Chapter 05 Biological Psychology Terms

Apoptosis
*A programmed mechanism of cell death.

Cerebrovascular Accident
*A stroke

Closed Head Injury
*A result of a sharp blow to the head that does not puncture the brain.

Collateral Sprouts
*Newly formed branches of an axon.

Deafferent
*To remove or disable the sensory nerves from a body part.

Denervation Supersensitivity
*Receptor supersensitivity – increased sensitivity to neurotransmitters by a postsynaptic neuron after loss of input.

Diaschisis
*Decreased activity of surviving brain neurons after damage to other neurons.

Edema
*Accumulation of fluid.

Hemorrhage
*A type of stroke resulting from a ruptured artery.

Differentiation
*The process of developing axons and dendrites.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
*A condition resulting from prenatal exposure to alcohol; marked by hyperactivity, decreased alertness, facial abnormalities, and varying degrees of mental retardation.

Focal Hand Dystonia
*A disorder where one or more fingers are in constant contraction or where moving one finger independent of other is difficult.

Migration
*Movement of neurons or glia from one location to another.

Myelination
*Process by which glia produce the insulating fatty sheath that accelerates transmission in many vertebrate axons.

Nerve Growth Factor
*A protein that promotes the survival and growth of axons in the sympathetic nervous system and certain axons in the brain.

Neural Darwinism
*Principle of competition among neurons.

Neurotrophin
*A chemical that promotes the survival and activity of neurons.

Ischemia
*Type of stroke resulting from a blood clot or other obstruction in an artery.

Phantom Limb
*A continuing sensation of an amputated body part.

Proliferation
*Production of new cells.

Stem Cells
*Undifferentiated cells that divide and produce daughter cells that develop more specialized properties.

Synaptogenesis
*The formation of new synapses.

Stroke
*A temporary loss of normal blood flow to a brain area.

Tissue Plasminogen Activator
*tPA – A drug that breaks up blood clots.

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