Psychology Chapter 3

specialized cells in the nervous system that send and receive information throughout the body

bundle of nerves that connects the brain to the rest of the body

pick up stimuli inside the body or in the world and send signals to the brain

send output signals from the brain to glands, muscles, and organs

• connect neurons to one another
• majority of neurons in your system

soma, dendrites, axon

• body
• nucleus and control center

• trees
• receive information from other neurons and bring it to the soma

carries information

coating which speeds up passing of information

• at the end of an axon
• come close to touching other terminal buttons on other neurons

gap between terminal buttons and dendrites on another neuron

• support cell
• supply the neurons with support, nutrients, and insulation
• glial cells literally hold the brain together
• more glial cells than neurons

chemical messages that travel between nerve cells and muscles to trigger or prevent an impulse in the receiving cell

• neurotransmitter
• walking, talking, blinking, breathing memories

• neurotransmitter
• large muscle movement, pleasure, motivation

• neurotransmitter
• pain suppression and pleasure

• neurotransmitter
• emotions, aggression, appetite, anxious moods, and sleep

consists of brain and spinal cord

nerves that connect the brain and spinal cord with the organs and tissues of the body

• division of the PNS
• sends commands to voluntary skeletal muscles and receives sensory information from the muscles and the skin

• division of the PNS
• controls movement of the involuntary nonskeletal muscles

• part of the ANS
• activates the body's energy resources to deal with threatening situations

• part of the ANS
• conserves and maintains the body's energy resources

network of glands that manufactures and secretes hormones directly into the bloodstream

chemical messengers, carried by the bloodstream, that regulate or stimulate the body

• growth hormone
• stimulates growth and metabolic function

• thyroxin
• stimulates and maintains metabolic processes

• epinephrine and norepinephrine
• increase metabolic activities and blood glucose, constrict certain blood vessels

• testoerone, estrogen, and progesterone
• two sex glands

• brain imaging technique that records "waves" of electrical activity in the brain
• drawback: measures the electrical activity of many different areas of the brain at once, making it hard to pinpoint exact locations of brainwave activity

• brain imaging technique that combines thousands of x-ray photographs to construct a picture of the brain
• helpful in detecting brain abnormalities such as swelling and enlargements of certain areas

• brain imaging technique that produces three-dimensional images of the brain's soft tissue
• provides greater accuracy in diagnosis of brain diseases than the CAT scan

• brain imaging technique that measure the average neural activity in different brain regions over a few minutes
• great for identifying areas of the brain that are active when talking, listening, reading or any other activity

 brain imaging technique that measures the average neural activity in different brain regions over a few seconds

• found at the rear base of the skull that controls the most basic biological need for life
• contains medulla, pons, and  cerebellum

part of the brain above the hindbrain that plays a role in attention, stimulation, and consciousness

part of the brain above the midbrain the controls emotional reactions, thought processes, movement, sensory information, and body temperature

• located at the top of spinal cord
• controls breathing, heart rate, swallowing and digestion

sleep and arousal

• regulation and coordination of body movement
• plays a role in learning

• in midbrain
• involved in regulation and maintenance of consciousness and sleep
• allows you to sleep through familiar sounds but when startled by loud noises RF creates heightened arousal 
• if RF gets damaged you have a permanent coma

• forebrain
• sensory relay station
• sorts and sends messages to eyes, ears, tongue, skin, and other parts of the brain

• forebrain
• provides homeostasis by maintaining a constant internal body state
• regulates eating, drinking, and sexual behavior and release of hormones form the pituitary gland 

• forebrain
• combined of amygdala and hippocampus

controls fear and aggression

important for memory formation

thinking center of the brain that coordinates and integrates all areas of the brain into a fully functioning unit

two halves of the brain

thick band of 200 million white nerve fibers that transmits information between the two hemispheres

• two largest lobes of the brain
• involved in coordination of movement and higher metal process such as planning, social skills, emotional control, and abstract thinking
• right frontal lobe controls more negative moods, while left controls more positive feelings

• involved in touch and sensation and how you experience yourself in the space around you 
• damage to this area can destroy your sense of touch

• important for hearing and language
• left damage: no understanding words/sentences
• right damage: loss of hearing

• visual regions of the brain 
• allow you to experience shapes, color, and motion
• damage causes blindness

avoid harmful substances, exercise on a regular basis, eat sensibly, challenge yourself mentally, wear you seat belt and bike helmet

transmission of genetic characteristics from parents to offspring

the world around you

basic biochemical units of heredity

means by which heredity characteristics pass from one generation to the next 

developed from two separate sperm and eggs

• develop from the same egg
• identical genetype

heredity, biological makeup

environment, life experiences, family, education