Cards for next test Flashcards
phrenology
studying bumps on the skull; can reveal a persons mental abilities and character traits
localization of function
the idea that various brain regions have particular functions
biological psychologists
the scientific study of how biology and psychology are related
what do nerve cells do
conduct electricity and “talk” to one another by sending chemical messages across a tiny gap that separates them
what does each part of the brain do
specific brain systems serve specific functions
what do we do with the information processed from the different brain systems
integrate the information to construct our experiences of sights, sounds, meanings, and memories, pain and passion
how is our adaptive brain wired
by our experience
biopsychosocial systems
are used to understand our behavior, culture, and community; how everything is made up of each other and helps for other things in our body
how do our brains relate to those of animals
depends on the animal, but for the most part they all follow the same principles
what is a neuron
a nerve cell that acts as a building block for our body’s neural information system
what does a neuron consist of
a cell body and its branching fibers
what is a dendrite and what does it do
the neurons branching extensions; receive information and conduct toward the cell body
what is an axon and what does it do
the lengthy part; passes that message through its terminal branches to other neurons or to muscles or glands
what is the saying for dendrites and axons
dendrites listen; axons speak
terminal branches of axon
form junctions with other cells
cell body
the cell’s life support center
what is the myelin sheath
a layer of fatty tissue; covers the axon of some neurons and helps speed neural impulses
what happens if the myelin sheath is damaged
multiple sclerosis results
what is multiple sclerosis
communication to muscles slows, with eventual loss of muscle control
when do neurons transmit messages
when stimulated by signals from our senses or when triggered by chemical signals from other neurons
what is action potential
an impulse that a neuron fires; a brief electrical charge that travels down its axon
how do neurons generate electricity
from chemical events
what is an ion
electrically charged atoms
what does the fluid outside an axons membrane have in regards to ions
mostly positively charged ions
what does a resting axons’s fluid interior have in regards to ions
mostly negatively charged ions
what is resting potential
the positive outside/negative inside state
selectively permeable
when the axons surface is very selective about what it allows through its gates
what happens when a neuron fires
first section opens its gates, and positively charged sodium ions flood through the cell membrane
what happens when the first sections opens its gate and does all that fun stuff when a neuron fires
causes another exon channel to open; the process will continue
depolarize
what happens when the neurons fire
refractory period
a period of inactivity after a neuron has fired
what happens during a refractory period
the neuron pumps the positively charged sodium ions back outside; it can then fire again
excitatory
somewhat like pushing a neurons accelerator
inhibitory
more like pushing its brake
how is action potential triggered
when excitatory signals exceed inhibitory signals then it can happen
what happens to the action potential
travels down the axon, which branches into junctions with other neurons and other stuff
threshold
the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse
what is the neurons reaction
all or none response
what is an all or none response
when a neuron either fires or doesn’t fire; there is no in-between
how do we distinguish a gentle touch from a big hug?
a strong stimulus can trigger more neurons to fire, and to fire more often; but it does not affect the action potential’s strength or speed/
squeezing a trigger harder won’t make the bullet go faster
synapse
the junction between the axon tip and the dendrite
neurotransmitters
chemical messengers
what does the neurotransmitter do
its molecules cross the synaptic gap and bind to the side of the receiving neuron (like a key fitting a lock); when it does this ions flow in, allowing it to know that the neuron is ready to fire
what happens to the excess neurotransmitters
reabsorbed; called reuptake
what is acetylcholine (ACh)
one of the best understood neurotransmitters; plays a role in learning and memory
what is acetylcholine the messenger of
junction between motor neurons and skeletal muscles
what happens when ACh is released to our muscle cell receptors
the muscle contracts
how do we become paralyzed
if ACh transmission is blocked, the muscles cannot contract
what is morphine
opiate drug that elevates mood and eases pain
endorphins
natural opiate-like neurotransmitter linked to pain control and to pleasure; “morphine within”; like the runners high
dopamine
influences movement, learning, attention, and emotion
dopamine malfunctions
oversupply linked to schizophrenia; undersupply linked to tremors and decreased mobility in parkinson’s disease
serotonin
affects mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal
serotonin malfunctions
undersupply linked to depression (some drugs are sued to raise it)
norepinephrine
helps control alertness and arousal
norepinephrine malfunctions
undersupply can depress moods
GABA
a major inhibitory neurotransmitter
GABA malfunctions
undersupply linked to seizures, tremors, and insomnia
glutamate
a major excitatory neurotransmitter; involved in memory
glutamate malfunctions
oversupply can overstimulate the brain, producing migraines or seizures
if drugs make us feel so good, why not always take them
because once the brain is flooded with whatever it is, it may stop producing its own natural opiates; so when the drug is removed the brain may be deprived of its opiates, causing extreme discomfort
what is an agonist
a molecule that, by binding to a receptor site, stimulates a response
explain an agonist
it is similar enough to a neurotransmitter that it can mimics its effects and create a “high”;/
it can also bind to it because it is similar, but instead block its function
nervous system
the body’s speedy; electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems
central nervous system
the body’s decision maker; brain and spinal cord
peripheral nervous system
responsible for gathering information and for transmitting CNS decisions to other body parts
nerves
electrical cables formed of bundles and axons; link the CNS with the body’s sensory receptors, muscles, and glands
how many neurons does the nervous system information travel through
three
what are the three ways
sensory, motor, inter neurons
sensory neurons
carry messages from the body’s tissues and sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord
motor neurons
carry instructions form the central nervous system out to the body’s muscles and glands
interneurons
neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs
what nervous system is sympathetic (arousing)
peripheral
what nervous system is parasympathetic (calming)
central
two components of the nervous system
somatic and autonomic
somatic
enables voluntary control of our skeletal muscles