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Biological foundation
nature vs. nurture
38
Psychology
Undergraduate 1
01/22/2010

Additional Psychology Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
The Nervous System
Definition

message travel from our brain to our limbs...so we can move our bodies

~Or from our sensory organs to our brains...so we can make sense of and respond to the world

Term
Central Nervous System (CNS)
Definition

Spinal cord and brain

Central to all behavior and mental processes

~central processing center

Term
Spinal Cord
Definition

Information highway

sensory nerves send information up to the brain

~Brain receives and interprets them

~motor nerves and send them information down to muscles

Term
Brain Stem
Definition

Base of skull

controls the most basic functions of survival...breathing, swallowing, vomiting, urination, orgasm

*damages likely to cause death!!!

Term
Cerebellum
Definition

proper motor functioning and motor learning

~If damaged, may cause...balance problems, trouble walking, problem with limb coordination

Term
Hypothalamus
Definition

vital for temp. regulation, body rhythms, blood glucose level

~basic drives of thirst, hunger, aggression and lust

damage may cause...overwhelming urge to eat, drink, lost of sexual desire, highly irregular sleep patterns

Term
Thalamus
Definition
Receives almost all sensory information and dispatches it to the cortex
Term
Hippocampus
Definition

plays role in the formation on new memories

grows larger with increased use

~damage causes of the inability to form new memories

Term
Amygdala
Definition

serves a role in associating things in the world with emotional responses

~has a special role in responding to stimuli that elicit fear...i.e. protect us from danger, flashbulb memories

~Helps us evaluate the emotional significance of a facial expression

Term
Cerebral Cortex
Definition

the outer layer of the brain tissue

~4 lobes: occipital, parietal, temporal, frontal

Term
Occipital lobe
Definition

devoted almost exclusively to vision

primary visual cortex

Term
parietal lobe
Definition

devoted partially to touch

somatosensory cortex

damages to this may result in hemineglect!!!

Term
Humunculus
Definition

All areas of body have corresponding part of sensory cortex.

~Parts of body that are more sensitive to touch have bigger area of cortex

Term
Temporal Lobes
Definition

important for processing auditory information

~hold the primary auditory cortex

~fusiform face area

at the intersection of temperal and occipital corticies

~Specializes in facial recognition

Term
Frontal Lobes
Definition

Essential for planning and movement

~primary motor cortex

~prefrontal cortext: 30% of the human brain, controls rational activity, important in social activity-understanding others, behave according to norm

Term
Lobotomy
Definition

deliberates damage to the prefrontal cortex

~left patient lethargic, emotionally flat and disconnected from social activities

Term
Corpus Callosum
Definition

connects right to left hemispheres

~severing this will drastically affect the way people think about and deal with the world.

Term
Peripheral Nervous System
Definition

includes all nervous system that is not housed in bone

~Carries out sensory and motor function

~divided into somatic and autonomic nervous systems

Term
Somatic Nervous System
Definition

Transmits info from senses to the CNS

~Transmits info from CNS to muscle

~involved with all voluntary movement

Term
Autonomic Nervous System
Definition

Carries info back and forth bt CNS and heart, lungs, organs and glands

~Controls activities outside conscious control...breathing, digestion, sweating

 

Term
Sympathetic
Definition
mobilizes body for action during stress
Term
Parasympathetic
Definition
regulates energy-conserving
functions
Term
Endocrine System
Definition
Also regulates psychological activity
Uses hormones to communicate
chemical substances that travel through the
bloodstream
Some functions:
Regulate metabolism
Growth rate
Digestion
Development
Emotions
Sexual behavior
Term
Endocrine System
Definition
works in concert with the nervous system
to promote survival
release of all hormones controlled by the
pituitary gland (at the base of the
hypothalamus)
Term
Plasticity
Definition
Ability of brain to change as a result of
experience, drugs or injury
Provides basis for learning and memory
So as you learn, your brain changes!
Term
Neuron
Definition

Basic unit of communication
Specialized cells that receive and transmit
information throughout the body

Communication within and between
~It is an electrochemical process
~It use electrical impulses and
chemical messengers to send information

Term
Synapse
Definition

This is the gap between neurons

Greek for “point of contact”

Term
Neurotransmitters
Definition

Chemical messengers
~Stored in vesicles at axon tips
~When released they travel across synapse
to adjacent neuron

~influence mind and behavior
~Including emotions, motor skills, sleep, learning
and memory, pain control, and pain perception
~more than 60 ? have been
identified

Term
acetylcholine
Definition
Motor control over muscles, learning, memory, sleeping, and dreaming
Term
epineprine
Definition
energy
Term
norepinephrine
Definition
arousal and vigilance
Term
serotonin
Definition
emotional states and impulsiveness, dreaming
Term
dopamine
Definition

reward motivation

Monitor control over voluntary movement

Term
Gabba (gamma-aminobutyric acid)
Definition
inhibition of actions potentials, anxiety and intoxication
Term
endorphin
Definition
pain reduction, reward
Term
Substance P
Definition
pain perception; mood and anxiety
Term
glutamate
Definition
enhances actions potentials; learning and memory
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