psych unit 3

neuron

nerve cells

parts of a neuron

axon, cell body, dendrites, terminal branches

mylein sheath

layer on axon of fat tissue that speeds impulses

when is mylein sheath complete

age 25

dendrite

recieve message from other cells

terminal branches

form junctions with other cells

axon

passes messages away from cell body to other neurons

cell body

cell’s life support center

neural impulse

action potential- electrical signal traveling down axon

what way does neural impulse go

away from cell body

refractory period

inactivity after neuron has fired

synapse

meeting point between neurons

neurotransmitters

chemical messages that cross synaptic gap

what do neurotransmitters influence

hunger, depression, addictions

agonist

stimulates response

antagonist

blocks response

nervous system

body’s communication network

parts of central nervous system

brain and spinal cord

what CNS does

makes decisions

Peripheral nervous system

sensory/motor neurons

what PNS does

gathers info

what nerves do

link CNS to body’s sensory receptors

sensory neurons

carry messages from sensory receptors to brain for processing

motor neurons

carry instructions from CNS to muscles

excitatory

more likely to fire

inhibitory

less likely to fire

somatic

enables voluntary control of skeletal muscles

autonomic

controls glands/muscles of organs

broca

speech production in frontal lobe

gazzaniga

split-brain research

Luria

relation between language/thought

sperry

surgery designed to treat epileptics

wernicke

speech comprehension

sympathetic nervous system

flight or fight, arouses body

parasympathetic

calms body

spinal cord connects…

PNS to brain

what endocrine system is like

sending mail

what nervous system is like

sending text

endocrine glands

secrete hormones

where hormones go

across bloodstream

adernal glands

release adrenaline

pituitary gland

master endocrine gland, regulates growth/controls glands

brainstem

automatic survival functions

parts of brain stem

medulla, pons

medulla

heartbeat and breathing

pons

sleep

thalamus

sensory control system

cerebellum

balance

limbic system parts

hippocampus, amygdala, hypothalamus

hippocampus

memory

amygdala

aggression/fear

hypothalamus

maintenance functions, (eating)

glial cells

support nerve cells

brain sections

frontal, parietal, occipital, temporal

motor cortex

frontal lobe, voluntary movements, sends messages

somatosensory cortex

frontal lobe, processes movement sensations

association areas

involved in mental functions

corpus callosum

connects 2 sides of brain

visual perception track

allows us to recognize things

visual action track

guides our moment to moment movements

left hemisphere

verbal

right hemisphere

visual

DNA

molecule containing genetic info that makes up chromosomes

active genes

provide code for protein molecules

heritability

proportation of variation among people due to genetics

heritability increases when

enviro. diff decrease