brain, bodies, and behavior Flashcards
agonists
mimics, a drug that has chemical properties similar to a particular neurotransmitter and thus mimics the effects of the neurotransmitter.
antagonists
block, a drug that reduces or stops the normal effects of a neurotransmitter.
the central nervous system (CNS),
made up of the brain and the spinal cord
The brain stem
is the oldest and innermost region of the brain. It controls the most basic functions of life, including breathing, attention, and motor responses. The brain stem includes the medulla, the pons, and the reticular formation.
peripheral nervous system (PNS),
the neurons that link the CNS to our skin, muscles, and glands.
Acetylcholine (ACh)
A common neurotransmitter used in the spinal cord and motor neurons to stimulate muscle contractions. It’s also used in the brain to regulate memory, sleeping, and dreaming.
Alzheimer’s disease is associated with an undersupply of acetylcholine. Nicotine is an agonist that acts like acetylcholine.
Dopamine
Involved in movement, motivation, and emotion, Dopamine produces feelings of pleasure when released by the brain’s reward system, and it‘s also involved in learning.
Schizophrenia is linked to increases in dopamine, whereas Parkinson’s (old lady with uncontrollable movement) is linked to reductions in dopamine (and dopamine agonists may be used to treat it).
Dop MME!!
Dopamine: motivation, movement and emotion
Endorphins
Released in response to behaviors such as vigorous exercise, orgasm, and eating spicy foods.
Endorphins are natural pain relievers. They are related to the compounds found in drugs such as opium, morphine, and heroin. The release of endorphins creates the runner’s high that is experienced after intense physical exertion.
HOM-E
endorphines: heroine, opium and morphine
Serotonin
Involved in many functions, including mood, appetite, sleep, and aggression.
Low levels of serotonin are associated with depression, and some drugs designed to treat depression (known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs) serve to prevent their reuptake.
Ser SAM
Serotonin: Sleep, Appetite, Mood (aggression)
Glutamate
The most common neurotransmitter, it’s released in more than 90% of the brain’s synapses. Glutamate is found in the food additive MSG (monosodium glutamate).
Excess glutamate can cause overstimulation, migraines and seizures.
The “ old brain”
including the brain stem, medulla, pons, reticular formation, thalamus, cerebellum, amygdala, hypothalamus, and hippocampus—regulates basic survival functions, such as breathing, moving, resting, feeding, emotions, and memory.
amygdala
re two almond-shaped groups of nuclei located deep and medially within the temporal lobes of the brain in complex vertebrates, primary role in the processing of memory, decision-making, and emotional reactions, the amygdalae are considered part of the limbic system.
the limbic system
The limbic system supports a variety of functions including adrenaline flow, emotion, behavior, motivation, long-term memory, and olfaction. It includes the amygdala, the hypothalamus, and the hippocampus.
limb HAH!
hypothalamus
amygdala
hippocampus (long term memory)
the cerebral cortex
provides humans with excellent memory, outstanding cognitive skills, and the ability to experience complex emotions, this is not part of the old brain
medulla
the area of the brain stem that controls HEART RATE AND BREATHING.
Med- heart and lung
medulla, heart rate and breathing
pons,
a structure in the brain stem that helps control the movements of the body, playing a particularly important role in balance and walking. sleep, respiration, swallowing, bladder control, hearing, equilibrium, taste, eye movement, facial expressions, facial sensation, and posture. Mainly known for respiration
reticular formation.
Running through the medulla and the pons is a long, narrow network of neurons
thalamus
is the egg-shaped structure above the brain stem that applies still more filtering to the sensory information that is coming up from the spinal cord and through the reticular formation, and it relays some of these remaining signals to the higher brain levels.
thalamus is also important in sleep because it shuts off incoming signals from the senses, allowing us to rest.
cerebellum
consists of two wrinkled ovals behind the brain stem. It functions to coordinate voluntary movement.
hypothalamus
a brain structure that contains a number of small areas that perform a variety of functions, including the important role of linking the nervous system to the endocrine system via the pituitary gland. TAN HATS thirst and water anterior pituitary neurophysis (posterior pituitary)
hunger and satiety
autonomic regulation
temperature
sexual urges
hippocampus
consists of two “horn” that curve back from the amygdala. The hippocampus is important in storing information in long-term memory.
like the girl from 50 first dates. hippo like adam sanders
cerebral cortex
the outer bark-like layer of our brain that allows us to so successfully use language, acquire complex skills, create tools, and live in social groups
corticalization.
The folding of the cerebral cortex
glial cells (glia),
cells that surround and link to the neurons, protecting them, providing them with nutrients, and absorbing unused neurotransmitters
frontal lobe
is responsible primarily for thinking, planning, memory, and judgment.
parietal lobe
which extends from the middle to the back of the skull and which is responsible primarily for processing information about touch.
occipital lobe
at the very back of the skull, which processes visual information
temporal lobe,
responsible primarily for hearing and language. Auditory cortex is within this.
contralateral control.
The brain is wired such that in most cases the left hemisphere receives sensations from and controls the right side of the body, and vice versa
German physicists Gustav Fritsch and Eduard Hitzig
found out about contralateral control
motor cortex,
the part of the cortex that controls and executes movements of the body by sending signals to the cerebellum and the spinal cord.
somatosensory cortex,
an area just behind and parallel to the motor cortex at the back of the frontal lobe, receives information from the skin’s sensory receptors and the movements of different body parts
The visual cortex
the area located in the occipital lobe (at the very back of the brain) that processes visual information
Neuroplasticity
the brain’s ability to change its structure and function in response to experience or damage. Certain part of the brain can shrink if it is damaged or not used anymore while other parts of the brain can grow if you use it more.
neurogenesis
the forming of new neurons
lesions
DAMAGED PART OF THE BRAIN, for instance, as a result of strokes, falls, automobile accidents, gunshots, or tumors.
feature detectors
there are specific neurons that detect movement, lines and edges, and even faces. These neurons are found in the visual cortex.
(EEG)
electroencephalography: a technique that records the electrical activity produced by the brain’s neurons through the use of electrodes that are placed around the research participant’s head. Can show if you’re sleeping or awake, DIFFERENT WAVE PATTERNS TELLS THE RESEARCH WHAT THE PERSON IS DOING.
(fMRI)
Functional magnetic resonance imaging: is a type of brain scan that uses a magnetic field to create images of brain activity in each brain area by DETECTING THE AMOUNT OF BLOOD FLOW TO EACH BRAIN REGION.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
a procedure in which magnetic pulses are applied to the brain of living persons with the goal of temporarily and safely DEACTIVATING A SMALL BRAIN REGION. If the participant‘s ability to perform the task is influenced by the presence of the stimulation, then the researchers can conclude that this particular area of the brain is important to carrying out the task.
A sensory (or afferent) neuron (SA)
carries information from the sensory receptors,
motor (or efferent) neuron (ME)
transmits information to the muscles and glands
PC AS SP
peripheral and central
autonomic and somatic
sympathetic and parasympathetic
pineal gland,
located in the middle of the brain, which secretes melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate the wake-sleep cycle
Pine is your meal to wake up.
pineal gland secretes melatonin to regulate your wake sleep cycle
