Essentials of Psychology Chapter 2
Pineal Gland
Melatonin
Myelin Sheath
Protective coating of axons
Thyroid
Thyroid hormones
Hindbrain
Consists of the medulla, pons, and cerebellum; involved in vital bodily functions
Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)
Controls automatic bodily functions and processes
Adrenals
Cortical steroids, epinephrine, norepinephrine
Ovaries in Women
Estrogen, progesterone
Types of Kinship Studies
Familial association study, twin studies, adoptee studies
Genotype versus Phenotype
Genetic cording versus observable traits
Pituitary
Growth hormone, ACTH, oxytocin
Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Divisions of ANS
Have largely opposing effects on bodily processes
Forebrain
Includes the thalamus, the hypothalamus, other parts of the limbic system, and the cerebral cortex-the outer covering of the brain comprising four parts or lobes responsible for voluntary movement and higher mental functions
Terminal Buttons
Knoblike structures at the end of axons that release neurotransmitters into the synapse
Action Potentials
Neural impulses or messages generated according to "all-or-none" principle
Somatic Nervous System
Part of PNS that relays sensory information from sensory organs to the CNS and motor (movement) commands from the CNS to muscles
Hypothalamus
Releasing factors
Dendrites
Rootlike projections that recieve messages from neighboring neurons
Brain Lateralization
Specialization of function of the two cerebral hemispheres
Testes in Men
Testosterone
Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
The body's link to the outside world
Central Nervous System (CNS)
The brain and spinal cord
Axon
"Cable" that conducts outgoing messages or action potentials
Soma
Cell Body
Neurotransmitters
Chemical messengers that carry message to neighboring neurons
Methods of Studying the Brain
Imaging techniques (EEG, CT scan, PET scan, MRI) and experimental techniques (lesioning, brain recording, electrical stimulation)
Pancreas
Insulin
Midbrain
Nerve pathways connecting hindbrain and forebrain; includes the reticular formation