Chapter 2 - Neuroscience and Behavior Flashcards
neuron
a nerve cell, basic building block of nervous system
dendrite
bushy, branching extensions of a neuron that receive messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body
axon
extension of neuron, ending in branching terminal fibers, through which messages pass to other neurons or to muscles or glands
myelin sheath
a layer of fatty tissue segment ally encasing the fibers of many neurons, enables vastly greater transmission speed of neural impulses as the impulse hips from one node to the next
action potential
a neural impulse, a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon. the action potential is generated by the movement of positively charged atoms in and out of channels in the axons membrane
threshold
level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse
synapse
junction between axon tip of sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron. tiny gap at this junction is called the synaptic gap or cleft
neurotransmitters
chemical messengers that traverse the synaptic gaps between neurons. when released by the sending neuron, neurotransmitters travel across the synapse and bind to receptor sites on the receiving neuron, thereby influencing whether that neuron will generate a neural impulse
acetylcholine
a neurotransmitter that enables learning and memory and also triggers muscle contraction
endorphins
“morphine within” - natural, opiatelike neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure
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 (CNS)
the brain and spinal cord
peripheral nervous system
the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body
nerves
neural “cables” containing many axons. these bundled axons, which are part of the peripheral nervous system, connect the central nervous system with muscles, glands, and sense organs
sensory neurons
neurons that carry incoming information from the sense receptors to the central nervous system
motor neurons
neurons that carry outgoing information from the central nervous system to the muscles and glands
interneurons
central nervous system neurons that internally communicate and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs
somatic nervous system
division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body’s skeletal muscles. also called skeletal nervous system
autonomic nervous system
the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs (such as the heart). it’s sympathetic division arouses; it’s parasympathetic division calms.
sympathetic nervous system
division if the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing it’s energy in stressful situations
parasympathetic nervous system
the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving it’s energy
reflex
simple, automatic, inborn response to a sensory stimulus, such as the knee-jerk response
neural networks
interconnected neural cells. with experience, networks can learn, as feedback strengthens or inhibits connections that produce certain results. computer simulations of neural networks show analogous learning
endocrine system
the body’s slow chemical communication system, a set of glands that secret hormones into the bloodstream
hormones
chemical messengers, mostly those manufactured by the endocrine glands, that are produced in one tissue and affect another
biological psychology
a branch of psychology concerned with the links between biology and behavior (behavioral neuroscientists, neuropsychologist, behavior geneticists, physiological psychologists, biopsychologists)
adrenal glands
A pair of endocrine glands just above the kidneys. The adrenals secret the hormones epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (non-a) which helps to arouse the body in times of stress
pituitary gland
The endocrine system’s most influential gland. under the influence of the hypothalamus, the pituitary regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands
lesion
tissue destruction. A brain lesion is a naturally or experimentally caused destruction of brain tissue
electroencephalogram (eeg)
an amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain surface. These waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp
pet (positron emission tomography) scan
Visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
a technique that uses magnetic field and radio waves to produce computer-generated images that distinguish among different types of soft tissue; allows us to see structures within the brain
fmri (functional magnetic resonance imaging)
A tech nique for revealing blood flow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. MRI scans show brain anatomy, fMRI scans show brain function
brainstem
The oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; The brainstem is responsible for automatic survival functions
medulla
The base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing
reticular formation
A nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal
thalamus
The brains sensory switchboard, located on top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and the Medulla
cerebellum
The “little brain” attached to the rear of the brainstem; its functions include processing sensory input & coordinating movement output and balance
limbic system
A donut shaped system of neural structures at the border of the brainstem and cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions such as fear and aggression and drives such as those for food and sex. includes the hippocampus, amygdala and hypothalamus
amygdala
two lima bean sized neural clusters that are components of the limbic system and are linked to emotion
hypothalamus
A neural structure lying below (hypo) the thalamus; directs several maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temperature), helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland and is linked to emotion
cerebral cortex
The intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells that covers the cerebral hemispheres; the body’s ultimate control and information processing center
glial cells
cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons
frontal lobes
The portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgments
parietal lives
The portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; receives sensory input for touch and body position
occipital lobes
A portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes the visual areas, which receive visual information from the opposite visual field
temporal lobes
The portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory areas, each of which receives auditory information primarily from the opposite ear
motor cortex
an area at the rear of the frontal lobe that controls voluntary movements
sensory cortex
The area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations
association areas
areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions; rather, they are involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking
aphasia
impairment of language, usually caused by left hemisphere damage either to Broca’s area (impairing speaking) or to Wernicke’s area (impairing understanding).
Broca’s area
Controls language expression – an area of the frontal lobe, usually in the left hemisphere, the directs the muscle movements involved in speech
wernicke’s area
Controls language reception – a brain area involved in language comprehension and expression; usually in the left temporal lobe
plasticity
The brains capacity for modification as evident in brain reorganization following damage (especially in children) and in experiments on the effects of experience on brain development
corpus callosum
The large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them
split brain
condition in which the two hemispheres of the brain are isolated by cutting the connecting fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) between them
