Chapter 3 Flashcards
Neurons
cells in nervous system that communicate with each other to perform information processing tasks
Cell Body
coordinates information - processing tasks and keeps cell alive
Dendrites
receive info from other neurons and relay to cell body
Axon
carries info through neuron to other neurons, or muscle glands
Myelin Sheath
insulating layer on axon
glial cells
support cells in neurons system (make up myelin sheath, allow for faster/more efficient info transfer)
sensory neurons
receive info from world and convey to brain via spinal cord (light sound taste touch)
motor neurons
carry signals from spinal cord to muscles
interneurons
connect sensory, motor, or other interneurons
resting potentials
difference in charge inside and outside of cell
K+ and A- more abundant inside
Na+ more abundant outside
action potential
electrical signal conducted along length of axon to a synapse
(all or nothing, either threshold to start action potential is met or not (not difference it strengths))
-Na+ flows in and increases charge in inside
-influx of Na+ caused more channels to open and keeps action potential going
refractory period
time following action potential when new action potential can’t be initiated
- Na+ channels close
- K+ channels open and K+ flows out to restore internal negative charge
-pumps push out Na+ and take in K+ to restore ion balance
terminal buttons
end of axons, filled with neruotranmitters
neurotransmitter
chemical that transmit info to receiving dendrites
receptors
parts of cell membrane that receive neurotransmitters to active or prevent new electrical signal
three possibilities in synpase
neurotransmitters…
1. absorbed by terminal buttons on cell it just came from (reuptake)
2. broken down by enzymes
3. drift away
agonistic
increase action of neurotranmitters
antagonistic
diminish function of neurotranmitters
central nervous system
brain and spinal cord
receive info from external world and processes/coordinates, send to to skeletal and muscular systems
peripheral nervous system
connects central ns to body’s organs and muscles
somatic pns
set of nerves that convey info between voluntary muscles and central ns
autonomic pns
set of nerves that carry involuntary and automatic commands to blood vessels
sympatic autonomic pns
nerves that prepares body for action (flight or fight)
parasympatic autonomic pns
helps body return to resting state
spinal reflexes
simple pathways in ns that generale muscles contratctions (come from spinal cord not brain)
Hindbrain
coordinates info coming into and out of spinal cord
Medulla
Hindbrain
extension of spinal cord, coordinates heart rate, circulation, respiration
Reticular Formation
Hindbrain
regulates sleep wakefulness, levels of arousal
Cerebellum
Hindbrain
controls fine motor skills (sequence of motions, fine tuning of behavior)
Pons
Hindbrain
relays info from cerbellum to rest of brain
Forebrain
complex cognitive, emotional, sensory, and motor functions
Cerebral Cortex
outermost layer of brain, divided into to hempispheres
Organization Across Hemispheres
control opposite sides of body
connected by commissures(bundle of axons)
Occipital Lobe
Forebrain CC
process visual information
(sensory receptors - eyes, thalamus - occipital lobe)
Tectum
Midbrain
orients and organism in environment
moves body towards stimulus
Tegmentum
Midbrain
movement, arousal, orients organism to sensory stimuli
Temporal Lobe
Forebrain CC
responsible for hearing and language
turns sounds into meaningful units
parietal lobe
Forbrain CC
process info about touch
frontal lobe
Forebrain CC
specialized areas for movement, abstract thinking, planning, memory, judgment
subcoritical strucutres
areas of forebrain housed in serebral cortex
thalamus
Forbrain SS
realys and filters information from the senses and transmits the in formation to the central cortex
-everything except smell
-filters info then relays it
-closes pathways during sleep
hypothalmus
Frobrain SS
regulates body temp, hunger, thierst, sexual behavior
hippocampus
Frobrain SS
creates new memories and integreates them into a network of knowlegde so they can be sotred infeinitley in other parts of the brain
Amygdala
Frobrain SS
central role in emotional process, particualry formation of emotional memories
Basal Ganglia
Forbrain SS
directs intetentioal movement
Endocrine System
network of glands that produce a secrete into bloodstream chemical messages wihchi influence a wide variesty of basic funcitons (metabolism, grown, develpoment)
Pituitary Glad
master glad of hormone stystem
release hormons that effect other glads
Brain Plastcity
sensory coritces are not fixed
fuctions that are assgined to certain areas of brains are capable of being reassigned to other areas to accomidate changing input form enviorment (fantom limbs, practice makes perfect)
Genes
major unito fo hereditary transmission
Epigenetics
study of enviormental indluences that determien how/f gesne are expressed
acetycholine
control muscles when out in body
control attention when in the brain (alzhemers)
norepienpherine
contorl of arousal, wakefulness, exctied feeling
dopamine
pleasure and reward
motor behavior from brain, initiation of movement (parkensons)
serotonin
mood, appetite, sleep, dreaming, linked to mood disorders
GABA
inhibitory, calm us down, slow down
Glutamate
excitatory
Endorphins
naturally occuring opeiods relife of pain pleasure
