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.