Chapter 3 Biology of the Brain

Question 1

Endorphins

Answer 1

involved in natural pain reduction and reward

Question 2

Dopamine

Answer 2

motivation reward motor control and planning

Question 3

GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid)

Answer 3

Inhibition of action potentials, anxiety reduction

Question 4

Epinephrine

Answer 4

adrenaline, energy

Question 5

Norepinephrine

Answer 5

states of arousal and alertness, vigilance

Question 6

Serotonin

Answer 6

emotional state, impulse control, and dreaming

Question 7

Acetylcholine

Answer 7

motor control between muscles and nerves, makes muscles contract and/or relax

Question 8

Glutamate

Answer 8

Primary excitatory transmitter in the nervous system

Question 9

antagonists

Answer 9

Drugs that inhibit the actions of neurotransmitters

Question 10

Agonists

Answer 10

Drugs that enhance the actions of neurotransmitters

Question 11

3 events that can terminate a neurotransmitter’s influence in the synaptic space

Answer 11

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

Question 12

All or none principle

Answer 12

A neuron either sends a signal or does not send a signal, and always sends one of the same potency

Question 13

How is a neurotransmitter transferred through a synaptic space

Answer 13

1. Neurotransmitter is made in the axon and travels to terminal button
2. Neurotransmitters are stored in vesicles
3. Actions cause neurotransmitters to fuse to the presynaptic membrane and release contents into synapse
4. Neurotransmission is terminated by uptake, enzyme deactivation, or autoreception
5. Released transmitters bind to postsynaptic receptors (only their type of receptors)

Question 14

myelin sheath

Answer 14

Made of glial or glue cells which insulates axon and allows for faster action potentials

Question 15

nodes of ranvier

Answer 15

small gaps of exposed axon where action potentials take place

Question 16

Excitatory signals

Answer 16

depolarize the cell membrane by decreasing the - charge in the cell

Question 17

Inhibitory signals

Answer 17

increase the negative charge inside of the cell

Question 18

Name the three types of neurons

Answer 18

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)

Question 19

Two types of nervous system

Answer 19

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

Question 20

cerebellum

Answer 20

motor function, motor memory, making plans, language, emotion

Question 21

thalamus

Answer 21

takes in incoming sensory info, organizes, and relays into the cortex except smell

Question 22

hypothalamus

Answer 22

functions of internal organs, regulating body temperature, blood pressure, and blood glucose levels - causes

Question 23

hippocampus

Answer 23

new memories

Question 24

amygdala

Answer 24

learning about biologically relevant stimuli, responding to stimuli that create fear, uses memory during emotional arousal

Question 25

basal ganglia

Answer 25

planning and producing movement, experiencing reward

Question 26

cerebral cortex

Answer 26

the outer layer of brain tissue, the site of all thoughts, perceptions, and complex behaviors

Question 27

corpus callosum

Answer 27

a bridge of axons that connects the hemispheres and allows info to flow between them

Question 28

occipital lobes

Answer 28

visual areas, primary visual cortex, makes sense of all visual information

Question 29

How are the left and right hemispheres of the brain different?

Answer 29

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

Question 30

parietal lobes

Answer 30

devoted partially to touch (left side - touch from right side of body and vice versa), taste, and temperature

Question 31

temporal lobes

Answer 31

primary auditory cortex, responsible for hearing

Question 32

frontal lobes

Answer 32

planning & movement, houses the primary motor cortex to move the body’s muscles

Question 33

prefrontal cortex

Answer 33

attention, waking memory, decision making, behavior

Question 34

somatosensory cortex

Answer 34

receives all sensory input from the rest of the body, primarily touch

Question 35

medulla

Answer 35

helps transfer messages from brain to spinal cord, controls heart rate and breathing

Question 36

pons

Answer 36

bridge from medulla to cerebellum and cortex to cerebellum, involved in sleep

Question 37

reticular formation

Answer 37

grabs attention when needed and controls which signals reach cerebellum, states of consciousness such as sleep and awake

Question 38

Wernicke’s area

Answer 38

involved in language and comprehension

Question 39

orbitofrontal cortex

Answer 39

involved in decision making (comparing the relative value of options) and emotion; gage got hit here

Question 40

Broca’s area

Answer 40

controls motor functions involved with speech production

Question 41

nucleus accumbens

Answer 41

plays a role in the reward circuit in our brain

Question 42

sympathetic nervous system

Answer 42

prepares the body for action

Question 43

parasympathetic nervous system

Answer 43

returns the body to its resting state

Question 44

autonomic nervous system

Answer 44

Peripheral nervous system, transmits sensory and motor signals between CNS and internal organs

Question 45

somatic nervous system

Answer 45

Transmits sensory and motor signals between CNS and skin, muscle, joints

Question 46

Fusiform Area

Answer 46

The area of the brain used for facial recognition