Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
72 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
absolute refractory period
|
the minimum length of time after an action potential during which another aciton potential cannot begin
|
|
action potential
|
a breif change in a neurons electrical charge
|
|
Adaptation
|
an inherited characteristic that increased in a population through natural selction because it helped solve a problem of survival or reproduction during the time it emerged
|
|
adoption studies
|
research studies that asses hereditary influence by examining the reresemblence between adopted children and both their biological parents and their adoptive parents
|
|
afferent nerve fibres
|
axons that carry information inward to the central nervous system from the periphery of the body
|
|
agonist
|
a chemical that mimics the action of a neurotransmitter
|
|
antagonist
|
a chemical that opposes the action of a neurotransmitter
|
|
autonomic nervous system (ANS)
|
the system of nerves that connect to the heart, blood vessels, smooth muscles and glands
|
|
axon
|
a long; then fibre that transmitts signals away from the neuron cellbody to other neurons, or to muscles or glands
|
|
behavioural genetics
|
an interdisciplinary field that studies the influence of genetic factors of behavioural traits
|
|
central nervous system
|
the brain and the spinal cord
|
|
cerebral cortex
|
the convoluted outer layer of the cerebrum
|
|
cerebral hemispheres
|
the right and left halves of the cerebrum
|
|
cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
|
a solution that fills the hollow cavitiess (ventricles) of the brain and circulates around the brain and spinal cord
|
|
chromososomes
|
threadlike strans of dna (deoxyribonucleic acid) molecules that carry genetic information
|
|
corpus callosum
|
the structure that connects the two cerebral hemispheres
|
|
critical period
|
a litmited time span in the developement of an organism when it is optimal for certain capacities to emerge because the organism is especially responsive to certain experiences
|
|
denderites
|
branchlike parts of a neuron that are specialized to recieve information
|
|
dominant gene
|
a gene that is expressed when paired genes are heterozygous (different)
|
|
efferent nerve fibres
|
axons that carry information outward from the central nervous system to the pereiphery of the body
|
|
electrical stimulation of the brain
|
sending a weak electrical current into a brain structure to stimulate it
|
|
electrolencephalograph
|
a device that monitors the elctrical activity of the brain over time by means of recording electrodes attatched to the surface o the scalp
|
|
endorcine system
|
a group of glands taht release chemicals into the blood stream that help control bodily functioning
|
|
Endorphins
|
the entire family of internally produced chemicals that resemeble opiates in structure and effects
|
|
excitatory psp
|
an electric potential that increases the likeliehood that a postsynaptic neuron will fire potentials
|
|
family studies
|
scientific studies in which researchers assess hereditary influence by examinging blood relatives to see how muc they resemble eachother on a specific trait
|
|
fitness
|
the reproductive success(number of decendents) on an individual organism relative to the average reporductive success of the population
|
|
forebrain
|
the largest and most compllicated region of the brain, encompassing a variety of structures, including the thalamus, hypothalamus, limbic system and cerebrum
|
|
fraternal twins
|
twins that result when two eggs are fertilized simultamiiously by different sperm cells, forming two seperate zygotes. also called dizygotic twins
|
|
genes
|
dna segments that serve as the key functional units in hereditary transmission
|
|
genetic mapping
|
the process of determing the location and chemical sequence of specific genes on specific chromosomes
|
|
genotype
|
a person's genetic make up
|
|
gila
|
cells found thorughout the nervous system that provide various types of suppport for neurons
|
|
heterozygous condition
|
the situation that occurs when two genes in a specific pair are different
|
|
hind brain
|
the part of the brain that includes the cerebellum and two structures found in the lower part of the brainstem: the medulala and the pons
|
|
homozygous condition
|
the situation that occurs when two genes in a specific pair are the same
|
|
hormones
|
the chemical substances released by the endorine glands
|
|
hypothalamus
|
a structure found near the base of the forebrain that is involved in the regulation of basic biological needs
|
|
identical twins
|
twins that emrge from one zygote that splits for unkwon reasons. also called monozygotic twins
|
|
inclusive fitness
|
the sum of an indviduals own reporductive sucess plus the effect the organism has on the reporductive sucess of related others
|
|
inhibitory psp
|
an elctric potential that decreases the likelihood that a post synaptic neuron will fire action potentials
|
|
lesioning
|
destroying a piece of the brain
|
|
limbic system
|
a densley connected network of structures roughly located along the border between the cerebral cortex and deeprer subcortical areas
|
|
midbrain
|
the segment of the brain stem that lies between the hind brain and the forebrain
|
|
mutation
|
a spontatneous hertible change in a piece of dna that occurs in the individual organism
|
|
mylein sheath
|
insulating material, dreived from glial cells, that encases some axons of neruons
|
|
nerves
|
bundles of neuron fibres(axons) that are routed together in the peripheral nervous system
|
|
neurogenissi
|
the formation of new neurons
|
|
neurons
|
individual cells in the nervous system that recieve, integrate and transmit information
|
|
neurotransmitters
|
chemicals that transmit information from one neruon to another
|
|
parasympathetic division
|
the branch of automatic nervous system that generally conserves bodily resources
|
|
perceptual asymmteries
|
left-right imbalances between the cerebral hemishpeheres in the speed of visual or auditory processesing
|
|
perihperal nervous system
|
all those nerves that lie outside the brain and spinal cord
|
|
phenotype
|
the ways in which a persons genotype is manifested in observable characteristics
|
|
pituitary gland
|
the master gland of endorcine system; it releases a great variety of hormones that fan out through the body, stimulating actions in the other endorcine glans
|
|
polygenic traits
|
characterstics that are influenced by more thean one pair of genes
|
|
post synaptic potential:
|
a voltage change at the receptor site on a postsynpatic cell memebrane
|
|
recessive gene
|
a gene whose influence is maxed when paired genes are different (heterozyguys)
|
|
resting potential
|
the stable, negative charge of a neuron when it is inactive
|
|
reuptake
|
a process in which neurotransmitters are sponged up from the synaptic cleft by the presynaptic membrane
|
|
soma
|
the cell body of a neuron; it contrains the nucleus and much of the chemical machinery common to most cells
|
|
somatic nervous system
|
the system of nerves that connect to voluntary skeletal muscles to sensory receptors
|
|
split brain surgery
|
a procedure in which the bundle of fibres that connecs the cerebral hemispheres is cut to reduce serverity of epileptic seizures
|
|
sympathetic division
|
the branch of autonomic nervous system that mobilizes the bodys resources for emergencies
|
|
synapse
|
a junction where information is transmitted from one neuron to the next
|
|
synaptic cleft
|
a microscopic gap between the terminal button of a neruon and the cell membrane of another neuron
|
|
terminal buttons
|
small knobs at the end of axons that secrete chemicals called neurotransmitters
|
|
testosterone
|
a male sex hormone produced by testes; women secrete smaller amounts of testorone from the adrenal cortex and ovaries
|
|
thalamus
|
a structure in the forebrain through which all sensory information must pass to get to the cerebral cortex
|
|
transcranial magnetic stimulation
|
a technique that permis scienteists to temporarily enhance or depress activiting in a specific area of the brain
|
|
twin studies
|
a reserach design in which hereditary influence is assessed by comparing the resemblance of identical twins to fraternal twins with a respect to a trait
|
|
zygote
|
a one-celled organism formed by the union of a sperm and an egg
|