9.22 Notes

Question 1

Chemical precursors

Answer 1

The substances in your food that is sent to the neuron to produce neurotransmitters

Question 2

Precursor for serotonin

Answer 2

Tryptophan-found in carbohydrates and turkey

Question 3

Precursor for dopamine

Answer 3

Tyrosine

Question 4

Precursor for acetylcholine

Answer 4

Choline-found in eggs

Question 5

Excitatory neurotransmitters

Answer 5

Makes a neuron more positive

Question 6

Inhibitory neurotransmitters

Answer 6

Makes a neuron more negative

Question 7

Fast-acting neurotransmitter

Answer 7

The effect is immediate; Used for sensory information and muscles

Question 8

Glutamate

Answer 8

Immediately open sodium gates, rushing sodium into the cell; Fast-acting neurotransmitter

Question 9

GABA

Answer 9

Fast-acting neurotransmitter; immediately opens chloride channels, hyperpolarizing the cell

Question 10

Acetylcholine

Answer 10

Immediately opens sodium channels, rushing sodium into the cell; fast-acting neurotransmitter

Question 11

Benzodiazepines

Answer 11

Xanax; increase effectiveness of GABA

Question 12

Curare

Answer 12

Inhibits acetylcholine

Question 13

Why do we use rats to study neuroscience?

Answer 13

There’s lots of them; we can breed them selectively; they’re similar enough to all mammal brains to generalize findings to humans

Question 14

Microelectrodes

Answer 14

Can be used to stimulate neurons or record their firing; used this technique to find place cells in the hippocampus, which fire only when an animal is in a certain location

Question 15

The only thing we cannot study in animals

Answer 15

Language

Question 16

Wilder Penfield

Answer 16

Discovered sensory and motor cortex by using microelectrodes

Question 17

Lesion

Answer 17

Destruction of the brain area

Question 18

Ablation

Answer 18

Removal of the brain area

Question 19

Microdialysis

Answer 19

Identifies what neurotransmitters are located in various parts of the brain; extracted cerebral spinal fluid out of that part of the brain

Question 20

CT/cat scan

Answer 20

Computerized axial tomography; x-ray of the brain; uses an injection of dye; structural technique; images are not high resolution; cheap; use for diagnosis and research (tumors and ventricles)

Question 21

MRI

Answer 21

Magnetic resonance imaging; high resolution; structural; expensive; 30,000 times stronger than the magnetism of the earth; changes the way that hydrogen molecules spin in your body; when the magnet is shut off, it readjusts and that’s when they take a picture

Question 22

EEG

Answer 22

Electroencephalogram; measures electrical brain activity; electrical charge of the cerebral spinal fluid; used in sleep studies, epilepsy, consciousness

Question 23

Evoked potential procedure

Answer 23

Uses electrodes; does something externally to look at the change

Question 24

Histamine

Answer 24

Neurotransmitter that keeps you awake