General Psychology: Chapter 3 Quiz – Flashcards
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neurons
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specialized cells in the nervous system that sends and receives information
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sensory neurons
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neurons that send information from sensory receptors to the brain, usually by the way of the spinal cord
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motor neurons
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neurons that send commands form the brain to glands, muscles, and organs to do, cease, or inhibit something
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interneurons
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neurons that connect the sensory neurons' input signals with the motor neurons' output signals
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soma
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the cell body of the neuron which contains the nucleus and other components that preserve and nourish it; the central part of the neuron
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dendrites
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branchlike extensions of the soma that receive information from other neurons
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axon
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an extension of the soma that sends information in the form of electrochemical impulses to other neurons
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Myelin sheath
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a protective coating of fatty material around an axon that hastens the transmission of the electrochemical charge
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synapse
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the entire area composes of the terminal button of one neuron, the synaptic cleft, and the dendrite of another neuron
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Glial cells
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non-neuron cells that supply the neurons with support, nutrients, and insulation
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resting potential
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the stable, negative charge of an inactive neuron
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action potential
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the brief shift in a neuron's electrical charge that travels down the axon
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neurotransmitters
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chemical messengers released by the synaptic vesicles that travel across the synaptic cleft that either excite or inhibits adjacent neurons
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Acetylcholine (ACh)
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a neurotransmitter involved in muscle contraction and memory formation
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Dopamine
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a neurotransmitter that promotes and facilitates movement as well as influencing though and emotion
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endorphins
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a family of neurotransmitters that are similar to morphine and that play an important role in the experience of pleasure and the control of pain
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serotonin
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a neurotransmitter that is important in regulating emotional states, sleep cycles, dreaming, aggression, and appetite
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a neuron fires if it.....
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receives many more excitatory than inhibitory messages from other neurons
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peripheral nervous system
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that portion of the nervous system containing all the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord
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nerve
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a bundle of axons from many neurons that are routed together in the peripheral nervous system
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somatic nervous system
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a division of the peripheral nervous system that transmits commands to the voluntary skeletal muscles and receives sensory information from the muscles and the skin
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autonomic nervous system
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a division of the peripheral nervous system that controls movement of non skeletal muscles, such as the heart and lung muscles, over which people have little or no control
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Sympathetic nervous system
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the part of the autonomic nervous system that activates the body's energy resources to deal with threatening situations
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Parasympathetic nercous system
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the part of the autonomic nervous system that acts to conserve and maintain the body's energy resource
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central nervous system
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that portion of the nervous system located in the bony central core of the body and consisting of the brain and spinal cord
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cerebrospinal fluid
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a clear cushioning fluid secreted by the brain and spinal cord
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spinal cord
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that slender tube shaped part of the central nervous system that extends from the vase of the brain down the center of the back and that is made up of a bundle of nerves
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reflex
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automatic, involuntary responses to sensory stimuli
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endocrine system
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a network of glands in various parts of the body that secrete hormones directly into the blood stream
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hormones
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chemical signals, secreted into the blood by the endocrine glands
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pituitary gland
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the body's master gland, located in the base of the brain whose hormones stimulate and regulate the rest of the endocrine system
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thyroid gland
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the gland located just below the larynx in the neck that controls metabolism
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adrenal glands
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two glands located near the kidneys, that secrete epinephrine and norepinephrine, which active the sympathetic nervous system
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gonads
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the two sex glands called ovaries in females and testes in males
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electroencephalograph (EEG)
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a brain-imaging technique that records "waves" of electrical activity in the brain using metal electrodes placed on a person's scalp
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computerizes axial tomography (CAT)
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a brain-imaging technique that combines thousands of X-ray brain photographs to construct a cross-sectional picture of the brain
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magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
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a brain imaging technique that produces three dimensional images of the brain's soft tissues by detecting magnetic activity from nuclear particles in brain molecules
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positron emission tomography (EMT)
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a brain imaging technique that measures over several minutes the average amount of neural activity in different brain regions by showing each region's consumption of he sugar glucose, the brain's chemical fuel
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Functional Magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
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a brain- imaging technique that measures, over a few seconds, the average neural activity in different brain regions by showing fluctuations in blood oxygen levels
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hindbrain
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region of the brain above the spinal cord that contains the medulla, the pons, and the cerebellum,
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medulla
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a part of the hindbrain that controls breathing, heart rate, swallowing, and digestion, and allows us to maintain an upright posture
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pons
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a part of the hindbrain that is concerned with sleep and arousal
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cerebellum
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a part of the hindbrain that regulates and coordinates basic motor activities and may also play a role in learning
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midbrain
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the region of the brain above the hindbrain that contains the reticular formation
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reticular formation
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a part of the midbrain involved in the regulation and maintenance of consciousness
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forebrain
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region of the brain above the midbrain that contains the cerebral cortex, thalamus, hypothalamus, and limbic system
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thalamus
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a part of the forebrain that is the brain's sensory relay station, sending messages from the senses to higher parts of the brain
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hypothalamus
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a part of the forebrain involved in regulating basic biological procecsses, such as eating, drinking, sexual activity, emotion, and a stable body temperature
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limbic system
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a part of the forebrain consisting of structures that influence fear and aggression (amygdala) and the acquisition and consolidation of new information in memory (hippocampus)
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cerebral cortex
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the largest structure in the forebrain; largely responsible for higher-order mental processes
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cerebral hemispheres
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the two main parts of the cerebral cortex;the left and right hemispheres
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corpus callosum
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a thick band of nerve fibers connecting the right and left cerebral hemispheres that transmits information between them
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occipital lobe
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one of the four major sections of the cerebral cortex, located at the back of each cerebral hemisphere and primarily responsible for visual processing
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parietal lobe
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one of the four major sections of the cerebral cortex, situated in front of the occiptal lobe in each cerebral hemispheres and involved in touch sensation and in monitoring the body's position
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temporal lobe
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one of the four major sections of the cerebral cortex, situated in below the parietal lobe and near the temple in each cerebral hemispheres; important in audition and language
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frontal lobe
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one of the four major sections of the cerebral cortex, situated in the front each cerebral hemisphere an beind the forehead; involvement in the coordination of movement and higher mental processes
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cerebral lateralization
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the degree to which the right or left hemisphere controls various cognitive and behavioral functions
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aphasia
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the inability to recognize or express language as a result of damage to brain tissue, such as after a stroke
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plasticity
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the ability of the brain to alter its neutral connections following damage
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blood brain barrier
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a semipermeable wall of tiny blood vessels that prevents certain chemicals in the bloodstream from reaching the brain
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phenotype
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the visible and measurable traits of an organism
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genotype
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the underlying genetic composition of an organism
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gene
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the basic biochemical unit of inheritance that is located on and transmitted by chromosomes
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chromosomes
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threadlike structures carrying genetic information that are found in every cell of the body, except red blood cells
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Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
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the complex molecule strand of a chromosome that contain thousands of different genes, located at fixed positions
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sex chromosomes
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one of the 23 pairs of chromosomes, the pair (23 in all) of chromosomes, that determines whether an individual is male or female
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fraternal twins
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twins who develop from the union of two separate sperm eggs; also known as dizygotic twins
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identical twins
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twins who develop from the union of the same egg and sperm, and thus share exactly the same genotype; also known as monozygotic twins
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behavior groups
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the study of how the genotype and the environment of an organism influence its behavior
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molecular genetics
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the sub-discipline in biology that studies the molecular structure and function of genes to determine how they influence behavior
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cloning
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the process of making a genetically identical organism through nonsexual means
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sex
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the biological status of being female or male
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gender
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the meaning that societies and individuals attach to being female and male
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left hemisphere of the brain
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excels at language, logic, providing explanations for events
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right hemisphere of the brain
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excels in visual and spatial tasks, recognizing non-linguistic sounds, identifying faces, and perceiving and expressing emotions
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The brain can alter...
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it's neutral connections to compensate for damage
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Women's brains may be less________than men's brains
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lateralized (less likely to have various brain functions located in only one of the hemispheres)
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Commonly used technological devices to examine the brains electrical activity, structure, blood flow, and chemistry are...
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EEG's, CAT's, MRI's, fMRI's, & PET's
