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Chapter 3 & 4
Biological Psychology & Sensation & Perception
57
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Undergraduate 1
09/27/2010

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Term
Physiological Explanation
Definition
describes the mechanisms that produce a behavior.
Term
Evolutionary Explanation
Definition
relates to the behavior of the evolutionary history of the species
Term
developmental explanation
Definition
deals with changes over age.
Term
action potential
Definition
an excitation that travels along an axon at a constant strength, no matter how far it must travel.
Term
resting potential
Definition
an electrical poloarization across the membrane (or covering of an axon)
Term
synapse
Definition
the specialized junction between one neuron and another, a neuron releases a chemical that either excites or inhibits the next neuron
Term
terminal button
Definition
presynaptic ending
Term
neurotransmitter
Definition
a chemical that activates receptors on other neurons
Term
postsynaptic neuron
Definition
the neuron on the receiving end of the synapse
Term
Parkinson's disease
Definition
a condition that affects about 1% of people over the age of 50
symptoms inclue involuntary moving, slow movement, tremors, depressed mood
Term
dopamine
Definition
neurotransmitter
Term
psychoactive drugs
Definition
enhance certain experiences, weaken others,and garble thinking and speech by their effects on synapses
Term
stimulants
Definition
drugs that increase energy, alertness and activity
Term
depressants
Definition
drugs that decrease arousal
Term
tanquilizers/ anxiolytic drugs
Definition
help people relax
Term
narcotics
Definition
drugs that produce drowsiness, insensitivity to pain, and decreased responsiveness
Term
opiates
Definition
either natural drufs derived from the opium poppy or synthetic opiates
Term
endorphins
Definition
bind to the opiate receptors & inhibit chronic pain
Term
hallucinogens
Definition
drugs that induce sensory distortions
Term
central nervous system
Definition
the brain and spinal cord, uses the PHS to communicate with the rest of the body
Term
peripheral nervous system
Definition
bundles of nerves between the spinal cord and the rest of the body
somatic; connects skin and muscles
autonomic; connects to the heart stomach and other organs
Term
peripheral nervous system
Definition
bundles of nerves between the spinal cord and the rest of the body
somatic; connects skin and muscles
autonomic; connects to the heart stomach and other organs
Term
cerebral cortex
Definition
outer covering of the brain
Term
occipital lobe
Definition
specialized for vision
Term
temporal lobe
Definition
located toward the left and right sides of the head,is the main area for hearing and some of the complex aspects of vision
Term
amygdala
Definition
subcortical structure deep within the temporal lobe, responds to emotions
Term
parietal lobe
Definition
specialized in senses, including touch, pain, temperature, and awareness of body parts in space
Term
primary somatosensory cortex
Definition
a strip in the anterior portion of the parietal lobe, has cells sensitive to the touch in different body areas.
Term
frontal lobe
Definition
includes primary motor cortex, important for the planned control of fine movements
Term
prefrontal cortex
Definition
memory and planning of movements
Term
mirror neurons
Definition
active when you make a movement or when you watch someone make a similar movement
Term
hypothalamus
Definition
located below the thalamus, important for hunger, thirst, temp regulation, sex and other behaviors
Term
pons & medulla
Definition
controls the muscles in the head
Term
spinal cord
Definition
controls muscles from the neck down
Term
reflex
Definition
rapid automatic response
Term
cerebellum
Definition
important for any behavior that requires aim or timing, such as tapping out a rhythm, judging which of two things are moving faster.
Term
electroencephalograph (EEG)
Definition
uses electrodes on the scalp to record rapid changes in brain electrical activity
Term
magnetoenceohalograph (MEG)
Definition
records magnetic changes
Term
Positron-emission tomography (PET)
Definition
records radioactivity of various brain areas emitted from injected chemicals
Term
functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
Definition
uses magnetic detectors outside the head to compare the amounts of hemoglobin with and without oxygen in different brain areas
Term
Autonomic Nervous System
Definition
closely associated with the spinal cord, controls the internal organs such as the heart
Term
Endocrine System
Definition
a set of glands that produce hormones and release them into the blood
Term
Hormones
Definition
are chemicals released by glands and conveyed via the blood to alter activity in various organs
Term
Plasticity
Definition
change as a result of an experience
Term
Stem Cells
Definition
undifferentiated cells
Term
Corpus Callosum
Definition
a set of axona that connect the left and right hemisphere of the cerebral cortex
Term
Epilepsy
Definition
a condition in whih cells somewhere in the brain admit abnormal rythmic spontaneous impulses
Term
Binding Problem
Definition
the question of how separate brain areas combine forces to produce a unified perception of a single obeject
Term
Sensation
Definition
the conversion of energy from the environment into a pattern of response by the nervous system
Term
Perception
Definition
the interpretation of that information
Term
Stimuli
Definition
energies from the world around us that affect us in some way
Term
receptors
Definition
specialized cells that convert environmental energies into signals for the nervous system
Term
Electromagnetic spectrum
Definition
the continuum of all the frequencies of radiated energy
Term
Pupil
Definition
adjustable opening in the eye
Term
Iris
Definition
colored structure on the surface of the eye surrounding the pupil
Term
Cones
Definition
adapted for color vision
Term
Rods
Definition
adapted for vision in dim light
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