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Psych Vocab 2
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Eugenics | A historical controversial movement aimed at improving the genetic quality of a human population. Based on selective breeding and that certain desirable traits should be encouraged |
| Identical (Monozygotic) twins | Twins who develop from a single fertilized egg that splits into two separate embryos. Since they come from same egg and sperm they share 100% of genetic material |
| Fraternal (Dizygotic) twins | Twins who develop from two separate eggs that are fertilized by two separate sperm cells during the same pregnancy. They share about 50% of their genetic material |
| heredity | Biological process by which parents pass down specific genetic traits |
| nurture | Environmental variables and life experience that shape who we are |
| nature | Genetic and biological factors that shape who we are |
| Nervous system | Bodys main electrical communication network that controls all thought, movement, and vital functions |
| Central Nervous system | The command center consisting of just the brain and spinal cord to process data |
| Autonomic Nervous System | The pathway managing involuntary survival functions (heartbeat, breathing, and digestion) without you thinking |
| Vagus nerve | The main neural superhighway of the parasympathetic system that directly claims the heart and lungs |
| Sympathetic nervous system | The fight or flight system that ramps up energy and heart rate to handle stress |
| Peripheral nervous system | The nerve network outside the CNS that connects the brain/spine to the rest of the body |
| somatic nervous system | The pathway managing voluntary movements (skeletal muscles) and conscious sensory feelings |
| parasympathetic nervous system | The rest and digest system that slows the body down to conserve energy |
| Neurons | Specialized nerve cells that serve as the fundamental building blocks of the nervous system by sending and receiving electrical signals |
| dendrites | Branch-like extensions at the start of a neuron that receive incoming chemical messages from other cells |
| axon | The long, cable-like tail of a neuron that carries the electrical impulse away from the cell body toward the other neurons |
| myelin | A protective, fatty layer wrapped around the axon that acts as insulation to speed up electrical signal transmission |
| synapse | The microscopic gap or junction where information is chemically transmitted from the terminal buttons of one neuron to the dendrites of the next |
| terminal ends/buttons | Know-like structures at the very end of an axon that release chemical messengers (neurotransmitters) into the gap between cells |
| glial cells | Crucial support cells in the nervous system that protect, nourish, clean up, and create the myelin sheath for neurons |
| reflec arc | A rapid, automatic neural pathway that controls an immediate involuntary action (like pulling your hand off a hot stove) by bypassing and processing the response directly in the spinal cord |
| sensory neurons | Nerve cells that carry incoming sensory information from the bodys receptors inward to the brain and spinal cord |
| motor neurons | nerve cells that carry outgoing movement commands from the brain and spinal cord outward to the muscles and glands |
| interneurons | Neurons located entirely within the brain and spinal cord that act as the internal highway, connecting sensory and motor neurons |
| Resting potential | The stable, negative electrical charge (around - 70mV) of a neuron when it is inactive and just waiting to fire |
| Action potential | A breif rapid electrical impulse that travels all the way down the axon to transmit signal |
| All-or-nothing principal | The rule that a neuron either fires completely once it hits its threshold, or it does not fire at all-there are no partial or weak firings |
| depolarization | The rapid shift in electrical charge where positive ions rush into the neuron, making the inside less negative and initiating an action potential |
| reuptake | The process where terminal buttons reabsorb excess, leftover neurotransmitters from the synapse to recycle them and clear the pathway |
| multiple sclerosis | autoimmune disorder where the immune system mistakenly attakc and destroys the myelin sheath, severly disrupting communication |
| myasthenia gravis | chronic neuromuscular disease wherre the immune system destroys ACh receptors at the junction between nerves and muscles, causing severe muscle weakness. |
| excitatory NT | Chemical messengers that stimulate the next neuron, making it more likely to fire an action potential |
| dopamine | neurotransmitter deeply tied to the brains reward, pleasure, motivation, and motor control systems |
| refractory period | A brief recovery window right after a neuron fires during which it cannot fire again until it resets |
| threshold | The specific minimum level of electrical stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse |
| inhibitory NT | Chemical messengers that calm the next neuron, making it less likely to fire an action potential |
| serotonin | A neurotransmitter that regulates mood, sleep, hunger, and emotional stability |
| glutamate | Primary excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain that is essential for memory and learning |
| endorphins | Natural chemical compounds that act as the bodys internal pain relievers and mood elevators |
| ACh | A neurotransmitter crucial for muscle action, voluntary movement, learning, and memory |
| Norepinephrine | neurotransmitter that helps control alertness, arousal, and focus during stress |
| GABA | Primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain that calms neural activity and reduces anxiety |
| hormones | chemical messangers produced by endocrine glands that travel through the blood to regulate long-term bodily processes like growth, metabolism, and mood |
| endocrine system | Bodys slow chemical communication system, consisting of a network of glands that secrete hormones directly into the bloodstream |
| adrenaline | Hormone released during highly stressful situations that instanly spikes heart rate, blood pressure, and energy output to manage a crisis |
| substance P | neurotransmitter responsible for transmitting pain signals from the body up to the brain |
Created by:
ethanherens