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Biological Bases of Behavior

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biological psychology   biological psychologya branch of psychology concerned with the links between biology and behavior  
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neuron   a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system  
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sensory neurons   neurons that carry incoming information from the sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord  
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motor neurons   neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands  
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interneurons   neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs  
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dendrite   the bushy, branching extensions of a neuron that receive messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body  
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axon   the extension of a neuron, ending in branching terminal fibers, through which messages pass to other neurons or to muscles or glands  
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myelin sheath   a layer of fatty tissue segmentally encasing the fibers of many neurons; enables vastly greater transmission speed of neural impulses as the impulse hops from one node to the next  
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action potential   a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon  
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threshold   the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse  
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synapse   the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron  
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neurotransmitters   chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons  
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reuptake   a neurotransmitter’s reabsorption by the sending neuron  
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endorphins   “morphine within”—natural, opiatelike neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure  
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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  
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central nervous system   the brain and spinal cord  
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peripheral nervous system   the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system (CNS) to the rest of the body  
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nerves   bundled axons that form neural “cables” connecting the central nervous system with muscles, glands, and sense organs  
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somatic nervous system   the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body’s skeletal muscles  
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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  
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sympathetic nervous system   the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations  
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parasympathetic nervous system   the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy  
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reflex   a simple, automatic response to a sensory stimulus, such as the knee-jerk response  
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endocrine system   the body’s “slow” chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream  
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hormones   chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands, travel through the bloodstream, and affect other tissues  
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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  
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pituitary gland   the endocrine system’s most influential gland. Under the influence of the hypothalamus, the pituitary regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands  
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Acetylcholine   enables muscle action, learning, and memory  
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Acetylcholine   with Alzheimer's disease, ACh-producing neurons deteriorate  
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Dopamine   influences movement, learning, attention, and emotion  
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Dopamine   Excess receptor activity of this neurotransmitter is linked to schizophrenia. Starved of dopamine produces Parkinson's disease  
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Serotonin   Affects mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal  
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Serotonin   Undersupply linked to depression  
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Norepinephrine   helps control alertness and arousal  
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Norepinephrine   undersupply can depress mood  
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GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)   Major inhibitory neurotransmitter  
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GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)   undersupply lined to seizures, tremors, and insomnia  
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Glutamate   major excitatory neurotransmitter; involved in memory  
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Glutamate   oversupply can produce migraines or seizures  
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lesion   tissue destruction  
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electroencephalogram (EEG)   an amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain’s surface. These waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp  
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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 through the body. Also called CAT scan  
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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  
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MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)   a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images of soft tissue.  
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