Chapter 2 - The Biological Perspective Flashcards
What is the nervous system?
A network of cells that carries information to and from all parts of the body.
What is neuroscience?
A branch of the life sciences that deals with the structure and functioning of the brain and the neurons, nerves, and nervous tissue that form the nervous system.
What is biological psychology?
Also called behavioral neuroscience. It is the branch of neuroscience that focuses on the biological bases of the psychological processes, behavior, and learning, and it is the primary areas associated with the biological perspective in psychology.
What is a neuron?
A specialized cell in the nervous system that receives and send messages with that system. They are one of the messengers of the body.
What is a dendrite?
A branch attached to the cell body that is responsible for receiving messages.
What is the soma?
The body of the cell and is responsible for keeping the entire cell alive.
What is the axon?
Is a fiber that is attached to the soma, and is responsible for carrying messages out to other cells.
What is the axon terminal?
The tip of the axon responsible for communication with other nerve cells.
What is a glial cell?
Some serve as a sort of structure on which the neurons develop and work and that hold the neurons in place.
What is myelin?
Created from a special type of glial cell called oligodendrocyte. Is a layer of fatty substance that surrounds the shaft of the axons forming an insulating and protective barrier.
What is a tract?
Bundles of myelin coated axons travel together as cables in the central nervous system.
What is a nerve?
In the peripheral nervous system, bundles of axons are called nerves.
What is diffusion?
The process of ions moving from areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration.
What is multiple sclerosis?
The myelin sheath is destroyed wich leads to complete loss of nervous system.
What is electrostatic pressure?
The relative electrical charg when the ions are at rest.
What is semipermeable?
Some substances that are outside the cell can enter through tiny protein openings, or channels, in the membrane, while other substances can go outside.
What is resting potential?
When the cell is resting, the electrical potential is in a state called resting potential, because the cell is at rest.
What is action potential?
An electrical charge reversal, because the electrical potential is now in action rather than at rest.
How do neurons fire?
All or none fashion. They are either firing at full strength or not at all.
What is the synaptic vesicles?
The little sac like structures in an axon terminal.
What is a neurotransmitter?
The chemicals used to transmit a message.
What is the synapse, or synaptic gap?
The fluid filled space between the dendrite of one neuron and the axon of another neuron.
What are receptor sites?
Proteins that allow only particular molecules of a certain shape to fit into it, just as only a particular key will fit into a keyhole.
How does the synapse work?
The nerve impulse reaches the axon terminal, triggering the release of neurotransmitters from the synaptic vesicles. The molecules of the neurotransmitter cross the synaptic gap to fit into the receptor sites that fit the shape of the molecule, opening the ion channel and allowing sodium ions to rush in.
What does excitatory effect mean?
The neurotransmitters found in the various synapses around the nervous system can either turn cells on.
What does inhibitory neurotransmitters mean?
The neurotransmitters found in the various synapses around the nervous system can either turn cells off.
What is curare?
Date rape drug. it blocks or reduces the effects of neurotransmitters for ACh
What is Acetylcholine (ACh)?
The first neurotransmitter to be identified. It is found at the synapses between neurons and muscle cells. It stimulates the skeletal muscles to contract but actually slows contraction in the hear muscle.
What would happen if the neurons release too much ACh?
Convulsions and posslibly death.
What is an antagonist?
A chemical substance that blocks or reduces the effects of neurotransmitters.
What is an agonist?
A chemical substance that mimis or enhances the effects of a neurotransmitter.
What does ACh also play key roles in?
Memory, arousal, and attention. It is found on the hippocampus, an area responsible for forming new memories. Low levels of ACh have been associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
What is dopamine (DA)?
Is a neurotransmitter found in the brain, and like some of the other neurotransmitters, it can have adifferent effects depending on the exact location of its activity. too little DA is released in certain area of the brain can result in Parkinsons Disease. If too much DA is released then the results can be schizophrenia.
What is Serotonin (5-HT)?
Neurotransmitter origininating in the lower part of the brain that effects sleep, mood, anxiety, and appetite. Low levels have been linked with depression.
What is glutamate?
The major excitatory neurotransmitter in the nervous system. It too plays an important role in learning and memory and may be involved in synaptic plasticity. Excess results in overactivation and neuronal damage. may be associated with the cell death that occurs afer stroke, head injury, or other diseases.
What is Gaba-aminobutryic acid (GABA)?
The most common neurotransmitter prodicing inhibition in the brain. helps calm anxiety.
What are neuropeptides?
Like endorphins, they influence hormones or the action of other neurtransmitters.
What is endorphin?
Pain controlling chemicals in the body. Inhibitory neural regulators.
What is reuptake?
The process of sucking the chemicals back into the vesicles before the next stimulation can occur. some drift away through diffusion.
What do drugs like cocain do to our nervous system?
They block the reuptake process.
What is the one neurotransmitter that is not taken back into the vesicles?
ACh
How is ACh cleared?
A specific anzyme designed to break apart ACh clears the synaptic gap very quickly which is called enzymatic degradation.
What is oligodendrocytes?
they produce myelin in the central nervous system.
What is a Schwann cell?
they produce myelin in the peripheral nervous system.
What is the brain mostly comprised of?
Neurons and Glial cells
What is the Central Nervous System (CNS) comprised of?
The brain and the Spinal cord, which are cposed of neurons and glial cells that control the life sustaining function of the body as well as thought, emotion, and behavior.
Define the brain
Is the core of the nervous system. The part that makes sense of the information received form the senses makes decisions, and sends commands out to the muscles and the rest of the body, if needed.
It is responsible for cognition and thoughts, including learning, memory, and language.
It is organized into different regions, each with primary functions
Define the spinal cord
is a long bundle of neurons that serves two vital functions for the nervous system.
The lighter outer section and a darker inner section.
Outer section is comprised of mainly myelinated axons and nerves, which appear white. Purpose is to carry messages from the body up to the brain and from the brain down to the body. A large pipeline
inner section is mainly composed of cell bodies fo neurons which appear gray. Made of cell bodes separated by glial cells, is like a primitive brain. Is responsible for certain reflexes.
Has three types of neurons
- Afferent (sensory) neurons that carry messages from the senses to the spinal cord
- efferent (motor) neurons that carry messages from the spinal cord to the muscles and glands
- interneurons that connect the afferent neurons to the efferent neurons.
What are Afferent (Sensory) Neurons?
neurons that carry messages from the senses to the spinal cord. and CNS
What are Efferent (motor) Neurons?
neurons that carry messages from the spinal cord to the muscles and glands
What are interneurons?
Connect the afferent to the efferent.
What is the brain?
Interprets and stores information and sends orders to muscles, glands, and organs.
What is the spinal cord?
Pathway connecting the brain and the peripheral nervous system.