Intro to Psych 1001 Midterm Exam I Study Guide Chapters 3 6 10 and 9 Dendrites portion of the neuron that receives signals Axons portion of the neuron that sends signals Axon terminals the somewhat enlarged often club shaped endings of axons by which the axons make synaptic contacts with other neurons or effector cells muscle or gland cells Axon terminals contain neurotransmitters of various kinds sometimes more than one Cell body also called the soma the central region of the neuron It manufactures new cell components and provides continual renewal of cell components Synaptic vesicle spherical sac that contains neurotransmitters travels down the length of the axon to the axon terminal where the vesicles burst releasing neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft Synapse space between two connecting neurons through which messages are transmitted chemically a tiny fluid filled space between neurons through which neurotransmitters travel Synaptic cleft a gap into which the neurotransmitters are released from the axon terminal Myelin sheath glial cells wrapped around axons that act as insulators of the neuron s signals helps the neuron conduct electricity more efficiently Action potential electrical impulse that travels down the axon triggering the release of neurotransmitters Neurotransmitters chemical messenger specialized for communication from neuron to neuron some excite the nervous system by increasing its activity whereas others inhibit the nervous system by decreasing its activity Endorphins chemical in the brain that plays a specialized role in pain reduction Neural plasticity the brain s capacity to alter its structure and function o Changes in four primary ways Growth of dendrites and axons Synaptogenesis the formation of new synapses Pruning consisting of the death of certain neurons and the retraction of axons to remove connections that aren t useful Myelination the insulation of axons with a myelin sheath Plasticity ability of the nervous system to change Neurogenesis the creation of new neurons in the adult brain Central nervous system part of the nervous system containing the brain and spinal cord that controls the mind and behavior Peripheral nervous system nerves in the body that extend outside the central nervous system Corpus callosum large band of fibers connecting the two cerebral hemispheres Frontal lobe forward part of cerebral cortex responsible for executive functioning motor function language memory and planning Hypothalamus part of the brain responsible for maintaining a constant internal state hunger thirst sexual motivation controlling body temperature Amygdala part of the limbic system that plays key roles in fear excitement and arousal Hippocampus part of the brain that plays a role in spatial memory Cerebellum brain structure responsible for our sense of balance little brain Parietal lobe upper middle part of the cerebral cortex lying behind the frontal lobe that is specialized for touch and perception Temporal lobe lower part of the cerebral cortex that plays roles in hearing understanding language and memory Occipital lobe back part of the cerebral cortex specialized for vision Somatic nervous system part of the nervous system that conveys information between the CNS and the body controlling and coordinating voluntary movement Autonomic nervous system part of the nervous system controlling the involuntary actions of our internal organs and glands which along with the limbic system participates in emotion regulation o Sympathetic nervous system division of the autonomic nervous system engaged during a crisis or after actions requiring fight or flight o Parasympathetic nervous system division of the autonomic nervous system that controls rest and digestion Endocrine system system of glands and hormones that controls secretion of blood borne chemical messengers releases hormones into the bloodstream Brain lateralization cognitive function that relies more on one side of the brain than the other CT Scan a scanning technique using multiple X rays to construct three dimensional images EEG electroencephalograph recording of brain s electrical activity at the surface of the skull fMRI functional MRI technique that uses magnetic fields to visualize brain activity using changes in blood oxygen level Epigenetics study of how genes are switched on or off by environmental experiences Heritability percentage of the variability in a trait across individuals that is due to genes Heredity traits and features that are inherited from one s parents and ancestors Classical Conditioning form of learning in which animals come to respond to a previously neutral stimulus that had been paired with another stimulus that elicits an automatic response o Neutral stimulus NS does not elicit any particular response i e bell o Unconditioned stimulus UCS stimulus that elicits an automatic response i e meat o Unconditioned response UCR automatic response to a nonneutral stimulus that does not need to be learned i e salivation in response to food o Conditioned response CR response previously associated with a non neutral stimulus that is elicited by a neutral stimulus through conditioning i e salivation in response to the bell o Conditioned stimulus CS initially neutral stimulus that comes to elicit a response due to association with an unconditioned stimulus i e bell Operant learning learning controlled by the consequences of the organism s behavior Acquisition learning phase during which a conditioned response is established Extinction gradual reduction and eventual elimination of the conditioned response after the conditioned stimulus is presented repeatedly without the unconditioned stimulus Higher order conditioning developing a conditioned response to a conditioned stimulus by virtue of its association with another conditioned stimulus Spontaneous recovery sudden reemergence of an extinct conditioned response after a delay in exposure to the conditioned response Schedule of reinforcement pattern of reinforcing a behavior Continuous reinforcement reinforcing a behavior every time it occurs resulting in faster learning but faster extinction than only occasional reinforcement Partial reinforcement only occasional reinforcement of a behavior resulting in slower extinction than if the behavior had been reinforced continually Fixed ratio schedule FR pattern in which we provide reinforcement following a regular number of responses Variable ratio schedule VR pattern in which we provide