Chapter 2 Flashcards
How do neurons communicate with each other?
Dendrites, cell body, axon, and terminal buttons
What is the central nervous system?
Consists of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord
What is the peripheral nervous system?
Relays messages from body to brain
Has 2 primary subdivisions:
- Autonomic nervous system
- Somatic nervous system
What are the different neurotransmitters? What do they do? What disorders are those neurotransmitters associated with?
- Acetylcholine: learning & memory
(Alzheimer’s) - Norepinephrine: arousal & alertness
(Lethargic) - Serotonin: emotional states & dreaming
- Dopamine: pleasure & reward (Parkinson’s)
- GABA: inhibitory transmitter & anxiety (Schizophrenia)
- Glutamate: excitatory neurotransmitter & linked to GABA (Stroke)
- Endorphins: physical pain reduction
What are the brain structures of the hind brain and what do they do (cerebellum, medulla, pons)?
- Medulla: controls basic functions of survival
- Pons: linked to sleep & arousal; coordinating movements between left & right sides of the body
- Cerebellum: motor learning, coordination, and balance
What is the amygdala? What do they do?
Located in front of the hippocampus (almond like shape);
Associates emotion with experiences; detecting and responding to threats
What is the hippocampus? What do they do?
Tiny sea-horse shape
Associated with formation of new memories & spatial navigation
What is the thalamus? What do they do?
Sensory gateway for sight, sound, and taste
What is the hypothalamus? What do they do?
Brain’s master regulatory structure
Regulates body functions and motivates behaviors
What is reticular formation? What do they do?
Brain stem; sends up through midbrain to forebrain
Ex: filtering out train noises while sleeping since house is by train tracks
What are the different lobes of the forebrain and what do they do?
- Frontal lobe: complex thought, planning, and movement
- Parietal lobe: touch, spatial relations
- Occipital lobe: vision
What is Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area?
Broca’s Area: Left frontal region; crucial for producing speech
Wernicke’s Area: comprehending language; either written or spoken
What is the corpus callosum?
Brain connected by thick bundle of nerve fibers; both sides of the brain can communicate and send signals to each other
What are differences between the right and left hemispheres?
Right: controls left body movements and vision of field
Left: controls right body movements and vision of field
What is the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems?
Sympathetic: prepares body for action; increases
Parasympathetic: returns body to resting state; decreases
