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Module 4
Neural and Hormonal Systems
33
Psychology
Undergraduate 1
09/08/2010

Additional Psychology Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
biological psychology
Definition
branch of psychology concerned with the links between biology and behavior
Term
neuron
Definition
nerve cell
Term
sensory neurons
Definition
neurons that carry incoming information from the sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord
Term
motor neurons
Definition
neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands
Term
interneurons
Definition
neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs
Term
dendrite
Definition
the bushy, branching extensions of a neuron that receive messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body
Term
axon
Definition
the extension of a neuron, ending in branching terminal fibers, through which messages pass to other neurons or to muscles or glands
Term
myelin sheath
Definition
a layer of fatty tissue segmentally encasing the fibers of many neurons; enables vastly greater transmission speed of neural impulses as the impulse hops from one node to the next
Term
action potential
Definition
a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon
Term
threshold
Definition
the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse
Term
synapse
Definition
the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron.
Term
neurotransmitters
Definition
chemical messages that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons
Term
reuptake
Definition
a neurotransmitter's reabsorption by the sending neuron
Term
endorphins
Definition
"morphine within" - natural, opiatelike neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure
Term
Acetylcholine (ACh)
Definition
neurotransmitter that enables muscle action, learning, and memory
Term
Dopamine
Definition
neurotransmitter that influences movement, learning, attention, and emotion
Term
Serotonin
Definition
neurotransmitter that affects mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal
Term
Norepinephrine
Definition
neurotransmitter that helps control alertness and arousal
Term
GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)
Definition
a major inhibitory neurotransmitter
Term
Glutamate
Definition
a major excitatory neurotransmitter that is involved in memory
Term
nervous system
Definition
the body's speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous system
Term
central nervous system
Definition
the brain and spinal cord
Term
peripheral nervous system
Definition
sensory and motor neurons that connect the CNS to the rest of the body
Term
nerves
Definition
bundled axons that form neural cables connecting the CNS with muscles, glands, and sense organs
Term
somatic nervous system
Definition
division of the PNS that controls the body's skeletal muscles
Term
autonomic nervous system
Definition
part of the PNS that controls the glands and muscles of the internal organs
Term
sympathetic nervous system
Definition
division of the ANS that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations
Term
parasympathetic nervous system
Definition
division of the ANS that calms the body, conserving its energy
Term
reflex
Definition
a simple, automatic response to a sensory stimulus
Term
endocrine system
Definition
body's "slow" chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream
Term
hormones
Definition
chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands, travel through the bloodstream and affect other tissues
Term
adrenal glands
Definition
a pair of endocrine glands that sit just above the kidneys and secrete hormones (epinephrine and norepinephrine) that help arouse the body in times of stress
Term
pituitary glands
Definition
the endocrine system's most influential gland. Under the influence of the hypothalamus, the pituitary regulates growth and controls the endocrine gland
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