Chapters 2 & 3 Flashcards
Soma
Cell body; contains the cell nucleus and much of the chemical machinery common to most cells
Axon
Long, thin fiber that transmits signals away from the soma to other neurons or to muscles or glands
Myelin sheath
Insulating material that encases some axons
Synapse
A junction where information is transmitted from one neuron to another
Glia
Provide support for neurons
Neurons
Individual cells in the nervous system that receive, integrate, and transmit information
Vesicles
Small sack that store chemicals from the neurons
Neurotransmitters
Chemicals that transmit information from one neuron to another
Receptor sites
Specifically tuned to recognize and respond to some neurotransmitters and not to others
Action potential
Brief shift in a neurons electrical charge that travels alOng the axon
Post synaptic potential
A voltage change on a receptor site on a postsynaptic cell membrane
Acetylcholine
Control skeletal muscles and contributes to regulation of attention, arousal, and memory; Alzheimer’s
Dopamine
Control of voluntary movement; Parkinsonism, schizophrenic disorders, addictive disorders
Norepinephrine
Contributes to modulation of mood and arousal, cocaine and amphetamines elevate activity; depressive disorders
Serotonin
Sleep and wakefulness, eating, aggression, affected by Prozac; depressive disorders;
GABA
Inhibitory transmitter, anxiety and sleep/arousal; anxiety disorders
Endorphins
Pain relief and stress relief
Dendrites
Specialized to receive info
Agonist
Chemical that binds to a receptor and activates the receptor to produce a biological response
Antagonist
Block the brain’s neurotransmitters
Central nervous system
Communicates with the rest of the body through the spinal chord
Peripheral nervous system
somatic= voluntary movements autonomic= emotions
Sympathetic nervous system
pupils dilated, increased heart rate, bladder relaxed, respiration increased
Parasympathetic nervous system
Digestion stimulated, pupils constricted, heart rate slows, salivation stimulated
Medulla
automatic functions: breathing, heart rate
Thalamus
relays sensory info except smell
hypothalamus
survival drives: fight, fleeing, feeding, mating
Limbic system
controls basic emotions and drives
amygdala
fear response, danger detector
hippocampus
new information, memory
corpus callosum
nerve fibers that connect the two hemispheres
Broca’s area
speech production; language processing
Wernicke’s area
comprehending speech
occipital lobe
visual cortex
parietal lobe
somatosensory cortex/ processes sensations
temporal lobe
hearing/ auditory cortex
frontal lobe
decision making/ movement
left hemisphere
language, math, logic
right hemisphere
visiospacial processing, thinking 3D, facial/name recognition
Brain plasticity
the younger, the more rich; enriched: better learning and brain development
endocrine system
collection of glands that produce hormones that regulate metabolism, growth and development, tissue function, sexual function, reproduction, sleep, mood
pituitary gland
master gland that releases hormones and regulates other glands
oxytocin
released during orgasm in both sexes; released during labor, facilitates breastfeeding and birth
behavioral genetics
how genes influence behavioral traits; looks at the family, and twins
