chapter 2 Flashcards
Definition of neuron
nerve cell that transmits information from one part of the body to another via neural impulses
- 1 billion in spinal cord
- 100 billion in brain
Genetic information is found in what part of the neuron
The Soma or cell body
correct neural sequence
dendrite, cell body, axon, synapse
names and functions of the neuron
- neural impulse: change in electrical charges
- ions: electrically charged atoms & molecules
- resting potential: inactive (-70mV)
- action potential: brief change in neurons electrical charge (+40mV)
- all–or–none principle: stimulated neuron either will or will not fire at all
- Neurothreshold: minimum amount of stimulation
— if not met (-60mV) continue to be inactive (-70mV)
how many neurons are in the human brain
100 billion neurons
what is the speed of a neuron… myelinated versus unmyelinated
200 mph
150 m/s — myelinated
0.5-10 m/s — unmyelinated

What is neurogenesis and where does it occur
- growth and development of neurons
- occurs in lower region or base of brain
ions help neurons do what
fire, by giving them “fuel” by transferring ions (sodium potassium and chloride) outside of the neurons to inside 
what is the mV rating for a neuron at rest and at its neural threshold
rest: -70mV
neural threshold: -60mV
describe the all-or-none principle
The neuron either fires or it doesn’t
- requires rest before another fire
Synapse
The junction between the axon terminal and the dendrite of the next neuron
- neuron communicate with other cells
Vesicles containing what
Neurotransmitters (chemical messengers)
the “washing away” or “vacuuming affect” a neurotransmitters is technically called what
Re-uptake
what are the different divisions of the nervous system and what do they do
-CNS- brain and spinal cord
— Receives, stores, transmits, and processes sensory information
-PNS- connects all parts of the body with CNS
— somatic and autonomic
— sends and receives sensory information from the outer (peripheral parts) of the body and back to the CNS

What is the endocrine system and what does it do
- glands that secrete chemicals into the bloodstream to help control bodily functions
- partner to the nervous system
What are hormones and how do they work
- chemicals release into blood stream
- deliver messages to the body like neurotransmitters
- fight or flight response: adrenaline released during stressful events
Neurons in the spinal cord in the effects of injuries to his neurons
- sensory: carry impulses to brain/spinal cord
- motor: carry impulses away from brain/spinal cord and two muscles and glands
- interneurons: within the CNS
What is the knee-jerk response and where is it processed
- urgent “pain” messages I responded to by the neurons and the spinal cord
- spinal cord
lower/mid region of the brain and what its responsible for
-lower: medulla pons cerebellum
— unconscious but essential functions; heart rate and breathing
— cross lateralization
— balance, alertness, focus, and sleep
-mid: reticular activating system
— filters out unwanted stimuli
— nerve fibers involved in maintaining levels of arousal
— reticular formation
Upper region of the brain and its responsibilities
- limbic system: emotion, motivation, memory
— amygdala: emotion
— hippocampus: memory - thalamus: relay station
- hypothalamus: Basic biological needs
— Controls ANS (metabolic rate, glucose levels) - basal ganglia: slow movements and motor responding
— Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, OCD by deterioration
what does the brain stem include
- medulla: controls involuntary functions (coughing, sneezing)
- pons: relay station for sensory messages from the spinal cord and face, up to higher brain centers; high impulses from upper brain to lower body - cross lateralization: fiber on one side of the body connects to opposite side of the brain
what is the medulla responsible for
unconscious essential functions
- freezing, heart rate, digestion
What is cross lateralization
when the right hemisphere controls the left side of the body and vice versa
- reasons are unknown
The reticular activating system or RAS is responsible for what
complex network of nerve fibers involved in maintaining levels of arousal
- keeps you at certain level of awareness
- filters out unwanted stimuli
- reticular formation

What is the cerebellum and its responsibilities
- “little brain”
- critical for balance
- coordination of movement (fine motor movements)

Damage to the basal ganglia is related to what disease
Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, Tourette’s, OCD
What is the amygdala and its responsibilities
- part of brain
- emotions (range and fear)
what are the functions of the thalamus hypothalamus and cerebral cortex
- thalamus: relay station; sends sensory information from PNS to brain
— associated with schizophrenia - hypothalamus: regulation of biological needs; Controls ANS; vital link between brain and endocrine system (metabolic rate)
- cerebral cortex: outer covering of brain in charge of complex thoughts
— contains gyrus‘ and suclus’ (hills ans valleys)
What is the machine used to measure electrical activity in the brain (firing neurons)
EEG: electroencephalogram 
what is the machine used to determine brain activity in the brain
fMRI: functional magnetic resonance imaging
— detects changes in blood oxygenated and flow that occur in response to neural activity
Machine that uses x-rays to pier and said the brain
CAT/CT scan: computerized axial tomography
Machine that uses magnets to peer inside the brain
MRI: magnetic resonance imaging
Functions of the parietal, frontal, temporal, and occipital lobes of the brain
- frontal: important/executive decisions and personality (fine muscle groups)
- temporal: near temples; auditory info and smell
- Parietal: touch and environmental awareness (pain and pressure)
- occipital: visual signals & info (eye sight)
What are the recovery rates for stroke victims women versus men
Women are more likely to recover because functions lost as a result of damage in one hemisphere can be taken over more easily by the other undamaged hemisphere
— women’s intellectual functioning is more balanced
right brain versus left brains strengths or specialization
- right: Creative, musical, and artistic skills, special perception, body control and awareness
- left: logical and math skills writing and language ability
Reasons for cutting the corpus callosum
prevents epileptic seizures (callosotomy)
- if not cut, “alien hand” syndrome is possible
Function and location of the corpus callosum
- connects two cerebral hemispheres
- signals travel from one side of the body to opposite hemisphere of the brain
- frontal lobes in genu
functions and location of the Wernick‘s in Brocas areas of the brain
- Wernickes: speech comprehension in organizing ideas (left hemisphere)
- Brocas: production of speech (left hemisphere)
Parts of a neuron
Cell body (nucleus), dendrites, and axons with bare endings
myelin
 White, fatty covering on some accents; insulates, protects, speeds impulses
Chemical ion
electrically charged (+ or -) chemical particle
Neural threshold
minimum amount of stimulation required to get a neuron to fire
Components of the ANS
autonomic nervous system = sympathetic + parasympathetic divisions
Endocrine system
glands that release hormones into the bloodstream (slower than nervous system)
Synaptic space
tiny space between the axon of one neuron in the dendrite of the next - where neurotransmitters go
Two functions of spinal cord
1- spinal reflex behaviors
2- speed impulses to and from brain

Two parts of brainstem
The medulla in the pons
Parts of the limbic system
1- amygdala (emotion)
2- Septum (emotion)
3- hippocampus (memory)
Corpus callosum
fibers that connects left and right hemispheres of cerebral cortex – severed in split brain operation
Cerebral cortex lobes
Frontal, tempura, occipital, and parietal
which of the following less the major structures of the neuron incorrect order
a- cell body, dendrite, axon
b-  axon, dendrite, cell body
c- dendrite, cell body, axon
d- any of these may be correct depending upon the particular neuron involved
c- dendrite, cell body, axon
The following structures, which is likely to occur in neurons in the greatest number a-  dendrites b- nuclei c- axons d- cell bodies
d- cell bodies
Milan shearhs serve several different functions. Which of these is not something that Milan normally does?
a- insulates axons from other nearby axons
b- helps to speed up impulse transmission
c- produces in stores the neurons neurotransmitters
d- protects the delicate axon against physical damage
c – produces in stores then there are on neurotransmitters
when a neuron is “at rest,”
a- it has no electrical charge
b- The inside of the neuron has a negative charge compared to the outside
c- it is in the process of “firing,” or transmitting an impulse
d- Chemical ions are racing in and out of the neuron
b- The inside of the neuron has a negative charge compared to the outside
when an impulse moves down or a long in neuron, what physically moves from one end of the neuron to the other? a- The chemical ions involved b- The neural membrane itself c- The fluids within the neuron d- nothing 
a- The chemical ions involved
The “all-or-non principal “ states that
a- A neuron will either fire or it won’t
b- neural impulses always travel in one direction
c- some neurons always fire; some neurons never fire
d- Neurons either have a threshold or they don’t
a- A neuron will either fire or it won’t
although there are many specific neurotransmitters, we can classify them in turns of their actions as being either a- Central or peripheral b- excitatory or inhibitory c- Century or motor d- exotic or dendritic
b- excitatory or inhibitory
Parasympathetic division
Active when we are relaxing quiet
Pituitary gland
Referred to as the master gland, it has direct control over the activity of many other glands in the system
Thyroid gland
located on the neck, it produces a hormone called thyroxine, which regulates the pace of the body’s functioning
Adrenal glands
Located on the kidneys, they secrete a variety of hormones into the bloodstream
Behavior genetics
the discipline that studies the effects of genetics on psychological functioning
Epigenetic’s
refers to a complex biochemical system that exists above the basic level of one DNA code (genetics) that can affect the over expression of genetically influence traits
Spinal cord
A mass of interconnected neurons within the spinal column that looks rather like a section of rope or thick twine
sensory neurons
neurons are nerve fibers that carry impulses towards the brain or spinal cord
Motor neurons
Neurons in if I was that carry impulses away from the spinal cord and brain to muscles and glands
Interneurons
Neurons within the central nervous system
Spinal reflexes
Simple, automatic behaviors that occur without conscious voluntary action of the brain
Brainstem
Formed by the medulla in the pons; slight widening of the cord that suggests the transition to brain tissue
medulla
it’s nuclei control in voluntary functions such as coughing, sneezing, tongue movements, and reflexive eye movements
Cross lateralization
In the Branson; nerve fibers crossing from one side of the body to the opposite side of the brain
pons
serves as relay station; sorts and relays sensory messages from spinal cord and the face up to higher brain centers; and similarly relaying motor impulses from higher centers of the brain down to the rest of the body
cerebellum
The rolw is to smooth and coordinate rapid bodily movements
Reticular formation
Involved in determining are level of activation or arousal
Basal ganglia
Involved in the planning, initiation, and coordination of large, slow movements
Parkinson’s disease
Hey disorder involving the basal ganglia, in which the most noticeable symptoms are impairment of movement and involuntary tremors
Limbic system
A collection of small structures that controls many of the complex behavioral patterns that are often considered to be instinctive
Hypothalamus
Major part of the limbic system; less directly involved in emotion and more involved with the formation of memories
Thalamus
I realize station for impulses traveling to and from the cerebral cortex
Cerebral cortex
The outer covering of the brain that makes us uniquely human by giving us our ability to think, reason, and use language
electroencephalogram (EEG)
Recordings of the electrical activity of the brain
Sensory areas
an area of the cerebral cortex that receives impulses from the senses
Motor areas
Areas of the cerebral cortex where most voluntary activity is initiated
Association areas
Areas of the cerebrum were sensory input is integrated with motor responses and we’re cognitive functions such as problem-solving, memory, and thinking occur
Corpus callosum
A network of fibers that interconnect the two hemispheres of the cerebral cortex
Split-brain procedure
Hey surgical technique that separates the functions of the two hemispheres of the brain
