Biological Bases of Behavior
The division of the nervous system that controls the body's skeletal muscles.
Somatic Nervous System
Drugs that reduce neural activity and slow body functions.
Depressants
The portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head toward the rear; it receives sensory input for touch and body position.
Parietal lobe
Our sleep-wake cycle
Circadian Rhythm
Diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation
Sensory Adaptation
A simple, automatic response to a sensory stimulus.
Reflex
The brain's ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience.
Neuroplasticity
A cerebral cortex area at the rear of the frontal lobe that controls voluntary movements.
Motor cortex
The large, slow brain waves associated with deep sleep
Delta Waves
The transparent structure behind the pupil that changes shape to help focus images on the retina.
Lens
A neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down the axon.
Action Potential
A technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images of soft tissue.
MRI
Processing multiple aspects of a stimulus or problem simultaneously
Parallel processing
The minimum stimulus energy needed to detect a particular stimulus 50% of the time.
Absolute threshold
Retinal receptors that detect fine detail and color.
Cones
The body's major inhibitory neurotransmitter.
GABA
"Little Brain" at the rear of the brainstem; its functions include sensory input, coordinating movement output and balance, and enabling nonverbal learning and memory.
Cerebellum
A condition resulting from surgery that separates the brain's two hemispheres
Split-brain
The activation, often unconsciously, of certain associations, thus predisposing one's perception, memory, or response.
Priming
A coiled, bony, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear
Choclea
Involved in pain perception and immune response.
Substance P
Amygdala
The formation of new neurons.
Name three sleep disorders that were discussed in class
Insomnia, Narolepsy, Sleep Apnea, Night Terrors, REM Sleep Behavior Disorder, Sleep Walking
Our balance sense; our sense of movement and position that enables our sense of balance
Vestibular Sense