AP Psychology - Vocabulary 11

a neuron's reaction of either firing (with a full-strength response) or not firing

a neural center located in the limbic system; helps process explicit (conscious) memories of facts and events for storage

the neural storage of a long term memory

a neurotransmitter's reabsorption by the sending neuron

a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system

a neuron's often bushy, branching extensions that receive and integrate messages, conducting impulses toward the cell body

the neuron extension that passes messages through its branches to other neurons, muscles, or glands

fatty tissue layer segmentally encasing the axons of some neurons; enables vastly greater transmissions speed as neural impulses hop from one node to the next

a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon

the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse

the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neurons. The tiny gap is called the synaptic gap or synaptic cleft

chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gap between neurons. When released by the sending neuron, they travel across synapse and bind to recepter sites on the receiving neuron, influencing whether that neuron will generate a neural impulse

a neurotransmitter that, among its functions, triggers muscle contraction

"morphine within". natural, opiate-like neurotransmitters linked to pain control and pleasure

the body's speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems

brain and spinal cord

the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system (CNS) to the rest of the body

bundled axons that form neural cables connecting the central nervous system (CNS) with muscles, glands, and sense organs

afferent neurons; neurons that carry important incoming information from the body's tissues and sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord

efferent neurons; neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands

neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and process information between the sensory inputs and motor outputs

the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's electrical skeletal muscles, aka the skeletal nervous system

the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs (such as the heart). Its sympathetic division arouses; its parasympathetic division calms

the division of the automatic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations

the division of the automatic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy

interconnected neural cells. With experience, ___ can learn, as feedback strengthens or inhibits connections that produce certain results

the body's "slow" chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream

chemical messengers, mostly those manufactured by the endocrine glands, that are produced in one tissue and affect another

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

the endocrine system's most influential gland. Under the influence of the hypothalamus, it regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands

the oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; it is responsible for automatic survival functions

the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing

a nerve network that travels through the brainstem into the thalamus and plays an important role in controlling arousal

the brain's sensory control center (switchboard), located on top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla

the "little brain" at the rear of the brainstem; functions include processing sensory input and coordinating movement output and balance

a donut-shaped neural system (including amygdala, hypothalamus, and hippocampus) located below the cerebral hemispheres: associated with emotions and drives

two lima bean-sized neural clusters that are components of the limbic system and are linked to emotion

a neural structure lying below the thalamus; it directs several maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temperature), helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion and reward

the intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the cerebral hemispheres; the body's ultimate control and information-processing center

cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons

the portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgments

portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; receives sensory input for touch and body position

portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes areas that receive information from the visual fields

portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory areas, each receiving information primarily from the opposite ear

an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements

the area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body sensations

areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions; rather, they are involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking

helps control language expression—an area of the frontal lobe, usually in the left hemisphere, that directs the muscle movements involved in speech

the region of the brain involved in language comprehension and expression, usually in the left temporal lobe

the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them

a condition resulting from surgery that isolates the brain's two hemispheres by cutting the fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) connecting them