Chapter 3 Biology of the Brain Flashcards
Endorphins
involved in natural pain reduction and reward
Dopamine
motivation reward motor control and planning
GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid)
Inhibition of action potentials, anxiety reduction
Epinephrine
adrenaline, energy
Norepinephrine
states of arousal and alertness, vigilance
Serotonin
emotional state, impulse control, and dreaming
Acetylcholine
motor control between muscles and nerves, makes muscles contract and/or relax
Glutamate
Primary excitatory transmitter in the nervous system
antagonists
Drugs that inhibit the actions of neurotransmitters
Agonists
Drugs that enhance the actions of neurotransmitters
3 events that can terminate a neurotransmitter’s influence in the synaptic space
Reuptake - neurotransmitter taken back into the presynaptic terminal buttons
Enzyme deactivation - certain enzymes destroy the neurotransmitter
Autoreceptor -signals neuron to stop releasing neurotransmitters once a certain limit is reached
All or none principle
A neuron either sends a signal or does not send a signal, and always sends one of the same potency
How is a neurotransmitter transferred through a synaptic space
- Neurotransmitter is made in the axon and travels to terminal button
- Neurotransmitters are stored in vesicles
- Actions cause neurotransmitters to fuse to the presynaptic membrane and release contents into synapse
- Neurotransmission is terminated by uptake, enzyme deactivation, or autoreception
- Released transmitters bind to postsynaptic receptors (only their type of receptors)
myelin sheath
Made of glial or glue cells which insulates axon and allows for faster action potentials
nodes of ranvier
small gaps of exposed axon where action potentials take place
Excitatory signals
depolarize the cell membrane by decreasing the - charge in the cell
Inhibitory signals
increase the negative charge inside of the cell
Name the three types of neurons
sensory neurons - detect info from the world and pass via central nervous system to brain (sharp object)
motor neurons - direct muscles to contract and relax
interneurons - communicate within shorter circuits (ie within spinal cord)
Two types of nervous system
Central nervous system - brain and spinal cord sends direct actions to peripheral nervous system which composes of all other nerve cells in the body, which sends back to the central nervous system
cerebellum
motor function, motor memory, making plans, language, emotion
thalamus
takes in incoming sensory info, organizes, and relays into the cortex except smell
hypothalamus
functions of internal organs, regulating body temperature, blood pressure, and blood glucose levels - causes
hippocampus
new memories
amygdala
learning about biologically relevant stimuli, responding to stimuli that create fear, uses memory during emotional arousal
basal ganglia
planning and producing movement, experiencing reward
cerebral cortex
the outer layer of brain tissue, the site of all thoughts, perceptions, and complex behaviors
corpus callosum
a bridge of axons that connects the hemispheres and allows info to flow between them
occipital lobes
visual areas, primary visual cortex, makes sense of all visual information
How are the left and right hemispheres of the brain different?
Left Hemisphere: controls right hand and right side of the body; dominant for language
Right Hemisphere: controls left hand and the left side of the body; better with spatial relationships
parietal lobes
devoted partially to touch (left side - touch from right side of body and vice versa), taste, and temperature
temporal lobes
primary auditory cortex, responsible for hearing
frontal lobes
planning & movement, houses the primary motor cortex to move the body’s muscles
prefrontal cortex
attention, waking memory, decision making, behavior
somatosensory cortex
receives all sensory input from the rest of the body, primarily touch
medulla
helps transfer messages from brain to spinal cord, controls heart rate and breathing
pons
bridge from medulla to cerebellum and cortex to cerebellum, involved in sleep
reticular formation
grabs attention when needed and controls which signals reach cerebellum, states of consciousness such as sleep and awake
Wernicke’s area
involved in language and comprehension
orbitofrontal cortex
involved in decision making (comparing the relative value of options) and emotion; gage got hit here
Broca’s area
controls motor functions involved with speech production
nucleus accumbens
plays a role in the reward circuit in our brain
sympathetic nervous system
prepares the body for action
parasympathetic nervous system
returns the body to its resting state
autonomic nervous system
Peripheral nervous system, transmits sensory and motor signals between CNS and internal organs
somatic nervous system
Transmits sensory and motor signals between CNS and skin, muscle, joints
Fusiform Area
The area of the brain used for facial recognition
