Psychology Chapter 3
Terms
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- Sympathetic Nervous System
- A set of nerves that prepares the body for action in threatening situations.
- Axon
- The part of a neuron that transmits information to other neurons, muscles, or glands.
- Antagonist
- A drug that blocks the function of a neurotransmitter.
- Amygdala
- A part of the limbic system that plays a central role in many emotional processes, particularly the formation of emotional memories.
- Limbic System
- A group of forebrain structures including the hypothalamus, amygdala, and hippocampus, which are involved in motivation, emotion, learning, and memory.
- Refractory Period
- The time following an action potential during which a new action potential cannot be initiated.
- Association Areas
- Areas of the cerebral cortex that are composed of neurons that help provide sense and meaning to information registered in the cortex.
- Heritability
- A measure of the variability of behavioral traits among individuals that can be accounted for by genetic factors.
- Myelin Sheath
- An insulating layer of fatty material.
- Reticular Formation
- A brain structure that regulates sleep, wakefulness, and levels of arousal.
- Spinal Reflexes
- Simple pathways in the nervous system that rapidly generate muscle contractions.
- Pituitary Gland
- The "master gland" of the body's hormone-producing system, which releases hormones that direct the functions of many other glands in the body.
- Hypothalamus
- A subcortical structure that regulates body temperature, hunger, thirst, and sexual behavior.
- PET Scan
- Involves scanning for radioactive substances in blood.
- Sensory Neurons
- Neurons that receive information from the external world and convey this information to the brain via the spinal cord.
- Chromosomes
- Strands of DNA wound around each other in a double-helix configuration.
- EEG
- A device used to record electrical activity in the brain.
- Central Nervous System
- The part of the nervous system that is composed of the brain and spinal cord.
- Synapse
- The junction or region between the axon of one neuron and the dendrites or cell body of another.
- Cell Body
- The part of a neuron that coordinates information-processing tasks and keeps the cell alive.
- Cerebellum
- A large structure of the hindbrain that controls fine motor skills.
- Motor Neurons
- Neurons that carry signals from the spinal cord to the muscles to produce movement.
- Tegmentum
- A part of the midbrain that is involved in movement and arousal.
- Temporal Lobe
- A region of the cerebral cortex responsible for hearing and language. [Side]
- Thalamus
- A subcortical structure that relays and filters information from the senses and transmits the information to the cerebral cortex.
- Agonist
- A drug that increases the action of a neurotransmitter.
- Tectum
- A part of the midbrain that orients an organism in the environment.
- Subcortical Structures
- Areas of the forebrain housed under the cerebral cortex near the very center of the brain.
- Cerebral Cortex
- The outermost layer of the brain, visible to the naked eye and divided into two hemispheres.
- Interneurons
- Neurons that connect sensory neurons, motor neurons, or other interneurons.
- Dopamine
- A neurotransmitter that regulates motor behavior, motivation, pleasure, and arousal.
- Autonomic Nervous System
- A set of nerves that carries involuntary and automatic commands that control blood vessels, body organs, and glands.
- Acetylcholine (ACH)
- A neurotransmitter that enables muscle action and regulates attention, learning, memory, sleeping, and dreaming.
- Pons
- A brain structure that relays information from the cerebellum to the rest of the brain.
- Terminal Buttons
- Knoblike structures that branch out from an axon.
- CT Scan
- Takes a series of x-rays from different angles.
- Occipital Lobe
- A region of the cerebral cortex that processes visual information. [Back]
- Corpus Callosum
- A thick band of nerve fibers that connects large areas of the cerebral cortex on each side of the brain and supports communication of information across hemispheres.
- Gene
- The unit of hereditary transmission.
- Basal Ganglia
- A set of subcortical structures that directs intentional movements.
- MRI
- Involves brief magnetic pulses and how these are absorbed throughout the brain.
- Norepinephrine
- A neurotransmitter that influences mood and arousal.
- Receptors
- The parts of the cell membrane that receive the neurotransmitter and initiate a new electric signal.
- Nervous System
- An interacting network of neurons that conveys electrochemical information throughout the body.
- Serotonin
- A neurotransmitter that regulates hunger, sleep, arousal, and aggressive behavior.
- Endorphins
- Are chemicals that act within the pain pathways and emotion centers of the brain.
- Hindbrain
- An area of the brain that coordinates information coming into and out of the spinal cord.
- Neurons
- Cells in the nervous system that communicate with one another to perform information-processing tasks.
- Resting Potential
- The difference in electric charge between the inside and outside of a neuron's cel membrane.
- Parasympathetic Nervous System
- A set of nerves that helps the body return to a normal resting state.
- Action Potential
- An electric signal that is conducted along an axon to a synapse.
- GABA
- The primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain.
- Somatic Nervous System
- A set of nerves that conveys information into and out of the central nervous system.
- Hippocampus
- A structure critical for creating new memories and integrating them into a network of knowledge so that they can be stored indefinitely in other parts of the cerebral cortex.
- Frontal Lobe
- A region of the cerebral cortex that has specialized areas for movement, abstract thinking, planning, memory, and judgement.
- fMRI
- Detects the twisting of hemoglobin molecules in the blood when they are exposed to magnetic pulses.
- Peripheral Nervous System
- The part of the nervous system that connects the central nervous system to the body's organs and muscles.
- Medulla
- An extension of the spinal cord into the skull that coordinates heart rate, circulation, and respiration.
- Parietal Lobe
- A region of the cerebral cortex whose functions include processing information about touch. [Middle]
- Glial Cells
- Support cells found in the nervous system.
- Glutamate
- A major excitatory neurotransmitter that is involved in information transmission throughout the brain.
- Neurotransmitters
- Chemicals that transmit information across the synapse to a receiving neuron's dendrites.
- Dendrites
- The part of a neuron that receives information from other neurons and relays it to the cell body.