Chapter 2 Flashcards
Field that studies how the nervous system works
Behavioral neuroscience or biological psychology
The cells in the nervous system that carry information
Neurons
Information enters a neuron at the
Dendrites
Information enters the neuron and flows through the cell body or
Soma
Information enters a neuron to flow through the cell body and down the
Axon
These cells make up 90% of the nervous system. Provides food, support, and insulation to the neurons
Glial cells
The insulation around the neuron is called
Myelin
Bundles of myelin coated axons are wrapped together in cable like structures called
Nerves
Movement of the electrical signal down the length of the cell
Action potential
The positive charges get pumped back out of the cell and the neuron returns to its negatively charged state
Resting potential
The neuron either has an action potential or not
All or none phenomenon
The other end of the neuron
Axon terminal
Very tip of the axon terminal
Synaptic knob
Fluid filled space between two gaps
Synapse
The chemical signals neurons use to communication with its target cell
Neurotransmitters
When the neurotransmitter increases the likelihood of an action potential in the target cell
Excitatory synapse
Neurotransmitter decreases the likelihood of an action potential
Inhibitory synapse
Excitatory neurotransmitter that causes your muscles to contract and has a role in cognition, particularly memory
Acetylcholine
An inhibitory NT that decreases the activity level of neurons in your brain
GABA
Functions both as an excitatory and inhibitory NT and has been linked with sleep, mood and appetite
Serotonin
Low levels of this NT causes Parkinson’s Disease
Dopamine
Increased levels of this NT lead to schizophrenia
Dopamine
Special NTs called a neural regulator that controls the release of other NTS
Endorphin
Different Types of NT are cleared out of the synaptic gap through the processes of diffusion, enzymatic degradation and
Reuptake
Made up of the brain and the spinal cord
Central nervous system
Made up of a complex network of cells throughout your body
Nervous system
Chemicals that are not naturally found in your body.
Agonists and antagonists
Lead a similar response in the target cell as the neurotransmitter itself
Agonists
Block or reduce the action of the neurotransmitter on the target cell
Antagonists
A long bundle of neurons that transmits messages between the brain and the body.
Spinal cord
This is where the cell bodies or somas of the neurons are located
Along the inside of the spinal cord and the cell axons along the outside of the spinal cord
Sends information from your senses to the spinal cord
Afferent (sensory) neurons
send commands from the spinal cord to your muscles
Efferent (motor neurons)
Connect sensory and motor neurons and help to coordinate the signals
Interneurons
Afferent, efferent and Interneurons act together in the spinal cord to form a
Reflex arc
Ability of the brain and the spinal cord to change both in structure and function is referred to as
Neuroplasticity
One type of cell that facilitates the ability of the brain and spinal cord to change both in structure and function
Stem cell
Made up of all the nerves and neurons that are NOT in the brain or spinal cord
Peripheral nervous system (PNS)
The peripheral nervous system is divided into two parts
Somatic nervous and autonomic nervous
This nervous system consists of all the nerves coming from your sensory systems
Somatic nervous system
Sensory systems are also called
Sensory pathway
All the nerves going to the skeletal muscles that control your voluntary movements
Motor pathway
Made up of the nerves going to and from your organs, glands, involuntary muscles and is divided into two parts
Autonomic nervous system
The autonomic nervous system is divided into two parts
Sympathetic division and parasympathetic
Turns on the body’s fight or flight reactions which include responses such as increased heart rate, increased breathing and dilation of your pupils
Sympathetic
Controls your body when you are in a state of rest to keep the heart beating regularly, to control normal breathing and the coordinate digestion
Parasympathetic
The division that is active most of the time
Parasympathetic
Represents a second communication system in the body
Endocrine glands
Endocrine glands lack ducts and secrete chemicals called
Hormones
Located in the brain and secretes the hormones that control milk production, salt levels, and the activity of your glands
Pituitary gland
Also located in the brain and secretes melatonin. Helps to track day length and contributed to the regulation of the sleep
Pineal gland
Located in the neck and releases a hormone that regulates metabolism
Thyroid gland
Controls the level of blood sugar in the body
Pancreas
Regulate sexual behavior and reproduction (ovaries in female and testes in males)
Gonad sex glands
These glands are divided into two sections that play a critical role in regulating the body’s response to stress
Adrenal glands
A section of the adrenal gland that releases epinephrine and norepinephrine
Adrenal medulla
A section of the adrenal gland that releases stress hormones such as cortisol
Adrenal cortex
Destroying a specific area of the brain
Deep lesioning
Stimulating a specific brain area
Electrical stimulation of the brain ESB
Used to treat Parkinson’s disease
Deep brain stimulation DBS
Treats post traumatic stress disorder
Transcranial magnetic stimulation
Pictures the structures of the brain
CT scan or MRI
Use X-rays to create images of the structures within the brain
CT scans
Uses a magnetic field to take a picture of the brain
Magnetic resonance images MRI
Provides a record of the electrical activity of groups of neurons just below the surface of the skull
Electroencephalogram EEG
Uses magnetic fields in the same way as an MRI but pieces the pictures together to show changes over a short period of time
fMRI
Involves injecting a person with a low dose of radioactive substance and then recording the activity of that substance in the persons brain
Positron emission tomography PET
functions similarly to the PET scan but uses a somewhat different radio tracer technique
single photon emission computer tomography SPECT
The brain can be divided into three sections
Brainstem, cortex and the structures under the cortex
Lowest part of the brain that connects to the spinal cord
Brain stem
Outer wrinkled covering of the brain
Cortex
Controls life-sustaining functions such as heartbeat breathing and swallowing (brain stem)
Medulla
Influences sleep, dreaming and coordination of movements (brain stem )
Pons
Controls all of the movements you make without really thinking about it (brain stem)
Cerebellum
One main group of structures under the cortex
Limbic system
Receives input from your sensory system, processes it and then passed it on the appropriate area of the cortex (limbic)
Thalamus
Interacts with the endocrine system to regulate body temperature, thirst, hunger, sleeping, sexual activity and mood (FOUR F)
Also critical for the formation of long term memories and for memories of the locations of objects (limbic)
Hypothalamus
A small almond-shaped structure that is involved in your response to fear (limbic)
Amygdala
Plays an important role in both emotion and cognition (limbic)
Cingulate cortex
A process where the cortex is wrinkled to increase its surface within the bony skull
Corticalization
The cortex is divided into right and left sections called
Cerebral hemispheres
The two hemispheres communicate with each other through a thick band of neurons called the
It is located immediately below the cingulate cortex
Corpus callosum
Cerebral hemispheres can be divided into four sections called lobes
Occipital, parietal, frontal and temporal
A lobe at the back of the brain and processes visual information
Occipital lobe
Located at the top and back half of the brain and deal with information regarding touch, temperature, body position and possibly taste
Parietal lobes
Just behind your temples and process auditory information
Temporal lobes
Located at the front of your head and are responsible for higher mental functions such as planning, personality and decision making as well as language and motor movements
Frontal lobes
Motor movements are controlled by a band of neurons called
Which Is located at the back of the frontal lobe
Motor cortex
Neurons that fire when you perform an action and also when you see someone perform that action
Mirror neurons
Areas within each of the lobes that are responsible for making sense of all the incoming information
Association areas
Located in the left frontal lobe in most people and is responsible for language production
Broca’s area
A condition where a person have trouble producing the words he or she wants to speak
Broca’s aphasia
Comprehension of language takes place in
Located in the left temporal lobe
Wernicke’s area
Language disorder where individuals are often still able to speak fluently but their words do not make sense
Wernicke’s aphasia
Damage to the right parietal and occipital lobes can cause a condition known as
In which the individual ignores objects or body parts in their left visual field
Spatial neglect
Made up of the two cerebral hemispheres and the structures connecting them
Cerebrum
This helped scientists to figure out that the two cerebral hemispheres are not identical
Split Brain research of roger sperry
This hemisphere is typically more active when a person is using language math and other analytical skills
Left
This hemisphere shows more activity during tasks of perception recognition and expression of emotions
Right
The split in the tasks of the brain is referred to as
Lateralization
