Dr. David Schroeder's General Psyc 2013 - Psychology: Schacter, Gibert, Wegner
Popularity (by total correct streak): 4
Popularity (by number of users): 2
| neurons | Cells in the nervous system that communicate with one another to perform information-processing tasks. | |
| cell body | The part of a neuron that coordinates information-processing tasks and keeps the cell alive. | |
| dendrites | The part of a neuron that receives information from other neurons and relays it to the cell body. | |
| axon | The part of a neuron that transmits information to other neurons, muscles, or glands. | |
| myelin sheath | An insulating layer of fatty material. | |
| synapse | The junction or region between the axon of one neuron and the dendrites or cell body of another. | |
| sensory neurons | Neurons that receive information from the external world and convey this information to the brain via the spinal cord. | |
| motor neurons | Neurons that carry signals from the spinal cord to the muscles to produce movement. | |
| interneurons | Neurons that connect sensory neurons, motor neurons, or other interneurons. | |
| resting potential | The difference in electric charge between the inside and outside of a neuron’s cell membrane. | |
| action potential | An electric signal that is conducted along an axon to a synapse. | |
| refractory period | The time following an action potential during which a new action potential cannot be initiated. | |
| terminal buttons | Knoblike structures that branch out from an axon. | |
| neurotransmitters | Chemicals that transmit information across the synapse to a receiving neuron’s dendrites. | |
| receptors | Parts of the cell membrane that receive the neurotransmitter and initiate a new electric signal | |
| acetylcholine (aCh) | A neurotransmitter involved in a number of functions, including voluntary motor control. | |
| dopamine | A neurotransmitter that regulates motor behavior, motivation, pleasure, and emotional arousal. | |
| glutamate | A major excitatory neurotransmitter involved in information transmission throughout the brain. | |
| GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) | The primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain | |
| norepinephrine | A neurotransmitter that influences mood and arousal. | |
| serotonin | A neurotransmitter that is involved in the regulation of sleep and wakefulness, eating, and aggressive behavior. | |
| endorphins | or endogenous opiates Neurotransmitters that have a similar structure to opiates and that appear to play a role in how the brain copes internally with pain and emotion. | |
| agonists | Drugs that increase the action of a neurotransmitter. | |
| antagonists | Drugs that block the function of a neurotransmitter. | |
| nervous system | An interacting network of neurons that conveys electrochemical information throughout the body. | |
| central nervous system (CNS) | The part of the nervous system that is composed of the brain and spinal cord. | |
| peripheral nervous system (PNS) | The part of the nervous system that connects the central nervous system to the body’s organs and muscles | |
| somatic nervous system | A set of nerves that conveys information into and out of the central nervous system. | |
| autonomic nervous system (ANS) | A set of nerves that carries involuntary and automatic commands that control blood vessels, body organs, and glands. | |
| sympathetic nervous system | A set of nerves that prepares the body for action in threatening situations. | |
| parasympathetic nervous system | A set of nerves that helps the body return to a normal resting state. | |
| spinal reflexes | Simple pathways in the nervous system that rapidly generate muscle contractions. | |
| hindbrain | An area of the brain that coordinates information coming into and out of the spinal cord. | |
| medulla | An extension of the spinal cord into the skull that coordinates heart rate, circulation, and respiration. | |
| reticular formation | A brain structure that regulates sleep, wakefulness, and levels of arousal. | |
| cerebellum | A large structure of the hindbrain that controls fine motor skills. | |
| pons | A brain structure that relays information from the cerebellum to the rest of the brain. | |
| tectum | A part of the midbrain that orients an organism in the environment. | |
| tegmentum | A part of the midbrain that is involved in movement and arousal. | |
| cerebral cortex | The outermost layer of the brain, visible to the naked eye and divided into two hemispheres. | |
| subcortical structures | Areas of the forebrain housed under the cerebral cortex near the very center of the brain. | |
| thalamus | A subcortical structure that relays and filters information from the senses and transmits the information to the cerebral cortex. | |
| hypothalamus | A subcortical structure that regulates body temperature, hunger, thirst, and sexual behavior. | |
| limbic system | A group of forebrain structures including the hypothalamus, the amygdala, and the hippocampus, which are involved in motivation, emotion, learning, and memory. | |
| hippocampus | A structure critical for creating new memories and integrating them into a network of knowledge so that they can be stored indefinitely in other parts of the cerebral cortex. | |
| amygdala | A part of the limbic system that plays a central role in many emotional processes, particularly the formation of emotional memories. | |
| basal ganglia | A set of subcortical structures that directs intentional movements. | |
| corpus callosum | A thick band of nerve fibers that connects large areas of the cerebral cortex on each side of the brain and supports communication of information across the hemispheres. | |
| occipital lobe | A region of the cerebral cortex that processes visual information. | |
| parietal lobe | A region of the cerebral cortex whose functions include processing information about touch. | |
| temporal lobe | A region of the cerebral cortex responsible for hearing and language. | |
| frontal lobe | A region of the cerebral cortex that has specialized areas for movement, abstract thinking, planning, memory, and judgment. | |
| association areas | Areas of the cerebral cortex that are composed of neurons that help provide sense and meaning to information registered in the cortex. | |
| gene | The unit of hereditary transmission. | |
| chromosomes | Strands of DNA wound around each other in a double-helix configuration. | |
| heritability | A measure of the variability of behavioral traits among individuals that can be accounted for by genetic factors. | |
| electroencephalograph (EEG) | records electrical activity along the scalp produced by the firing of neurons within the brain. | |
| glial cell | supportive function, framework for nervous system, the 'glue' that holds it all together. These do not transmit information. As one example, glial cells form a myelin sheat, which is insulating material that speeds the transmission of information down an axon. | |
| pituitary gland | The master gland of the body’s hormone-producing system, which releases hormones that direct the functions of many other glands in the body. |
Quisition is a browser-based flashcard system that repeats old cards and introduces new ones at optimal time intervals. You can create your own card packs or use those developed by others.
