AP Psychology Unit 2: Brain and Behavior Vocabulary 💡 

Computed Tomography (________) Scan: type of scan that uses x- rays to reveal brain damage.

Positron ________ (PET) Scan: type of scan that shows brain consumption of chemical fuel, such as glucose.

central trunk of the brain connecting to the spinal cord; consists of the medulla, pons, and midbrain, controlling mostly automatic functions

contains the cardiac, respiratory, vomiting and vasomotor centers and therefore deals with the autonomic functions of breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure

large mass of gray matter with several functions such as relaying of sensory and motor signals to the cerebral cortex, and the regulation of consciousness, sleep, and alertness

controls body temperature, hunger, important aspects of parenting and attachment behaviors, thirst, fatigue, sleep, and circadian rhythms

set of brain structures that includes the olfactory bulbs, hippocampus, hypothalamus, and amygdala

important roles in the consolidation of information from short-term memory to long-term memory, and in spatial memory that enables navigation

perceive information dealing with olfaction (smell)

primary role in the processing of memory, decision-making, and emotional reactions

two hemispheres are joined beneath the cortex by the corpus callosum; plays a key role in memory, attention, perception, awareness, thought, language, and consciousness

deals primarily with sleep, respiration, swallowing, bladder control, hearing, equilibrium, taste, eye movement, facial expressions, facial sensation, and posture

plays an important role in motor control, and it may also be involved in some cognitive functions such as attention and language as well as in regulating fear and pleasure responses

the region of the cerebral cortex involved in the planning, control, and execution of voluntary movements

middle of parietal lobe, deals with sensory information (soft, hot, cold, etc.)

white matter at the center of the brain connecting the two hemispheres of the cerebral cortex

lobe dealing with speaking, planning, logic, personality, abstract thinking, problem solving

lobe dealing with vision

lobe dealing with audition (hearing)

nervous system that runs through the spine and neck, relaying all messages to the brain

nervous system that covers the rest of your body beyond the spine to the extremities of your body and its tissues

nervous system, in two parts, that controls voluntary movement and sensory neurons

nervous system that maintains heartbeat, breathing, and organs

nervous system that increases heart rate, breathing, and glucose levels

nervous system that decreases heart rate, breathing, and glucose levels

official name for nerve cells

the part of the nerve cell that receives signals

the part of the nerve cell that sends signals

the part of the nerve cell that contains the nucleus, ribosomes, mitochondria, etc

the part of the nerve cell that transfers neurochemicals to the next neuron

the part of neurotransmission at the synapse that sends neurochemicals back to the original neuron after activating receptors

the primary ion outside the axons membrane that provides a polarized positive charge

the primary ion inside the axons membrane that, along with proteins, provide a polarized negative charge

the name for chemicals that cause us to feel happy, sad, alert, etc

the mechanism that re-polarizes axons by moving ions outside the membrane once the charge has evened

type of scan that targets the electrical waves in ones brain, down to a specific stimulus

type of scan that shows brain consumption of chemical fuel, such as glucose

type of scan that puts ones head in a strong magnetic field that aligns spinning electrons of brain molecules, then disorients them with a radio wave; when they return to normal, it gives a detailed picture of the soft tissues

system that uses the bloodstream and hormones to send messages

the master gland that controls growth and other organs

organ that controls metabolism

organ that manages blood sugar and insulin

organ responsible for sex hormones in women

organ responsible for sex hormones in men

organ that releases adrenaline in fight or flight situations