Psychology Ch. 2

First degree relatives

have a genetic overlap of about 50%.

epinephrine

intensifies most emotions and is central to the experience of fear and anxiety.

Acetylcholine

is a neurotransmitter that controls muscle contractions.

pituitary gland

lies below the hypothalamus and is dubbed the "master gland."

prolactin

regulates maternal behavior in lower mammals.

Glial Cells

remove dead neurons and waste products from the nervous system.

Phenotype

represents an interaction of one's nature and nurture.

Botulism disease

stems from food poisoning and prevents the release of acetylcholine.

Testosterone

stokes the growth of muscle and bone and the development of primary and secondary sex characteristics in a male body.

refractory

A __________ period is a time during which a neuron is insensitive to messages from other neurons.

computerized axial tomography

A ___________ _____ __________ is vital in the functions of attention, sleep, and arousal.

axon

A neuron has a(n) ____ that extends like a trunk from the cell body.

synapse

A neuron relays its message to another neuron across a junction called a _______.

all or none principle

Every time a neuron fires, it transmits an impulse of the same strength. This is known as the ___ __ ____ _________.

non-myelinated

Gray matter in the brain consists of ___-__________ neurons.

nature

Heredity defines one's ______ which is based on biological structures and processes.

anxiety

Heredity is apparently involved in psychological disorders ranged from _______ and depression to schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, alcoholism, and personality disorders.

genes

Monozygotic twins share 100% of their _____.

dopamine

Nicotine, alcohol, and many other drugs are pleasurable because they heighten levels of ________.

arousal

Norepinephrine is involved in general _______, learning and memory, and eating.

corpus callosum

People with severe cases of epilepsy have split-brain operations in which much of the ______ ________ is severed.

sleep

Serotonin is involved in emotional arousal and _____.

prefrontal cortex

Some researches consider the __________ ______ to be the "executive center" of the brain, where decisions are made to keep information in working memory and to solve problems.

amygdala

Studies show that the ________ is connected with aggressive behavior in monkeys, cats, and other animals.

limbic system

The ______ ______ is a group of structures involved in memory, motivations, and emotion that forms fringe along the inner edge of the cerebrum.

medulla

The _______ of the brain plays roles in sleeping, sneezing, and coughing.

nucleus

The _______ uses oxygen and nutrients to generate the energy needed to carry out the work of a neuron cell.

reticular formation

The _________ _________ is vital in the functions of attention, sleep, and arousal.

parasympathetic

The ________________ division is the branch of the automatic nervous system that is most active during processes that restore the body's reserve of energy.

spinal cord

The brain and the ______ ____ make up the central nervous system.

temporal

The hearing or auditory area of the cortex lies in the ________ lobe along the lateral fissure of the cerebral cortex.

electrochemical

The process by which a neural impulse travels is _______________.

instinct

a stereotyped pattern of behavior that is triggered in a specific situation.

endocrine system

the body's system of ductless glands that secrete hormones and release them directly into the bloodstream.

chromosome

the presence of an extra __________ on the 21st pair causes Down's Syndrome.