Chapter Two Psych terms
Terms
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- Phineas Gage
- Man who had a tamping iron through his frontal lobes causing a drastic shift from calm to unrestrained and rude.
- CNS
- Brain and spinal cord
- PNS
- The network of nerves that radiate from the central nervous system to the rest of the body. This comprises the somatic and the autonomic nervous systems.
- Somatic Nervous system
- The branch of the peripheral nervous system that transmits signals from the sensory organs to the CNS and from the CNS to the skeletal muscles
- Autonomic Nervous System
- The branch of the PNS that connects the CNS to the internal muscles, organs, and glands.
- Sympathetic Nervous system
- The division of the autonomic NS that heightens arousal and energizes the body for action.
- Parasympathetic NS
- The division of the autonomic NS that reduces arousal and restores the body to its pre-energized state.
- Endocrine System
- A collection of ductless glands that regulate aspects of growth, reproduction, metabolism, and behavior by secreting hormones.
- Hormones
- Chemical messengers secreted from endocrine glands, into the bloodstream, to various organs thoughout the body.
- Pituitary gland
- A tiny gland in the brain that regulates growth and stimulates hormones in other endocrine glands at the command of the hypothalamus.
- Neurons
- Nerve cells that serve as the building blocks of the nervous system
- Sensory Neurons
- Neurons that send signals from the senses, skin, muscles, and internal organs to the CNS
- Motor Neurons
- Neurons that transmit commands from the CNS to the muscles, glands, and organs.
- Interneurons
- CNS neurons that connect sensory inputs and motor outputs.
- Neural Networks
- Clusters of densely interconnected neurons that form and strengthen as a result of experience
- Glial cells
- Nervous system cells, also called neuroganglia, that provide structural support, insulation, and nutrients to the neurons
- Reflex
- An inborn automatic response to a sensory stimulus
- Soma
- The cell body of a neuron
- Dendrites
- Extensions from the cell body of a neuron that receive incoming impulses
- Axon
- Extension of the cell body of a neuron the sends impulses to other neurons.
- Myelin Sheath
- A layer of fatty cells that is tightly wrapped around the axon to insulate it and speed the movement of electrical impulses.
- Action potential
- An electrical impulse that surges along an axon, caused by an influx of positive ions in the neuron.
- Threshold
- The level of stimulation needed to trigger a neural impulse.
- Synapse
- The junction between the axon terminal of one neuron and the dendrites of another.
- Neurotransmitters
- Chemical messengers in the nervous system that transmit information by crossing the synapse from one neuron to another.
- Receptors
- Specialized neural cells that receive neurotransmitters.
- Acetylcholine (ACh)
- A neurotransmitter found throughout the nervous system that links the motor neurons and muscles
- Dopamine
- A neurotransmitter that functions as an inhibitor and is involved in the control of voluntary movements.
- Parkinson's disease
- A disease characterized by hand tremors, stooped posture, slowness, and a loss of control over one's voluntary movements, caused by death of neurons that produce dopamine.
- Endorphin
- A morphinelike neurotransmitter that is produced in the brain and is linked to pain control and pleasure
- Phrenology
- The pseudoscientific theory that psychological characteristics are revealed by bumps on the skull
- Electroencephalograph (EEG)
- An instrument used to measure electrical activity in the brain though electrodes placed on the scalp.
- CT (computerized tomography) scan
- A series of X-rays taken from different angles and converted by computer into an image that depicts a horizontal slice of the brain.
- PET (Positron emission tomography) scan
- A visual display of brain activity, as measured by the amount of glucose being used.
- magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
- A brain-scanning technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce clear, three-dimensional images.
- Brainstem
- The inner core of the brain that connects to the spinal cord and contains the medulla, pons and reticular formation.
- Medulla
- A brainstem structure that controls vital involuntary functions
- Pons
- A portion of the brainstem that plays a role in sleep and arousal
- Reticular Formation
- A group of nerve cells in the brainstem that helps to control sleep, arousal, and attention.
- Cerebellum
- A primitive brainstem structure that controls balance and coordinates complex voluntary movements.
- Basal Ganglia
- Masses of gray matter in the brain that help to initiate and coordinate deliberate movements.
- Limbic System
- A set of loosely connected structures in the brain that help to regulate motivation, emotion, and memory.
- Thalamus
- A limbic structure that relays neural messages between the senses and areas of the cerebral cortex
- Amygdala
- A limbic structure that controls fear, anger, and aggresion
- hippocampus
- A portion of the brain in the limbic system that plays a key role in encoding and transferring new information into long-term memory.
- Hypothalamus
- A tiny limbic structure in the brain that helps regulate the autonomic nervous sytem, endocrine glands, emotions, and basic drives.
- Cerebral Cortex
- The outermost coverint of the brain, largely responsible for higher-order mental processes.
- Somatosensory cortex
- The area of the cortex that receives sensory information from the touch receptors in the skin
- Motor cortex
- The area of the cortex that sends impulses to voluntary muscles
- Association Cortex
- Areas of the cortex that communicate with the sensory and motor areas and house the brain's higher mental processes.
- Broca's Area
- A region in the left hemisphere of the brain that directs the muscle movements in the production of speech
- Wernicke's Area
- A region in the left hemisphere of the brain that is involved in the comprehension of language.
- Corpus callosum
- A bundle of nerve fibers that connects the left and right hemispheres
- Split Brain
- A surgically produced condition in which the corpus callosum is severed, thus cutting the link between the left and right hemispheres in the brain
- Cerebral Lateralization
- The tendency for each hemisphere of the brain to specialize in different functions.
- Plasticity
- A capacity to change as a result of experience
- Neurogenesis
- The production of new brain cells
- Neural graft
- A technique of transplanting healty tissue from the nervous system of one animal to another.
- Concussion
- An alteration in a person's mental state caused by trauma to the head