Terms and Concepts to Remember

Test yourself on these terms by trying to write down the definition in your own words before clicking on the terms to check your answer.

biological psychology

neuron

dendrites

axon

action potential

glial cells (glia)

synapse [SIN-aps]

threshold

all-or-none response

neurotransmitters

opiate

endorphins [en-DOR-fins]

nervous system

central nervous system (CNS)

peripheral nervous system (PNS)

nerves

sensory neuron

motor neuron

interneuron

somatic nervous system

autonomic [aw-tuh-NAHM-ik] nervous system (ANS)

sympathetic nervous system

parasympathetic nervous system

reflex

endocrine [EN-duh-krin] system

hormones

adrenal [ah-DREEN-el] glands

pituitary gland

brainstem

EEG (electroencephalograph)

PET (positron emission tomography) scan

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)

fMRI (functional MRI)

medulla [muh-DUL-uh]

thalamus [THAL-uh-muss]

reticular formation

cerebellum [sehr-uh-BELL-um]

limbic system

amygdala [uh-MIG-duh-la]

hypothalamus [hi-po-THAL-uh-muss]

cerebral [seh-REE-bruhl] cortex

frontal lobes

parietal [puh-RYE-uh-tuhl] lobes

occipital [ahk-SIP-uh-tuhl] lobes

temporal lobes

motor cortex

somatosensory cortex

hallucination

association areas

plasticity

neurogenesis

corpus callosum [KOR-pus kah-LOW-sum]

split brain

consciousness

selective attention

inattentional blindness

change blindness

circadian [ser-KAY-dee-an] rhythm

REM (rapid eye movement) sleep

alpha waves

sleep

delta waves

insomnia

narcolepsy

sleep apnea

dream

manifest content

latent content

REM rebound