AP Psychology Chapter 2
These terms are matched to Myers 8th edition of Psychology chapter 2.
Terms
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- fMRI
- a technique for revealing blood flow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. MRI scans show brain anatomy; fMRI scans show brain function.
- adrenal glands
- This gland is located on the kidneys, they release hormones that trigger the body to respond to emergencies and high stress
- 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.
- glial cells
- glial cells-cells in the nervous system that support nourish and protect neurons.
- synapse
- a region where nerve impulses are transmitted and received - encompassing the axon terminal of a neuron that releases neurotransmitters in response to an impulse - an extremely small gap across which the neurotransmitters travel, and the adjacent membrane of an axon - dendrite - or muscle or gland cell with the appropriate receptor molecules for picking up the neurotransmitters.
- hormones
- chemical messengers released mostly by endocrine system - They travel through blood stream and affect other tissues.
- central nervous system
- the brain and spinal cord.
- plasticity
- the brain's capacity for modification, as evident in brain reorganization following damage (especially in children) and in experiments on the effects of experience on brain development.
- association areas
- areas of the cerebral cortext that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions - rather, they are involved in higher mental functions such as learning - remembering - thinking - speaking
- frontal lobes
- the portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behid the forehead - involved in speaking and muscle movements and in amking plans and judgments.
- acetylcholine
- (ACh) a neurotransmitter that enables learning and memory and also triggers muscle contraction.
- electroencephalogram
- 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.
- medulla
- the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing.
- corpus callosum
- the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them.
- brainstem
- the oldest part and central core of the brain - beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; the brainstem is repsonsible for automatic survival functions.
- nervous system
- the body's speedy electrochemical communication network consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous system
- Biological Psychology
- branch of psychology concerned with the links between biology and behavior.
- action potential
- a neural impulse - a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon
- axon
- the extension of a neuron - ending in branching terminal fibers, through which messages pass to other neurons or to muscles or glands.
- sympathetic nervous system
- the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations.
- neuron
- a nerve cell - the basic buidling block of the nervous system.
- parasympathetic nervous system
- the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy.
- threshold
- the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse.
- sensory cortex
- the area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations.
- parietal lobes
- the portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear - receives sensory input for touch and body position.
- amygdala
- two lima bean-sized neural clusters that are components of the limbic system and are linked to emotion.
- 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.
- peripheral nervous system
- the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system (CNS) to the rest of the body.
- motor neurons
- neurons that carry outgoing information from the central nervous system to the muscles and glands.
- neuroscience
- the field of study encompassing the various scientific disciplines dealing with the structure development function chemistry pharmacology and pathology of the nervous system.
- reticular formation
- a nerve netwrok in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal.
- 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.
- cerebellum
- the part of the brain at the back of the head that controls the activity of the muscles.
- Testis
- This is one of the two male reproductive glands that produce spermatozoa and secrete androgens
- Thyroid Gland
- This produces hormones that regulate metabolism, body heat, and bone growth
- interneurons
- central nervous system neurons that internally communicate and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs.
- endocrine system
- the body's "slow" chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream.
- dendrite
- the bushy branching extensions of a neuron that receive messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body.
- hypothalamus
- The bridge between endocrine and nervous systems and contains body's thermostat and centers for regulating hunger and thirst
- reflex
- a simple, automatic, inborn response to a sensory stimulus, such as the knee-jerk response.
- threshold
- the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse.
- neurotransmitters
- chemical messengers that traverse the synaptic gaps between neurons. When released by the sending neuron, neurotransmitters travel across the synapse and bind to receptor sites on the receiving neuron, thereby influencing whether that neuron will generate a neural impulse.
- nerves
- neural "cables" containing many axons. These bundled axons, which are part of the peripheral nervous system, connect the central nervous system with muscles, glands, and sense organs.
- PET scan
- a visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task.
- Pancreas
- This produces the hormones insulin and glucagon which control the level of glucose in the blood
- MRI
- a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images that distinguish among different types of soft tissue; allows us to see structures within the brain.
- aphasia
- impairment of language - usually cause by left hemisphere damage either to Broca's area or to Wernicke's area.
- Parathyroids
- Small glands in the neck that regulate calcium and phosphorous balance.
- endorphins
- "morphine within"--natural, opiatelike neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure.
- neural networks
- interconnected neural cells. With experience, networks can learn, as feedback strengthens or inhibits connections that produce certain results. Computer simulations of neural networks show analogous learning.
- Wernicke's area
- controls language reception - a brain area invloved in language comprehension and expression - usually in the left temporal lobe.
- sensory neurons
- neurons that carry incoming information from the sense receptors to the central nervous system.
- somatic nervous system
- the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's skeletal muscles. Also called the skeletal nervous system.
- pituitary gland
- This produces hormones which regulate growth from infancy to adulthood and the amount of water in the blood
- split brain
- a condition in which the two hemispheres of the brain are isolated by cutting the connecting fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) between them.
- Ovary
- This is one of usually two organs that produce ova and secrete estrogen and progesterone
- Lesion
- means the tissue destruction - A brain lesion reffers to a naturally or experimentally damaged or removed brain.
- cerebral cortex
- the intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells that covers the cerebral hemispheres - the body's ultimate control and information processing center.
- limbic system
- a doughnut-shaped system of neural structures at the border of the brainstem and cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions such as fear and aggression and drives such as those for food and sex. Includes the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus.