AP Psychology Unit 2: Cognition - Exam Questions & Verified Answers
biological psychologists the scientific study of the links between biological and psychological processes.
neuron a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system.
dendrites the bushy, branching extensions of a neuron that receive messages and conduct
impulses toward the cell body.
axon the neuron extension that passes and electrical messages through its branches to
other neurons or to muscles or glands.
myelin sheath a layer of fatty tissue segmentally encasing the fibers of many neurons; enables
vastly greater transmission speed of neural impulses as the impulse hops from one
node to the next.
action potential a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon.
refractory period a period of inactivity after a neuron has fired.
threshold the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse.
Stuvia | Latest | Grade A+
, AP Psychology Unit 2: Cognition - Exam Questions & Verified Answers
all-or-nothing response a neuron's reaction of either firing or not firing.
synapse the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell
body of the receiving neuron. The tiny gap at this junction is called the synaptic gap
or synaptic cleft.
neurotransmitters chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons. When
released by the sending neuron, they travel across the synapse and bind to
receptor sites on the receiving neuron, thereby influencing whether that neuron will
generate a neural impulse.
reuptake a neurotransmitter's reabsorption by the sending neuron.
endorphins "morphine within"—natural, opiate-like neurotransmitters linked to pain control and
to pleasure.
Agonist A chemical that mimics the action of a neurotransmitter.
Antagonists Chemical substances that block or reduce a cell's response to the action of other
chemicals or neurotransmitters.
Stuvia | Latest | Grade A+
biological psychologists the scientific study of the links between biological and psychological processes.
neuron a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system.
dendrites the bushy, branching extensions of a neuron that receive messages and conduct
impulses toward the cell body.
axon the neuron extension that passes and electrical messages through its branches to
other neurons or to muscles or glands.
myelin sheath a layer of fatty tissue segmentally encasing the fibers of many neurons; enables
vastly greater transmission speed of neural impulses as the impulse hops from one
node to the next.
action potential a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon.
refractory period a period of inactivity after a neuron has fired.
threshold the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse.
Stuvia | Latest | Grade A+
, AP Psychology Unit 2: Cognition - Exam Questions & Verified Answers
all-or-nothing response a neuron's reaction of either firing or not firing.
synapse the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell
body of the receiving neuron. The tiny gap at this junction is called the synaptic gap
or synaptic cleft.
neurotransmitters chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons. When
released by the sending neuron, they travel across the synapse and bind to
receptor sites on the receiving neuron, thereby influencing whether that neuron will
generate a neural impulse.
reuptake a neurotransmitter's reabsorption by the sending neuron.
endorphins "morphine within"—natural, opiate-like neurotransmitters linked to pain control and
to pleasure.
Agonist A chemical that mimics the action of a neurotransmitter.
Antagonists Chemical substances that block or reduce a cell's response to the action of other
chemicals or neurotransmitters.
Stuvia | Latest | Grade A+
