Exam 1/Chapter 2- Biological Perspectives Flashcards
The nervous system is a network of ____ ____.
Specialized Cells
The nervous system carries information ____ __ ____.
around the body
What is neuroscience?
Study of the NS relating to behavior and mental processes
Neuron
Basic cell of the NS
What are the parts of a neuron?
- Dendrites
- Soma
- Axon
What is the function of dendrites?
receive messages
What is the function of axons?
transmits messages
What is the some also known as?
the cell body
What are the two types of neurons?
- Sensory Neurons (Afferent)
2. Motor Neurons (Efferent)
What is the major difference between the two types of neurons?
Direction of activity
What is the function of sensory neurons?
Sense organs to CNS
What is the function of motor neurons?
CNS to body (muscles & glands)
Glial cells are ___ ___ cells.
Grey Fatty
What are 4 functions of glial cells?
- Provide support
- Deliver nutrients
- Produce myelin
- Cleans up (waste (e.g., dead neurons))
During resting potential, the ions inside neurons are ______ charged.
Negatively
During resting potential, the ions outside neurons are ______ charged.
Positively
Action potential is generally the ____ ___.
neural impulse
Action potential works on the ___-__-__ principle.
All-or-none
Action potential occurs when what enters the cell?
Sodium ions
Steps in the neural impulse (very general):
- Resting potential
- Action potential
- _____________
Returns to resting potential
When sodium ions enter the cell during action potential, the inside is briefly now ___ ____.
Positively charged
When the sodium ions enter the cell during action potential this is called what?
Depolarization
After the action potential, what happens?
A refractory period
Can another action potential fire during the refractory period?
No
What is happening during the refractory period?
The neuron is re-polarizing to its resting potential state
Describe specifically what happens when 2 neurons communicate.
- AP shoots down the axon of first neuron
- Neurotransmitters are released into the synapse between the first and second neurons, thus changing the membrane potential of the dendrite of the second neuron
- If the depolarization is strong enough it will spread down the dendrite and across cell body of the second neuron
- If the threshold is reached, the cell fires shooting an action potential down the axon of the second neuron
What does an excitatory neurotransmitter do?
Tells next cell to FIRE
What does an Inhibitory neurotransmitter do?
Tells next cell to STOP
Chemical substances can act as ______ neurotransmitters.
“fake”
Chemical substances that are agonist do what?
mimic or enhance
Chemical substances that are antagonist do what?
block or reduce
What are the 3 ways agonist chemical substances affect synaptic transmission?
- Drug induces increase in synthesis of NT
- Drug increases release of NT
- Drug activates receptors that normally respond to NT (literally is imitating the NT)
What are the 3 ways antagonist chemical substances affect synaptic transmission?
- Drug interferes with the release of NT
- Drug acts as false NT occupying receptor sites normally sensitive to NT
- Drug causes leaking of NT from the synaptic vesicles it is stored in
What is the NT Acetylcholine involved in?
- Muscle action
- Learning
- Memory
What is the NT dopamine involved in?
- Movement
- Attention
- Learning
What is the NT serotonin involved in?
- Regulation of mood
- Regulation of sleep
- Regulation of arousal
What is the NT norepinephrine involved in?
Control of alertness & wakefulness
What is the NT GABA involved in?
- Major inhibitory NT
2. Associated w/ sleep & eating disorders
What is the NS divided into?
CNS & PNS
What is the CNS divided into?
Brain and Spinal Cord
What is the PNS divided into?
- Autonomic NS
2. Somatic NS
What is the ANS divided into?
- Sympathetic division (fight or flight)
2. Parasympathetic division
The somatic NS is the division of the PNS that is involved with ______ actions.
Voluntary
The autonomic NS is the division of the PNS that is involved with ______ actions.
Involuntary
List what the parasympathetic division of the ANS does to the body.
- Constricts pupils
- Inhibits tear glands
- Slows heart rate
- Increases salivation
- Constricts bronchi
- Increases digestive functions of stomach, pancreas, and intestines
- Allows bladder contraction
List what the sympathetic division of the ANS does to the body.
- Dilates pupils
- Stimulates tear glands
- Increases heart rate
- Decreases salivation
- Dilates bronchi
- Decreases digestive functions of stomach, pancreas, and intestines
- Inhibits bladder contraction
What techniques are used in clinical studies of the brain?
- Deep lesioning
- Electrical stimulation of the brain (ESB)
- Human brain damage
What are 5 brain imaging techniques?
- Electroencephalograph (EEG)
- Computed tomography (CT)
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
- Functional MRI (fMRI)
- Positron emission tomography (PET)
The brain stem includes what structures?
- Medulla oblongata
- Pons
- Reticular formation (RF) (this isn’t true, but it’s in lecture)
- Cerebellum (this isn’t true, but it’s in lecture)
What is the medulla oblongata involved in?
life-sustaining functions
What is the pons involved in?
- alertness
- coordination
- arousal
What is the reticular formation (RF) involved in?
selective attention
What is the cerebellum involved in?
movement
What is the limbic system involved in?
- Learning
- Emotion
- Memory
- Motivation
What structures of the brain are considered to be a part of the limbic system?
- Thalamus
- Olfactory bulbs
- Hypothalamus
- Hippocampus
- Amygdala
In the limbic system, what is the function of the thalamus?
relay station
In the limbic system, what is the function of the olfactory bulbs?
receptors of smell
In the limbic system, what is the function of the hypothalamus?
- Motivational behavior
2. Controls the pituitary gland (master endocrine gland).
In the limbic system, what is the function of the hippocampus?
memory
In the limbic system, what is the function of the amygdala
Emotional center of fear (fear responses and fear memory)
What is the cerebral cortex responsible for?
- Higher thought processes
2. Interpretation of sensation
Describe corticalization.
Wrinkling of the cortex, to increase it’s surface area (because it can’t make our head bigger, our skull is not elastic, so it has to fold)
What are the right and left cerebral hemispheres connected by?
The corpus callosum
The occipital lobe houses the _______ centers of the brain.
Visual
Within the occipital lobe there is the what?
- Primary visual cortex (processes visual input)
2. Visual association cortex
The parietal lobes houses the centers for what?
- Touch (including tactile sensations)
- Taste
- Temperature
Within the parietal lobe there is what cortex(s)?
Somatosensory cortex
The temporal lobes are responsible for what?
Hearing and meaningful speech (processing hearing)
Within the temporal lobes there are what cortex(s)?
- Primary auditory cortex
2. Auditory association cortex
The frontal lobe are responsible for what?
- Complex mental processes and decision making
- Producing fluent speech
- Movement
Within the frontal there is what cortex(s)?
Motor cortex
The occipital lobe processes ______.
Vision
What area of the brain is the Broca’s area located in?
Frontal lobe
What is the Broca’s area responsible for?
Production of speech
What area of the brain is the Wernicke’s area located in?
Temporal lobe
What is the Wernicke’s area responsible for?
Meaningfulness of speech
Someone suffering from Broca’s aphasia would be experiencing what symptoms?
- Unable to speak fluently
- Mispronounce words
- Speak haltingly
- (Telegraphic speech)
Someone suffering from Wernicke’s aphasia would be experiencing what symptoms?
- Unable to UNDERSTAND language
2. Unable to PRODUCE MEANINGFUL language
What is spatial neglect?
Damage to an association area (right side)
What does spatial neglect cause?
neglect or inability to identify information/ objects
What is an example of something that can cause spatial neglect syndrome?
Stroke in the right hemisphere
If someone had a stroke in their right hemisphere, and thus suffered from spatial neglect syndrome, and were asked to draw a picture, which side of the picture would they probably ignore/not recognize? Why?
- Left side
2. Because our brain controls opposite side of body
Define lateralization.
Division of functions between right and left hemispheres
A patient suffering from life threatening epilepsy would have what done to them? What are these patients called?
- Corpus callosum cut
2. Split-brain patients
What 3 things does split brain research involve?
- Study of patients with severed corpus callosum
- Involves sending messages to only one side of the brain.
- Demonstrates right and left brain specialization
The left hemisphere controls the _____ visual field.
Right
The right hemisphere controls the _____ visual field.
Left
In a normal person, an image in the left visual field would appear in the _____ hemisphere when looking straight ahead.
Right
Would a split brain patient be able to describe something in the left visual field?
No
In a normal person, an image in the right visual field would appear in the _____ hemisphere when looking straight ahead.
Left
Would a split brain patient be able to describe something in the right visual field?
Yes
Is the left hemisphere the verbal or non-verbal hemisphere?
Verbal (can speak)
Is the right hemisphere the verbal or non-verbal hemisphere?
Non-verbal (cannot speak)
The left side of the brain seems to control what?
- Language
- Writing
- Logical thought
- Analysis
- Mathematical abilities
The right side of the brain seems to control what?
- Emotional expression
- Spatial perception
- Recognition of faces
- Patterns
- Melodies
The left side of the brain processes information ______.
Sequentially
The right side of the brain processes information ______.
Globally
What are endocrine glands?
Glands that secrete chemicals called hormones directly into the bloodstream
What are two functions of hormones?
- Affect behavior and emotions
2. Control muscles and organs
What are 6 general endocrine glands?
- Pituitary gland
- Pineal gland
- Thyroid gland
- Pancreas
- Gonads
- Adrenal glands
What are the gonads? What are the 2 “divisions”?
- Sex glands
2. Ovaries (female)/Testes (male)
What can the adrenal glands be split into?
- Adrenal cortex (outer)
2. Adrenal medulla (inner)
What controls the pituitary gland?
Hypothalamus
What does the thyroid gland control?
Metabolic rate
What does the pancreas do?
- Controls insulin/glucagon levels
2. Regulates sugar metabolism
What does the adrenal cortex do?
Regulates carbohydrate and salt metabolism
What does the adrenal medulla do?
Prepares the body for action (fight or flight)
What do the testes affect in males?
- Physical development
- Reproductive organs
- Sexual behavior
What do the ovaries affect in females?
- Physical development
- Reproductive organs
- Sexual behavior
What is the pituitary gland responsible for?
- Regulates growth
- Controls the thyroid, ovaries/testes, pancreas, and adrenal cortex
- Regulates water and salt metabolism
What hormone does the pituitary gland stimulate the adrenal glands to secrete?
Adrenaline
What hormone does the pituitary gland stimulate the thyroid glands to secrete?
Thyroxin
What hormone does the pituitary gland stimulate the testes to secrete?
Testosterone
What hormone does the pituitary gland stimulate the ovaries to secrete?
- Progesterone
2. Estrogens
What is the function of the pineal gland?
The pineal gland secretes a hormone called melatonin, which helps track day length (and seasons) and essentially controls the circadian rhythm (sleep/wake cycle)
