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Module 7
Bellevue West Psychology Mod 7
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| neuron | A nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system. |
| dendrite | The bushy, branching extension of a neuron that receive messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body (soma). |
| soma | The cell body of a neuron, which contains the nucleus and other parts that keep the cell healthy. |
| axon | The extension of a neuron through which neural impulses are sent. |
| axon terminal | The endpoint of a neuron, where neurotransmitters are stored. |
| action potential | a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down the axon of a neuron. |
| refactory period | The "recharging phase" when a neuron, after firing, cannot generate another action potential. |
| resting potential | The state of a neuron when it is at rest and capable of generating an action potential. |
| synapse | The tiny, fluid-filled gap between the axon terminal of one neuron and the dendrite of another. |
| neurotransmitter | a chemical messenger that travels across the synaspe from one neuron to the next and influences whether a neuron will generate an action potential (impulse). |
| excitatory effect | A neurotansmitter effect that makes it more likely that the receiving neuron will generate an action potential (impulse). |
| inhibitory effect | A neurotransmitter effect that makes it less likely that a receiving neuron will generate an action potential (impulse). |
| receptor cells | Specialized cells in the sensory systems of the body that can turn other kinds of energy into action potentials (impulses) that the nervous system can process. |
| sensory nerves | Nerves that carry information from the sense receptors to the central nervous system. |
| interneurons | Nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord responsible for processing information related to sensory input and motor output. |
| motor nerves | Nerves that carry information to the muscles and glands from the central nervous system. |
| acetylcholine | A neurotransmitter that triggers muscle contraction and affects learning and memory. |
| antagonist | A drug that blocks the effect of a neurotranmitter. |
| agonist | A drug that boost the effects of a neurotransmitter. |
| dopamine | A neurotransmitter that affects learning, attention, and emotion; excess dopamine activity is associated with schizophrenia. |
| serotonin | A neurotransmitter that affects hunger, sleep, arousal, and mood; serotonin appears in lower than normal levels in depressed persons. |
| central nervous system | The brain and spinal cord. |
| peripheral nervous system | The sensory and motor nerves that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body. |
| somatic nervous system | The division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's skeletal muscles. |
| autonomic nervous system | The division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and muscles of the internal organs. Its subdivisions are the sympathetic (arousing) division and the parasympathetic (calming) division. |
| sympathetic division | The part of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body to deal with perceived threats. |
| endocrine system | One of the body's two communication systems; a set of glands that produce hormones, chemical messengers that circulate in the blood. |
| hormone | chemical messengeras produced by the endocrine glands and circulated in the blood. |
| pituitary gland | The endocrine system's highly influential "master gland" that, in conjunction with the brain, controls the other endocrine glands. |
| thyroid gland | Endocrine gland that helps regulate energy level in the body |
| adrenal gland | Endocrine gland that help to arouse the body in times of stress. |
| all-or-none principle | The principle stating that if a neuron fires, it always fires at the same intensity; all action potentials are the same strength. |
| Parasympathetic division | the part of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body. |