action potential动作电位  
An electric nerve impulse that travels through a neuron when it is set off by a “trigger,” changing the neuron's charge from negative to positive

all-or-none law 全或无法则  
The rule that neurons are either on or off

axon   轴突
The part of the neuron that carries messages destined for other neurons

biopsychologists 生物心理学家
Psychologists who specialize in considering the ways that biological structures and functions of the body affect behavior

dendrites 树突  
A cluster of fibers at one end of a neuron that receive messages from other neurons

excitatory message   兴奋性信息
A chemical message that makes it more likely that a receiving neuron will fire and an action potential will travel down its axon

inhibitory message   抑制性信息
A chemical message that prevents or decreases the likelihood that a receiving neuron will fire

myelin sheath 髓鞘  
A protective coat of fat and protein that wraps around the axon

neurons 神经元  
Nerve cells, the basic elements of the nervous system

neurotransmitters神经递(介)质
Chemicals that carry messages across the synapse to the dendrite (and sometimes the cell body) of a receiver neuron

resting state 静息状态
The state in which there is a negative electrical charge of about -70 millivolts within the neuron

reuptake 再吸收(摄取)
The reabsorption of neurotransmitters by a terminal button

synapse   突触
The space between two neurons where the axon of a sending neuron communicates with the dendrites of a receiving neuron using chemical messages

terminal buttons 终扣  
Small bulges at the end of axons that send messages to other neurons

autonomic division 自主神经系统
The part of the peripheral nervous system that controls involuntary movement (the actions of the heart, glands, lungs, and other organs)

behavioral genetics 行为遗传学
The study of the effects of heredity on behavior

central nervous system中枢神经系统(CNS)  
The part of the nervous system that includes the brain and spinal cord

endocrine system   内分泌系统
A chemical communication network that sends messages throughout the body via the bloodstream

evolutionary psychology   进化心理学
The branch of psychology that seeks to identify behavior patterns that are a result of our genetic inheritance from our ancestors

hormones 激素
Chemicals that circulate through the blood and affect the functioning or growth of other parts of the body

interneurons中间神经元  
Neurons that connect sensory and motor neurons, carrying messages between the two

motor (efferent) neurons   运动(传出)神经元
Neurons that communicate information from the nervous system to muscles and glands of the body

parasympathetic division副交感神经系统  
The part of the autonomic division of the nervous system that acts to calm the body after the emergency situation is resolved

peripheral nervous system 周围神经系统
The part of the nervous system that includes the autonomic and somatic subdivisions; made up of long axons and dendrites, it branches out from the spinal cord and brain and reaches the extremities of the body

pituitary gland 脑下垂体
The “master gland,” the major component of the endocrine system, which secretes hormones that control growth

reflexes 反射
Automatic, involuntary response to an incoming stimulus

sensory (afferent) neurons   感觉(传入)神经元
Neurons that transmit information from the perimeter of the body to the central nervous system

somatic division躯体神经系统  
The part of the peripheral nervous system that specializes in the control of voluntary movements and the communication of information to and from the sense organs

spinal cord   脊椎
A bundle of nerves that leaves the brain and runs down the length of the back and is the main means for transmitting messages between the brain and the body

sympathetic division交感神经系统
The part of the autonomic division of the nervous system that acts to prepare the body in stressful emergency situations, engaging all the organism's resources to respond to a threat

association areas联合区  
One of the major areas of the brain, the site of the higher mental processes such as thought, language, memory, and speech

biofeedback生物反馈  
A procedure in which a person learns to control through conscious thought internal physiological processes such as blood pressure, heart and respiration rate, skin temperature, sweating, and constriction of particular muscles

cerebellum 小脑  
The part of the brain that controls bodily balance

cerebral cortex 大脑皮层(皮质)
The “new brain,” responsible for the most sophisticated information processing in the brain; contains the lobes

hemispheres大脑半球  
Two symmetrical left and right halves of the brain that control the side of the body opposite to their location

hypothalamus   下丘脑
A tiny part of the brain, located below the thalamus of the brain, that maintains homostasis and produces and regulates vital, basic behavior such as eating, drinking, and sexual behavior

limbic system边缘系统   
The part of the brain located outside the “new brain” that controls eating, aggression, and reproduction

lobes 脑叶
The four major sections of the cerebral cortex: frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital

motor area运动区  
The part of the cortex that is largely responsible for the voluntary movement of particular parts of the body

neuroplasticity神经可塑性(重构)
Changes in the brain that occur throughout the life span relating to the addition of new neurons, more interconnections between neurons, and reorganization of information-processing areas

reticular formation网状结构
The part of the brain from the medulla through the pons made up of groups of nerve cells that can immediately activate other parts of the brain to produce general bodily arousal

sensory area 感觉区
The site in the brain of the tissue that corresponds to each of the senses, with the degree of sensitivity relating to the amount of tissue

split-brain patient割裂脑病人  
A person who suffers from independent functioning of the two halves of the brain, as a result of which the sides of the body work in disharmony

thalamus   丘脑
The part of the brain located in the middle of the central core that acts primarily as a busy relay station, mostly for information concerning the senses

absolute threshold绝对阈限  
The smallest intensity of a stimulus that must be present for the stimulus to be detected

adaptation (感觉)适应  
An adjustment in sensory capacity following prolonged exposure to stimuli

difference threshold 差别阈限
The smallest level of stimulation required to sense that a change in stimulation has occurred

just noticeable difference最小可觉差(JND)
The minimum stimulation required to detect the difference between two stimuli

perception 知觉
The sorting out, interpretation, analysis, and integration of stimuli involving our sense organs and brain

psychophysics心理物理学  
The study of the relationship between the physical aspects of stimuli and our psychological experience of them

sensation 感觉
The processes by which our sense organs receive information from the environment

stimulus   刺激
Energy that produces a response in a sense organ

Weber's law韦伯律  
One of the basic laws of psychophysics, that a just noticeable difference is in constant proportion to the intensity of an initial stimulus

cones锥体(细胞)  
Cone-shaped, light-sensitive receptor cells in the retina that are responsible for sharp focus and color perception, particularly in bright light

feature detection特征觉察
The activation of neurons in the cortex by visual stimuli of specific shapes or patterns

opponent-process theory of color vision色觉对立(拮抗)过程理论
The theory that receptor cells are linked in pairs, working in opposition to each other

optic nerve   视神经
A bundle of ganglion axons that carry visual information

retina视网膜  
The part of the eye that converts the electromagnetic energy of light into useful information for the brain

rods 棒体细胞
Thin, cylindrical receptor cells in the retina that are highly sensitive to light

trichromatic theory of color vision 色觉三原色理论
The theory that there are three kinds of cones in the retina, each of which responds primarily to a specific range of wavelengths

basilar membrane 基底膜
A vibrating structure that runs through the center of the cochlea, dividing it into an upper and a lower chamber, and containing sense receptors for sound

cochlea 耳蜗
A coiled tube in the ear filled with fluid that vibrates in response to sound

eardrum 耳膜
The part of the ear that vibrates when sound waves hit it

frequency theory of hearing 听觉频率理论
The theory that the entire basilar membrane acts like a microphone, vibrating as a whole in response to a sound

gate-control theory of pain 疼痛闸门控制理论
The theory that particular nerve receptors lead to specific areas of the brain related to pain

hair cells毛状细胞  
Tiny cells covering the basilar membrane that, when bent by vibrations entering the cochlea, transmit neural messages to the brain

otoliths 耳石
Tiny, motion-sensitive crystals within the semicircular canals that sense body acceleration

place theory of hearing听觉位置(部位)说  
The theory that different areas of the basilar membrane respond to different frequencies

semicircular canals半规管  
Three tubelike structures of the inner ear containing fluid that sloshes through them when the head moves, signaling rotational or angular movement to the brain

skin senses 肤觉  
The senses that include touch, pressure, temperature and pain

sound   声音
The movement of air molecules brought about by the vibration of an object

top-down processing 自上而下加工
Perception that is guided by higher-level knowledge, experience, expectations, and motivations

visual illusions 视错觉  
Physical stimuli that consistently produce errors in perception

bottom-up processing自下而上加工  
Perception that consists of recognizing and processing information about the individual components of the stimuli

feature analysis特征分析  
A theory of perception according to which we perceive a shape, pattern, object, or scene by reacting first to the individual elements that make it up

gestalt laws of organization (知觉)组织完形法则
A series of principles that describe how we organize bits and pieces of information into meaningful wholes

latent content of dreams 梦的隐性内容
According to Freud, the “disguised” meanings of dreams, hidden by more obvious subjects

manifest content of dreams梦的显性内容
According to Freud, the overt story line of dreams

rapid eye movement (REM) sleep 快速眼动睡眠
Sleep occupying 20 percent of an adult's sleeping time, characterized by increased heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate; erections; eye movements; and the experience of dreaming

stage 1 sleep  
The state of transition between wakefulness and sleep, characterized by relatively rapid, low-voltage brain waves

stage 2 sleep  
A sleep deeper than that of stage 1, characterized by a slower, more regular wave pattern, along with momentary interruptions of “sleep spindles”

stage 3 sleep  
A sleep characterized by slow brain waves, with greater peaks and valleys in the wave pattern

stage 4 sleep  
The deepest stage of sleep, during which we are least responsive to outside stimulation

unconscious wish fulfillment theory   无意识愿望满足理论
Sigmund Freud's theory that dreams represent unconscious wishes that dreamers desire to see fulfilled

activation-synthesis theory   激活-整合理论
Hobson's theory that the brain produces random electrical energy during REM sleep that stimulates memories lodged in various portions of the brain

circadian rhythms 生理节律
Biological processes that occur repeatedly on approximately a twenty-four-hour cycle

consciousness   意识
The awareness of the sensations, thoughts, and feelings being experienced at a given moment

daydreams   白日梦
Fantasies that people construct while awake

dreams-for-survival theory   梦的生存学说
The theory suggesting that dreams permit information that is critical for our daily survival to be reconsidered and reprocessed during sleep

hypnosis   催眠
A trancelike state of heightened susceptibility to the suggestions of others

meditation   沉思
A learned technique for refocusing attention that brings about an altered state of consciousness

narcotics   镇静剂
Drugs that increase relaxation and relieve pain and anxiety

psychoactive drugs 激活心理药物
Drugs that influence a person's emotions, perceptions, and behavior

stimulants   兴奋剂
Drugs that affect the central nervous system by causing a rise in heart rate, blood pressure, and muscular tension

addictive drugs   成瘾药物
Drugs that produce a biological or psychological dependence in the user and withdrawal from them leads to a craving for the drug that, in some cases, may be nearly irresistible

depressants   镇静剂
Drugs that slow down the nervous system

hallucinogen   致幻剂
A drug that is capable of producing hallucinations, or changes in the perceptual process