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Psychology Chapter 3
Stack #47845
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| A neurotransmitter that plays multiple roles in the central and peripheral nervous systems, including the excitation of muscle contractions. | Acetylcholine |
| The all-or-none electrical signal that travels down a neuron’s axon. | Action potential |
| A trait that has been selected for by nature because it increases the odds of survival and reproduction. | adaptation |
| The collection of nerves that controls the more automatic needs of the body (such as heart rate, digestion, blood pressure); part of the peripheral nervous system. | autonomic system |
| The long tail-like part of a neuron that serves as the cell’s transmitter. | Axon |
| The brain and the spinal cord. | Central nervous system |
| A hindbrain structure at the base of the brain that is involved in the coordination of complex motor skills. | cerebellum |
| The outer layer of the brain, considered to be the seat of higher mental processes. | cerebral cortex |
| The use of highly focused beams of X-rays to construct detailed anatomical maps of the living brain. | computerized tomography scan (CT scan) |
| The collection of nerve fibers that connect the two cerebral hemispheres and allow information to pass from one side to the other. | corpus callosum |
| The fibers that extend outward from a neuron and receive information from other neurons. | dendrites |
| A neurotransmitter that often leads to inhibitory effects; decreased levels have been linked to Parkinson’s disease and increased levels have been linked to schizophrenia. | dopamine |
| A device used to monitor the gross electrical activity of the brain. | electroencephalograph (EEG) |
| A network of glands that uses the bloodstream, rather than neurons, to send chemical messages that regulate growth and other internal functions. | endocrine system |
| Morphine-like chemicals that act as the brain’s natural painkillers. | Endorphins |
| The similarities and differences among biological (blood) relatives are studied to help discover the role heredity plays in physical or psychological traits. | family studies |
| The outer portion of the brain, including the cerebral cortex and the structures of the limbic system. | forebrain |
| One of four anatomical regions of each hemisphere of the cerebral cortex, located on the top front of the brain; it contains the motor cortex and may be involved in higher level thought processes. | frontal lobe |
| A neurotransmitter that may play a role in the regulation of anxiety; it generally produces inhibitory effects. | GABA (gamma-amino-butyric acid) |
| Segments of chromosomes that contain instructions for influencing and creating particular hereditary characteristics. | genes |
| The actual genetic information inherited from one’s parents. | genotype |
| Cells that fill in space between neurons, remove waste, or help neurons to communicate efficiently. | glial cells |
| A primitive part of the brain that sits at the juncture point where the brain and spinal cord merge. | Hindbrain. (Structures in the hindbrain, including the medulla, pons, and reticular formation, act as the basic life-support system for the body.) |
| Chemicals released into the blood by the various endocrine glands to help control a variety of internal regulatory functions. | hormones |
| A forebrain structure thought to play a role in the regulation of various motivational activities, including eating, drinking, and sexual behavior. | hypothalamus |
| Cells that transfer information from one neuron to another, makeing no direct contact with the outside world. | Interneurons |
| A system of structures thought to be involved in motivational and emotional behaviors (the amygdala) and memory (the hippocampus). | limbic system |
| A device that uses magnetic fields and radio-wave pulses to construct detailed, three-dimensional images of the brain. | magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (“Functional” MRIs can be used to map changes in blood oxygen use as a function of task activity.) |
| Cells that carry information away from the central nervous system to the muscles and glands that directly produce behavior. | motor neurons |
| A spontaneous change in the genetic material that occurs during the gene replication process. | mutation |
| An insulating material that protects the axon and helps to speed up neural transmission. | (blank) |
| An insulating material that protects the axon and helps to speed up neural transmission. | Mylein sheath |
| A spontaneous change in the genetic material that occurs during the gene replication process. | mutation |
| Bundles of axons that make up neural “transmission cables.” | nerves |
| The cells in the nervous system that receive and transmit information. | neurons |
| An interdisciplinary field of study directed at understanding the brain and its relation to behavior. | neuroscience |
| Chemical messengers that relay information from one neuron to the next. | neurotransmitters |
| One of four anatomical regions of each hemisphere of the cerebral cortex, located at the back of the brain; visual processing is controlled here. | occipital lobe |
| One of four anatomical regions of each hemisphere of the cerebral cortex, located roughly on the top middle portion of the brain; it contains the somatosensory cortex, which controls the sense of touch. | parietal lobe |
| The network of nerves that links the central nervous system with the rest of the body.peripheral nervous system. | peripheral nervous system |
| A person’s observable characteristics, such as red hair. The phenotype is controlled mainly by the genotype, but it can also be influenced by the environment. | phenotype |
| A kind of master gland in the body that controls the release of hormones in response to signals from the hypothalamus. | Pituitary gland |
| A method for measuring how radioactive substances are absorbed in the brain; it can be used to detect how specific tasks activate different areas of the living brain. | positron emission tomography (PET) |
| Largely automatic body reactions—such as the knee jerk—that are controlled primarily by spinal cord pathways. | reflexes |
| The period of time following an action potential when more action potentials cannot be generated. | refractory period |
| The tiny electrical charge in place between the inside and the outside of the resting neuron. | resting potential |
| Cells that carry environmental messages toward the spinal cord and brain. | sensory neurons |
| A neurotransmitter that has been linked to sleep, dreaming, general arousal, and may also be involved in some psychological disorders such as depression and schizophrenia. | serotonin |
| The cell body of a neuron. | soma |
| The collection of nerves that transmits information toward the brain and connects to the skeletal muscles to initiate movement; part of the peripheral nervous system. | somatic system |
| The small gap between the terminal buttons of a neuron and the dendrite or cell body of another neuron. | synapse |
| One of four anatomical regions of each hemisphere of the cerebral cortex, located roughly on the sides of the brain; it’s involved in certain aspects of speech and language perception. | temporal lobe |
| The tiny swellings at the end of the axon that contain chemicals important to neural transmission. | terminal buttons |
| A relay station in the forebrain thought to be an important gathering point for input from the senses. | thalamus |
| Identical twins, who share genetic material, are compared to fraternal twins in an effort to determine the roles heredity and environment play in psychological traits. | twin studies |
Created by:
melodious88
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