Biological Psychology

A branch of psychology concerned with the links between biology and behavior. (Some biological psychologists call themselves behavioral neuroscientists, neuropsychologists, behavior geneticist, physiological psychologists, or biopsychologists.

A nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system.

Neuron
Neurons that carry incoming information from the sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord.

Sensory Neurons
Neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands.

Motor Neurons
Neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs.

Interneurons

The bushy, branching extensions of a neuron that receive messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body.

Dendrite
The extension of a neuron, ending in branching terminal fibers, through which messages pass to other neurons or to muscles or glands.

Axon

A layer of fatty tissue segmentally encasing the fibers of many neurons; enables vastly greater transmission speed of neural impulses as the impulse hops from one node to the next.

Myelin Sheath

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

Action Potential

A level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse.

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

Synapse

Chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons. When released by the sending neuron, neurotransmitters travel across the synapse and bind to receptor sites on the receiving neuron, thereby

Neurotransmitters

influencing whether that neuron will generate a neural impulse.

A neurotransmitters reabsorption by the sending neuron.

Reuptake

Morphine within natural, opiatelike neurotransmitters linked to pain control and pleasure.

Endorphins
The bodys speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems.

Nervous System
The brain and spinal cord

Central Nervous System

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

Peripheral Nervous System

Bundled axons that form neural cables connecting the central nervous system with muscles, glands, and sense organs.

Nerves

The division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the bodys skeletal muscles.

Somatic 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.

Autonomic Nervous System

The division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations.

Sympathetic Nervous System

The division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy.

Parasympathetic Nervous System

A simple, autonomic response to a sensory stimulus such as the knee-jerk response.

Reflex
The bodys slow chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream.

Endocrine System
Chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands, travel through the bloodstream, and affect other tissues.

Hormones

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.

Adrenal Glands
The endocrine systems most influential gland. Under the influence of the hypothalamus, the pituitary regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands.

Pituitary Gland

Tissue destruction; a brain lesion is a naturally or experimentally caused destruction of brain tissue.

Lesion

An amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brains surface. These waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp.

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

A series of X-ray photographs taken from different angles and combined by computer into a composite representation of a slice through the body.

CT (computed tomography) Scan (Cat Scan)

A visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task.

PET (positron emission topography) Scan

A technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images of soft tissue. MRI scans show brain anatomy.

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)

A technique for revealing bloodflow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. fMRI scans show brain function.

fMRI (functional MRI)

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

Brainstem

The base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing.

Medulla

A nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal.

Reticular Formation

The brains sensory 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.

Thalamus

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

Cerebellum

Doughnut-shaped neural system (including the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus) located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions and drives.

Limbic System

Two lima bean-sized neural clusters in the limbic system; linked to emotion.

Amygdala

A neural structure lying below (hypo) 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.

Hypothalamus

Cells in the nervous system that support

Glial Cells

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

Frontal Lobes

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

Parietal Lobes

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

Occipital Lobes

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

Temporal Lobes

An area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements.

Motor Cortex

Area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations.

Sensory Cortex

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.

Association Areas

impairment of language, usually caused by left hemisphere damage either to Brocas area (impairing speaking) or to Wernickes area (impairing understanding).

Aphasia

Controls language expression that directs the muscle movements involved in speech.

Brocas Area

controls language reception a brain area involved in language comprehension and expression; usually in the left temporal lobe.

Wernickes Area

the brains ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience.

Plasticity

The formation of new neurons

Neurogenesis

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

Corpus Callosum

A condition resulting from surgery that isolates the brains two hemispheres by cutting the fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) connecting them

Split Brain

Our awareness of ourselves and our environment.

Consciousness

the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking, memory and language).

Cognitive Neuroscience

the principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks.

Dual Processing