(3) Neuron, Brain, and Nervous System Flashcards
T/F: The synapse is part of the neuron itself
False (gap)
Which part of the neuron carries out the cell’s metabolic functions?
Soma
What is the function of the axon?
Transmit info to other neurons
What is the function of the dendrites?
Receive info from other neurons
What is the synapse?
A tiny gap that separates one neuron from another through which messages are carried
What are the 3 main classifications of neurons in the human nervous system?
Interneurons, sensory neurons, and motor neurons
Which neurons are efferent/afferent?
Motor: efferent
Sensory: afferent
How does white matter get its name?
Parts of the nervous system that are MYELINATED
What is the myelin sheath?
The fatty layer of cells that is wrapped around many axons to improve the speed of signal conduction
What is depolarization?
The process by which stimulation causes a neuron’s sodium gate to open and allow cations to enter, thereby lessening the negative charge of the neuron
Synonym for action potential
Neural impulse
What is reuptake?
The recycling (reabsorption) of neurotransmitter (NT) molecules into neurons
What is schizophrenia often characterized by?
Hallucinations and delusions
What do agonists and antagonists do?
Boost or inhibit NT activity, respectively
What is Parkinson’s directly caused by?
Loss of dopamine-producing neurons in the brain
What is glutamate?
An excitatory neurotransmitter that helps keep the central nervous system aroused
What is GABA?
An inhibitory neurotransmitter that blocks the actions of NTs like glutamate, norepinephrine, serotonin, or dopamine
What is serotonin and its purpose?
Inhibitory neurotransmitter that helps regulate moods, produces feelings of satiation after eating, and induces sleepiness
What does the autonomic nervous system do?
Control involuntary internal bodily processes like heartbeat, digestion, and pupil dilation
What are the 2 components of the CNS?
Brain and spinal cord
Function of sympathetic nervous system?
Speed up bodily processes in response to a threat
Function of parasympathetic nervous system?
Reverse the effects of the sympathetic nervous system by calming the embody back down to return it to homeostasis
What are the 3 major parts of the brain?
Forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain
Function of the cerebellum?
Balance and coordination
What is the basal ganglia and its function?
A cluster of nerve cells that plays a key role in regulating voluntary movement such as walking
Thalamus function?
Acts as a “relay station” that sorts through sensory information EXCEPT for smell
What is the corpus callosum?
A thick bundle of fibers that connects the two cerebral hemispheres, forming a pathway through which the two may pass info to one another
Function of frontal lobes?
Control motor responses and higher mental functions,
such as thinking, planning, problem solving, decision
making, and accessing and acting on stored memories
