
Reflex | a simple, automatic response to a sensory stimulus, such as the knee-jerk response. |
Endocrine system | the body's "slow" chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream |
Hormones | chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands, travel through the bloodstream, and affect other tissues. |
Adrenal glands | a pair of endocrine glands that sit just above the kidneys and secrete hormones (epinephrine and norepinephrine) that help arouse the body in times of stress. |
Pituitary gland | the endocrine system's most influential gland. Under the influence of the hypothalamus, the pituitary regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands. |
Lesion | tissue destruction. A brain lesion is a naturally or experimentally caused destruction of brain tissue. |
EEG (electroencephalogram) | an amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity sweeping across the brain's surface. These waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp. |
MEG (magnetoencephalography) | a brain imaging technique that measures magnetic fields from the brain's natural electrical activity. |
CT (computed tomography) scan | a series of X-ray photographs taken from different angles and combined by computer into a composite representation of a slice of the brain's structure. (Also called CAT scan.) |
PET (positron emission tomography) scan | a visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task. |
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) | a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images of soft tissue. MRI scans show brain anatomy. |
fMRI (functional MRI) | a technique for revealing bloodflow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. fMRI scans show brain function as well as structure. |
brainstem | the oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; the brainstem is responsible for automatic survival functions. |
medulla | the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing. |
Thalamus | the brain's sensory control center, located on top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla. |
reticular formation | a nerve network that travels through the brainstem into the thalamus and plays an important role in controlling arousal. |
cerebellum | the "little brain" at the rear of the brainstem; functions include processing sensory input, coordinating movement output and balance, and enabling nonverbal learning and memory. |
limbic system | neural system (including the amygdala, hypothalamus, and hippocampus) located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions and drives. |
amygdala | two lima-bean-sized neural clusters in the limbic system; linked to emotion. |
hypothalamus | a neural structure lying below (hypo) the thalamus; it directs several maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temperature), helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion and reward. |
hippocampus | a neural center located in the limbic system; helps process for storage explicit (conscious) memories of facts and events. |
cerebral cortex | the intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the cerebral hemispheres; the body's ultimate control and information-processing center. |
Frontal lobes | the portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgments. |
parietal lobes | the portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; receives sensory input for touch and body position. |
occipital lobes | the portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes areas that receive information from the visual fields. |
temporal lobes | the portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory areas, each receiving information primarily from the opposite ear. |
motor cortex | an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements. |
somatosensory cortex | an area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations. |
association areas | areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions; rather, they are involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking. |
plasticity | the brain's ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience. |
neurogenesis | the formation of new neurons. |