AP Psychology Chapter 2: The Biology of Mind Flashcards

a branch of psychology concerned with the links between biology & behavior

a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system

a neuron that carries incoming information from the sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord

neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands

neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and intervene between the sensory inputs and the motor outputs

bushy, branching extensions of a neuron that receive messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body

the extension of a neuron, ending in branching terminal fibers, through which messages pass to other neurons or to muscles or glands

a layer of fatty tissue encasing the fibers of many neurons

a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon

ill-fated theory that claimed bumps on the skull could reveal our mental abilities and character traits

level of stimulation needed to trigger a neiral impulse

junction between axon tip of sending neuron and dendrite or cell body of receiving neuron

chemical messengers that cross synaptic gaps between neurons

neurotransmitters reabsorption by the sending neuron

"morphine within"; natural, opiatlike neurotransmitters linked to pain control and pleasure

body's speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems

brain and spinal cord

sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body

bundled axons that form neural cables connecting the CNS with muscles, glands , and sensory organs

division of PNS that controls the body's skeletal muscles

part of PNS that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs

division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations

division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy

a simple, automatic response to a sensory stimulus

tissue destruction

amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brains surface

visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task

a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images of soft tissue

technique for revealing blood flow and brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans

oldest and central core of the brine, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skulls' life-preserving functions

base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing rate

nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal

brain's sensory switchboard, located on top of brainstem

the "little brain" at the rear of the brainstem; controls balance

neural system located below the cerebral hemispheres

lima bean sized neural clusters in limbic system that control emotions

lies below thalamus; linked with maintenance activities, endocrine system, emotion, and reward

intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the cerebral hemispheres; body's ultimate control and information-processing center

cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons

lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking, muscle movements, decisions, and judgement

lying at the top of the head; receives sensory input for touch and body position

back of the head; receives information from the visual fields

located just above the ears; controls auditory areas

area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements

area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations

areas of the cerebral cortex not involved in primary motor or sensory functions; rather, they are involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking

brain's ability to change, especially during childhood

body's slow chemical communication system; set of glands that secretes hormones into the bloodstream

chemical messengers that are manufactured by endocrine glands, travel through bloodstream, and affect other tissues

a pair of glands found above kidneys and secrete hormones that arouse body in times of stress

endocrine system's most influential gland, regulates growth and other endocrine glands

large band of neural fibers connecting two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them

a condition resulting from surgery that isolates the brain's two hemispheres by cutting the fivers connecting them

the formation of new neurons