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PSYC 1105 > Chapter 4: Neuroscience > Flashcards

Chapter 4: Neuroscience Flashcards

1
Q

What are the 3 ways early neuroscientists studied the brain?

A

Examining autopsy tissue, testing brain-damaged patients, testing brain activity from the surface of the scalp.

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2
Q

What two technologies allow us to directly observe brain activity?

A

PET and fMRI.

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3
Q

What is a dendrite?

A

The parts of neurons that collect input from other neurons.

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4
Q

What is an axon?

A

The part of the neuron that carries information away from the cell body towards other neurons.

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5
Q

What is an axon terminal?

A

The end of a neuron’s axon, from which neurotransmitters are released.

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6
Q

What are glia cells?

A

Nonneural cells which serve many critical purposes to proper neural functioning.

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7
Q

What are the three major types of glia cells?

A

Astroglia, oligodendroglia, microglia.

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8
Q

What is a resting potential?

A

The electrical charge of a neuron when it is at rest.

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9
Q

What is an ion channel?

A

Pores in the cell membranes that open and close to allow certain ions into and out of the cell.

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10
Q

What is an action potential?

A

A sudden positive change in the electrical charge of a neuron’s axon.

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11
Q

What are the key ions in determining the resting potential?

A

Na+ K+ Cl-

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12
Q

What is the dynamic between a cell’s ion concentration?

A

When the neuron is at rest, Na+ are higher in concentration outside the cell, this concentration changes when the cell is activated.

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13
Q

What happens INSIDE the cell during an action potential?

A

The action potential opens ion channels that allow NA+ into through the cell membrane, which changes its charge to positive.

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14
Q

How does the membrane restore the resting potential?

A

Pumps K+ ions out of the cell.

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15
Q

What principle do action potentials follow?

A

All or none.

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16
Q

What membrane insulates axons?

A

Myelin.

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17
Q

What is the refractory period?

A

When the axon is unable to fire.

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18
Q

What is the difference between the absolute and relative refractory period?

A

Absolute: Axon completely unable to fire.
Relative: Axon can fire but with a much increased charge.

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19
Q

What is a synapse?

A

Tiny spaces between the axon terminal of one neuron and the next neuron through which communication occurs.

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20
Q

What is a neurotransmitter?

A

Specialized chemicals that travel across synapses to allow communication between neurons.

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21
Q

What are synaptic vesicles?

A

Membrane-bound spheres in the axon terminals of neurons where neurotransmitters are stored before their release.

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22
Q

What are neurotransmitter receptors?

A

Proteins in the membranes of neurons that bind to neurotransmitters.

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23
Q

What are postsynaptic potentials?

A

Electrical events in postsynaptic neurons that occur when a neurotransmitter binds to one of its receptors.

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24
Q

What are the two types of postsynaptic potentials?

A

Excitatory or inhibitory.

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25
What makes a cells less likely to fire an action potential?
Being hyperpolarized to a negative charge.
26
What differentiates postsynaptic potentials from action potentials?
Postsynaptic electrical events are much more varied, depolarizing, hyperpolarizing and graded in strength. Events at individual synapses can also change with experience.
27
What is the term referring to changes in the nervous system?
Plasticity.
28
What are groups of neurons grouped by?
Neural networks.
29
What are the two main parts of the nervous system?
The central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system.
30
What are the two main parts of the peripheral nervous system.
The somatic and the autonomic nervous system.
31
What is the function of the somatic nervous system?
To transmit information about the senses and movement to and from the central nervous system.
32
What are the two main parts of the autonomic nervous system.
The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system.
33
What is the sympathetic nervous system?
The division of the autonomic nervous system activated during conditions of stress.
34
What is the parasympathetic nervous system?
The division of the nervous system active during restful times.
35
What is an interneuron?
A neuron that typically has a short axon and serves as a relay between different classes of neurons. In the spinal cord, interneurons communicate with both sensory and motor neurons.
36
What autonomic system is digestion a part of?
Parasympathetic.
37
Where do pain reflex signals travel?
Up to the spinal cord, passes through an interneuron and back to the somatic system to react quickly. Bypasses the brain.
38
What determines how much injury you get from a spinal cord injury?
Any nerve connections below the injured segment of the spinal cord.
39
What is the purpose of the spinal cord?
To gather information from the body and sending it to the brain as well as for enabling the brain to control movement of the body.
40
Where is the brainstem located?
Low part of the brain, closest to spinal cord.
41
What is the other name for the brainstem?
Medulla.
42
What is the purpose of the brainstem?
Basic bodily functions and integrating information about pain and touch from the head and neck.
43
What is the reticular formation?
Several neuron groups in the brainstem important for sleep and wakefulness by being a major source of serotonin.
44
Where is the pons located?
Right above the brainstem.
45
What does the pons do?
It is part of the reticular formation and it is a source of norepinephrine.
46
What does norepinephrine do?
It is important for arousal and attention.
47
Where is the cerebellum located?
At the back of the brain.
48
What is the purpose of the cerebellum?
For motor coordination and certain types of learning involving movement.
49
Where is the midbrain located?
Above the pons.
50
What does the midbrain contain?
The substantia nigra.
51
What does the substantia nigra do?
Fluidity of movement and inhibition of movement. Also a strong producer of dopamine.
52
Where is the thalamus located?
At the front/anterior portion of the brain.
53
What does the thalamus mainly do?
Act as a relay station for sensory information.
54
What are two important regions of the thalamus?
Lateral Geniculate Nucleus (visual stimuli) | Medial Geniculate Nucleus (auditory stimuli)
55
Where is the hypothalamus located?
Underneath the Thalamus.
56
What is the purpose of the hypothalamus?
To regulate motivation and to be a critical part of the endocrine system. Stimulates basic drives.
57
What is the main purpose of the pituitary gland?
To control hormones.
58
What are the two parts of the pituitary gland?
Anterior and posterior pituitary.
59
What is the anterior pituitary's relationship with the hypothalamus?
It is connected with the hypothalamus and communicates with it to release peptides.
60
What do peptides do?
Either act as hormones or work to stimulate endocrine glands.
61
What is a critical axis of the stress response?
The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.
62
How is the posterior pituitary connected to the hypothalamus?
It is connected through a bundle of axons which stimulates it to release neuropeptides.
63
What are the two kinds of neuropeptides?
Oxytocin and vasopressin.
64
Where is the amygdala located in the brain?
Deep within the brain in the temporal lobe.
65
What is the purpose of the amigdala?
Recognize, learn and respond to fear.
66
What are the two purposes of the hippocampus?
Storing episodic memories and learning spatial environment.
67
Where is the striatum located?
In the midline of the brain.
68
What does the striatum do?
Work with the substantia nigra to produce fluid movement.
69
Where is the nucleus accumbens located.
Anterior to the striatum.
70
What does the nucleus accumbens do?
Involved in motivation and reward learning as a receiver of dopamine.
71
What is the purpose of the neocortex?
Our most complex behaviours.
72
What are the two parts of the neocortex?
The primary sensory and/or motor areas, and the association cortex.
73
What is the purpose of the primary sensory areas?
To process basic information about the senses as well as for producing signals that lead to voluntary movement.
74
What is the purpose of the association cortex?
Responsible for the complex functions, including higher order sensory processing.
75
Where is the occipital cortex located?
At the back of the skull.
76
What stimuli does the occipital cortex process?
Basic information about vision and some visual associations.
77
Where is the temporal cortex located.
At the sides of the skull.
78
What stimuli does the temporal cortex process?
Auditory stimuli.
79
What is the purpose of Wernicke's area?
Language comprehension.
80
Where is Wernicke's area located.
In the temporal cortex.
81
What non-stimuli roles in the temporal cortex important in?
Memory and learning, recognition of objects via visual cues.
82
Where is the parietal cortex located?
On the top middle of the brain.
83
What kind of stimuli does the parietal cortex process?
Somatosensory stimuli, our senses of touch.
84
What is the relationship of the parietal cortex to vision?
It processes higher-order visual stimuli.
85
Where is the frontal cortex located?
At the front of the brain (fucking duh)
86
What basic function occurs in the frontal cortex?
Voluntary movement, in the primary motor strip.
87
Where is Broca's area located?
In the frontal Cortex.
88
What is Broca's area responsible for?
Speech production.
89
What are some functions of the prefrontal cortex?
Short-term memory and moral reasoning. Higher-order cognitive functions.
90
What is the corpus callosum?
A bundle of axons in the middle of the brain facilitating communication between the two brain hemispheres.
91
What behaviour is strongly associated with the hippocampus?
Neuroplasticity.
92
How are functions distributed between the two brain hemispheres?
Left part controls right of body and right part controls left of body.
93
What is the neural tube?
The area of the embryo from which the central nervous system arises.
94
What is neurogenesis?
The production of new neurons.
95
What is synaptogenesis?
The process of forming new synapses.
96
What is programmed cell death?
The developing organism produces an excess of neuron, and if unused they are culled.
97
Where does nervous tissue first originate from in the early embryo?
One of the three layers of undefined tissue, it being called the ectoderm.
98
What is regressive structural remodeling?
Many neurons initially develop more dendrites and synapses, or more elaborate axons, than they will eventually need..
99
What is the general conclusion over the right brain-left brain dichotomy?
Most studies conclude that the dichotomy is more of a general theme, with the hemispheres being more similar than different.
100
Does overall brain size matter in how well brains function?
No.
101
What is the colloquial dichotomy between right and left side brains.
Right: more creative. Left: more analytical.
102
What are the two main classes of brain illnesses?
Psychiatric and neurological illnesses.
103
What is the cause of Multiple Sclerosis?
Demyelination on the axons leading to inefficient transmission.
104
What are the symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis?
Vision loss, pain, muscle weakness.
105
What is the cause of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)?
Degeneration of motor neurons in the spinal cord.
106
What are the symptoms of ALS?
Loss of motor functions until death by loss of basic functions.
107
What is the cause of Parkinson's disease?
The death of dopaminergic neurons, those that rely on dopamine, in the substatia nigra.
108
What are the symptoms of Parkinson's disease?
Tremor in hands and muscle rigidity.
109
What is the cause of Huntington's disease?
The death of neurons in the striatum.
110
What are the symptoms of Huntington's disease?
awkward movement and symptoms of psychosis.
111
What have scientists learned about the use of stem cells in treating neurological disorders?
Can sometimes work, can not sometimes work.
112
What are the cellular processes that sculpt the brain during development?
Cell death, axon retraction, synapse elimination.

PSYC 1105 (7 decks)

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