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CWI PSYC 101 Chap 2
Psychology in Everday Life by David G Myers
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| biological psychology | a branch of psychology concerned with the links between biology and behavior |
| neuron | a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system |
| dendrites | neuron extensions that receive messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body |
| axons | neuron extensions that pass messages to other neurons or cells |
| action potential | a nerve impulse |
| synapse | the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell boy of the receiving neuron |
| threshold | the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse |
| all-or-none response | a neuron's reaction of either firing (with a full-strength response) or not firing |
| neurotransmitters | neuron-produced chemicals that cross synapses to carry messages to other neurons or cells |
| opiates | chemicals, such as opium, morphine, and heroin, that depress neural activity, temporarily lessening pain and anxiety |
| endorphins | "morphine within" - natural, opiate-like neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure |
| nervous system | the body's speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous sustems |
| central nervous system (CNS) | the brain and spinal cord |
| peripheral nervous system (PNS) | the sensory and motor neurons connecting 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 neurons | neurons that carry incoming information from the sensory receptors to the central nervous system |
| motor neurons | neurons that carry outgoing information from the central nervous system to the muscles and glands |
| interneurons | neurons that communicate internally and intervene 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 (ANS) | the division 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 in stressful situations |
| parasympathetic nervous system | the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| EEG (electroencephalograph) | recording apparatus, using electrodes placed on the scalp, that records waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain's surface, (The tracing of those brain waves is an electroencephalogram.) |
| PET (positron emission tomography) scan | a view of brain activity showing where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task |
| MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) | a technique that uses magnetic field 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 |
| thalamus | area at the top of the brainstem; directs sensory messages to the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla |
| reticular formation | a nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal |
| cerebellum | the "little brain" at the rear of the brainstem; functions include processing sensory input and coordinating movement output and balance |
| limbic system | neural system (including the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus) 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; directs several maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temperature), helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion |
| cerebral cortex | thin layer of interconnected neurons covering the cerebral hemispheres; the body's ultimate control and information-processing center |
| frontal lobes | portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgments |
| parietal lobes | portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; receives sensor input for touch and body position |
| occipital lobes | portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes areas that receive information from the visual fields |
| temporal lobes | portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes areas that receive information from the ears |
| motor cortex | area at the rear of the frontal lobe; controls voluntary movements |
| sensory cortex | area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations |
| hallucinations | false sensory experiences, such as hearing something in the absence of an external auditory stimulus |
| association areas | areas of the cerebral cortex that are primarily involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking |
| Broca's area | an area of the frontal lobe, usually in the left hemisphere, that directs the muscle movements involved in speech; controls language expression |
| Wernicke's area | a brain area, usually in the left temporal lobe, involved in language comprehension and expression; controls language reception |
| plasticity | the brain's ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience |
| corpus callosum | large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them |
| split brain | condition in which the brain's two hemispheres are isolated by cutting the fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) connecting them |
| cognitive neuroscience | subfield of psychology that studies the connections between our brain activity and the processes of thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating |
| consciousness | our awareness of ourselves and our environment |
| selective attention | focusing conscious awareness on a particular stimulus |
| inattentional blindness | failure to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere |
| circadian rhythm | the biological clock; regular bodily rhythms (for example, of temperature and wakefulness) that occur on a 24-hour cycle |
| REM (rapid eye movement) sleep | recurring sleep stage during which vivid dreams commonly occur. Also known as paradoxical sleep, because the muscles are relaxed (except for minor twitches), but other body systems are active |
| alpha waves | relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake state |
| sleep | periodic, natural, reversible loss of consciousness - as distinct from unconsciousness resulting from a coma, general anesthesia, or hibernation |
| insomnia | recurring problems in falling or staying asleep |
| narcolepsy | sleep disorder in which a person has uncontrollable sleep attacks, sometimes lapsing directly into REM sleep |
| sleep apnea | a sleep disorder in which a sleeping person repeatedly stops breathing until blood oxygen is so low it awakens the person just long enough to draw a breath |
| dream | a sequence of images, emotions, and thoughts passing through sleeping person's mind |
| manifest content | according to Freud, the remembered story line of a dream |
| latent content | according to Freud, the underlying meaning of a dream |
| REM rebound | the tendency for REM sleep to increase following REM sleep deprivation (created by repeated awakenings during REM sleep |
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