AP Psychology Unit 1 Biological Bases of Behavior (2024/2025) Part 1 (1.1,
1.2, 1.3, and 1.4)
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_f0m4kv
1. heredity Passing of traits from parents to offspring
2. nature the influence of our inherited characteristics on our personality, physical growth,
intellectual growth, and social interactions
3. nurture external factors that one experiences, such as family interactions or education.
4. Genetic predis- an inherited genetic pattern that makes one susceptible to a certain disease or
position behaviors
5. evolutionary per- explores how natural selection affects the expression of
spective of psy- behavior and mental processes to increase survival and reproductive success.
chology
6. natural selection A process in which individuals that have certain inherited traits tend to survive and
reproduce at higher rates than other individuals because of those traits.
7. eugenics study of factors that influence the hereditary qualities of the human race and ways
to improve those qualities
8. twin studies a common method of investigating whether nature or nurture affects behavior
9. family studies researchers assess hereditary influence by examining blood relatives to see how
much they resemble one another on a specific trait
10. adoption studies assess hereditary influence by examining the resemblance between adopted chil-
dren and both their biological and their adoptive parents
11. central nervous brain and spinal cord; interacts with all processes in the body.
system
12. peripheral ner- relays messages from the central nervous system
vous system to the rest of the body and includes the autonomic and somatic nervous systems.
1/8
, AP Psychology Unit 1 Biological Bases of Behavior (2024/2025) Part 1 (1.1,
1.2, 1.3, and 1.4)
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_f0m4kv
13. Autonomic ner- governs processes that are involuntary and includes
vous system the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems.
14. sympathetic ner- the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its
vous system energy in stressful situations
15. parasympathetic the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its
nervous system energy
16. somatic nervous the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's skeletal
system muscles; governs processes that are voluntary.
17. neurons neural cells that transmit information
18. Glial cells cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons
19. reflex arc in the spinal cord; demonstrates how neurons within the central and peripheral
nervous systems work together to respond to stimuli. Three types of neurons work
together: sensory, motor, and interneurons.
20. sensory neurons neurons that carry incoming information from the sensory receptors to the brain
and spinal cord
21. motor neurons neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the
muscles and glands
22. interneurons neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and inter-
vene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs
23. neural transmis- electrochemical communication within and between neurons and the final desti-
sion nation
24. action potential a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon
2/8
1.2, 1.3, and 1.4)
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_f0m4kv
1. heredity Passing of traits from parents to offspring
2. nature the influence of our inherited characteristics on our personality, physical growth,
intellectual growth, and social interactions
3. nurture external factors that one experiences, such as family interactions or education.
4. Genetic predis- an inherited genetic pattern that makes one susceptible to a certain disease or
position behaviors
5. evolutionary per- explores how natural selection affects the expression of
spective of psy- behavior and mental processes to increase survival and reproductive success.
chology
6. natural selection A process in which individuals that have certain inherited traits tend to survive and
reproduce at higher rates than other individuals because of those traits.
7. eugenics study of factors that influence the hereditary qualities of the human race and ways
to improve those qualities
8. twin studies a common method of investigating whether nature or nurture affects behavior
9. family studies researchers assess hereditary influence by examining blood relatives to see how
much they resemble one another on a specific trait
10. adoption studies assess hereditary influence by examining the resemblance between adopted chil-
dren and both their biological and their adoptive parents
11. central nervous brain and spinal cord; interacts with all processes in the body.
system
12. peripheral ner- relays messages from the central nervous system
vous system to the rest of the body and includes the autonomic and somatic nervous systems.
1/8
, AP Psychology Unit 1 Biological Bases of Behavior (2024/2025) Part 1 (1.1,
1.2, 1.3, and 1.4)
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_f0m4kv
13. Autonomic ner- governs processes that are involuntary and includes
vous system the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems.
14. sympathetic ner- the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its
vous system energy in stressful situations
15. parasympathetic the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its
nervous system energy
16. somatic nervous the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's skeletal
system muscles; governs processes that are voluntary.
17. neurons neural cells that transmit information
18. Glial cells cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons
19. reflex arc in the spinal cord; demonstrates how neurons within the central and peripheral
nervous systems work together to respond to stimuli. Three types of neurons work
together: sensory, motor, and interneurons.
20. sensory neurons neurons that carry incoming information from the sensory receptors to the brain
and spinal cord
21. motor neurons neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the
muscles and glands
22. interneurons neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and inter-
vene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs
23. neural transmis- electrochemical communication within and between neurons and the final desti-
sion nation
24. action potential a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon
2/8
