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PSYCH 104 > Chapter 3 > Flashcards

Chapter 3 Flashcards

1
Q

What are neurons?

A

building blocks of the nervous system
nerve cells specialized for communication
100 billion at birth
make connections with other neurons

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2
Q

What are glial cells?

A

supporting neurons (keeping them in place)
manufacture or transport nutrients
form the myelin sheath
absorb toxins and waste materials
protects the brain from toxins via blood-barrier
during development, glial cells guide neurons to their proper place in the brain
modulating communication between neurons

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3
Q

What is the resting neuron?

A

neurons communicate through changes in charge between the interior and exterior of the axon
membrane potential difference when resting is -70 mV
membrane is semi-permeable

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4
Q

What happens when a neuron is “in action”?

A

action potential: a sudden reversal in the neuron’s membrane voltage, the shift from an negative interior to a positive interior is depolarization
all-or-none, always the same strength, uniform
originates near cell body, moves along axon to terminal

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5
Q

What happens after the action potential in a neuron?

A

absolute refractory period: brief interval when a neuron cannot fire another AP
occurs after each AP
the neuron needs to reset

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6
Q

What are the steps of an action potential?

A
  1. Resting
  2. Sodium channels open and sodium rushes in
  3. Sodium channels snap shut and potassium channels open to let potassium out
  4. Sodium-potassium pump return everything back to normal (3 Na+ for 2 K+)
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7
Q

What are graded potentials?

A

caused by excitatory/inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (EPSP/IPSP)
sum u to cause an action potential or not
depends on the charge entering the cell
can bring the cell closer (EPSP) or further (IPSP) from the threshold to fire an action potential

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8
Q

What is myelin?

A

glial cells insulate axons to increase the speed of signal transmission, along with efficiency
insulates axons in CNS
nodes of ranvier allow AP to jump which increases speed

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9
Q

What are neurotransmitters?

A

chemicals that carry messages across the synapse

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10
Q

What are the steps that neurotransmitters go through in the synapse?

A
  1. NT are synthesized
  2. NT are stored into vesicles
  3. NT released into the synapse
  4. NT bind to receptor sites on dendrite of post synaptic cell, location that uniquely recognizes the NT
  5. Removal of NT from the synapse
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11
Q

What is the function of the neurotransmitter glutamate?

A

excitatory

many functions including learning/memory

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12
Q

What is the function of the neurotransmitter GABA?

A

inhibitory

many functions including anxiety/motor control

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13
Q

What is the function of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine?

A

excitatory

muscular movement and memory

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14
Q

What is the function of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine?

A

both excitatory and inhibitory

learning, memory, wakefulness, eating

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15
Q

What is the function of the neurotransmitter serotonin?

A

inhibitory

mood, sleep, eating/arousal

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16
Q

What is the function of the neurotransmitter dopamine?

A

both excitatory and inhibitory

voluntary movement, emotional arousal, learning, motivation, pleasure

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17
Q

What is the function of the neurotransmitter endorphin?

A

inhibitory

numbs pain

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18
Q

What are agonists?

A

enhance neuron’s ability to synthesize, store, or release NT
mimic the action of a NT (bind to receptor site)
inhibits reuptake

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19
Q

What are antagonists?

A

reduce neuron’ ability to synthesize, store or release NT

prevent NT from binding to receptor site by blocking it

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20
Q

What are sensory neurons?

A

carry messages from sense to spinal cord and brain

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21
Q

What are motor neurons?

A

transmits output impulses from the brain and spinal cord to muscles/organs

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22
Q

What are interneurons?

A

link the input and output functions

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23
Q

What is the peripheral nervous system?

A

nerves that extend outside the central nervous system

contains the somatic nervous system

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24
Q

What is the somatic nervous system?

A

sensory and motor neurons

voluntary muscle activation

25
What is the autonomic nervous system?
controls glands and smooth muscles that form the heart, blood vessels, and stomach/intestine lining
26
What is the sympathetic nervous system?
activation/arousal function fight or flight affects multiple organs
27
What is the parasympathetic nervous system?
slows body processes
28
What is the central nervous system?
body to brain (sensory nerves) brain to body (motor nerves) interneurons (local, role in reflexes)
29
What are the steps of the reflex arc?
1. Skin receptors 2. Sensory neurons 3. Interneuron 4. Motor neurons 5. Muscle
30
What is the hindbrain?
contains the brain stem, medulla oblongata, pons, and cerebellum
31
What is the medulla oblongata?
heart rate, respiration, etc (vital functions) | all sensory and motor neurons pass through here
32
What is the pons?
bridge between higher and lower levels of nervous system | regulate sleep, involved in dreaming
33
What is the cerebellum?
muscular movement coordination (balance) | learning and memory
34
What is the midbrain?
sensory portion: relay centers for visual/auditory systems motor portion: controls eye movements reticular formation: alerts higher brain areas of messages, then blocks or allows them to pass
35
What is the forebrain?
aka the cerebrum 2 hemispheres (left and right) contains the thalamus, basal ganglia, hypothalamus, limbic system
36
What is the thalamus?
many nuclei sensory processing/relay station visual, auditory, balance/equilibrium pass through thalamus also filters information
37
What is the basal ganglia?
surrounds the thalamus at least five distinct nuclei voluntary motor control damage = parkinson's disease
38
What is the hypothalamus?
regulates/maintains internal states controls many basic biological drives connection to endocrine system, controls hormone secretions
39
What is the limbic system?
coordinates behaviors to satisfy motivational/emotional urges from hypothalamus involved in memory
40
What is the hippocampus?
part of the limbic system | forming and retrieving memories
41
What is the amygdala?
emotion response patterns fear/aggression may help avoidance of risky decisions
42
What are the lobes of the brain?
Frontal lobe Parietal lobe Occipital lobe Temporal lobe
43
What is the function of the frontal lobe?
speech and skeletal motor functions
44
What is the function of the parietal lobe?
body sensations
45
What is the function of the occipital lobe?
vision
46
What is the function of the temporal lobe?
auditory
47
What is the motor cortex?
controls 600+ muscles used in voluntary movements left hemisphere controls right and vice versa more cortical space for areas with finer motor control Dr. Penfield was the first to investigate this area
48
What is the sensory cortex?
receives sensory input that gives sensations of heat, touch, cold, balance, kinesthesis left hemisphere controls right and vice versa
49
What is the Broca's Area?
speech production ability to produce words if damaged: slowed speech, key words only, trouble finding correct word
50
What is the Wernicke's Area?
speech comprehension producing speech that makes sense if damaged: meaning impaired, difficulty understanding written or spoken speech
51
What is the association cortex?
critically involved in highest level of metal functions | if damaged: disruption/loss of speech, understanding, thinking, and problem solving
52
What is the prefrontal cortex?
executive functions: goal setting, judgement, strategic planning, impulse control serial killers = reduced activity
53
What are some ways we have an insight into brain function?
patients with brain damage electrical stimulation/recording neuroimaging
54
What is a Computerized Axial Tomography (CT) scan?
uses highly focused beam of X-rays to take pictures of narrow slices of the brain provides structural details yields insights between location of brain damage and behavioral manifestation
55
What is Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)?
structural imaging makes out details 1/10th of those CT can resolve images are created based on how atoms in brain respond to magnetic pulses
56
What is a Functional MRI (fMRI)?
functional imaging measures changes in blood oxygen level measuring oxygen flow should indicate where in the brain activity is occurring high spatial resolution poorer temporal resolution (4-6 second delay) sensitive to head motion
57
What is a Positron Emission Tomography (PET)?
functional imaging measures changes in brain activity (metabolism, blood flow, neurotransmitter activity) measures consumption of glucose-like molecules radioactive glucose injected into bloodstream, travels to brain, measure the radioactivity
58
What is hemispheric lateralization?
two hemispheres of the brain are connected by the corpus callosum lateralization: some functions are localized to one hemisphere left: language (Broca's and Werniche's areas) right: spatial relations
59
What is neural plasticity?
the ability of neurons to change in structure and function

PSYCH 104 (9 decks)

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