Chapter 3 Flashcards
What are the three parts of the neuron?
Cell Body
Axon
Dendrites
Do neurons ever touch each-other?
No
What are the neuron firing basics. List them in order and draw the graph.
- Resting potential = - 70 mv
- Threshold = -55 mv. The more positive potential a neuron gets, the closer it gets to its threshold.
- Action potential = The neuron either fires or it doesn’t. The strength is always the same.
- Refractory period
What is synaptic transmission and list the different parts of it.
Synaptic transmission happens after the action potential and its a chemical process that involves the:
- synaptic vesicles
- neurotransmitters
- receptors
What is the refractory period?
The refractory period is a period where the neurons rest before another action potential and they return to their resting potential.
What are the two main classifications of the nervous system?
- Central Nervous System
- Peripheral Nervous System
What is the classification of the peripheral nervous system and what are their purposes.
- Autonomic = Involuntary action
- Somatic = Voluntary action
What is the classification of the Autonomic nervous system? State their uses.
- Parasympathetic = Rest and digest
- Sympathetic = Fight or flight
What are the different ways that scientists use to collect data about the brain? Explain briefly how each one works.
- EEG = This uses electrodes to measure electrical activity on the surface of the brain.
- fMRI = This uses the ideal of blood flow inside the brain to collect information about activity in various parts of the brain. This is better than EEG.
- TMS = Uses magnetic fields to shut down certain parts of the brain to figure out which part controls what.
What is the cadaver approach and the advantages and disadvantages of using it?
The cadaver approach uses dead brains to try to understand more about the brain and its different parts. The advantage is that is allows for a through analysis. The disadvantage is that the brain is no longer active.
What are Lesions?
Lesions are damages that are caused due to accidents to a persons brain and they can be used to study the effects of certain parts of the brain on day to day activity.
What are the basic building blocks of the nervous system?
Neurons
What is the outer layer of the human brain called?
Cerebral cortex
What does the medulla do?
The medulla is a part of the body that connect that brain and the spinal chord and also controls breathing and heart rate.
What does the cerebellum do?
The cerebellum controls voluntary movements.
What is corticalization?
The folding of the cerebral cortex.
What does the limbic system do?
It controls emotion and memory.
What are the four lobes of the cerebral cortex?
- Frontal lobe
- Parietal lobe
- Occipital lobe
- Temporal lobe
How many ways is the cerebral cortex divided into?
The cerebral cortex is divided into two hemispheres and each hemisphere is divided into 4 lobes.
What does the frontal lobe do?
The frontal lobe is responsible for thinking, memory and judgement.
What does the parietal lobe do?
The parietal lobe is responsible for processing touch.
What does the occipital lobe do?
The occipital lobe is responsible for processing visual information.
What does the temporal lobe do?
The temporal lobe is responsible for hearing and language.
What do we mean when we say contralateral control in the brain?
The left side of the brain processes senses from and controls the right side of the body and vice versa.
What is the motor cortex responsible for and where is it located?
The motor cortex is responsible for controlling and executing movements in the body. It is located right in-front of the parietal cortex.
What is the somatosensory cortex responsible for and where is located?
The somatosensory cortex is responsible for receiving information from the skins receptors. Just like the motor cortex, the kore sensitive a body part is the more space is allocated to it on in the cortex.
What does nueroplasticity mean?
Neuroplasticity refers to the brains ability to adapt to and change based on experiences and damage.
Can neurons repair or regerate themselves?
No
True or False:
Speech is localized in the right hemisphere of the brain.
False. Speech is localized on the left hemisphere.
