final exam Flashcards
What is a Ligand
A receptor activated by neurotransmitters
What is voltage
A receptor activated by action potential -usually calcium
What is the neurotransmitter in an adrenergic synapse
Norepinephrine
What is GABA
An inhibitory transmitter
What are neuromodulators
Chemicals secreted by neurons that have long term effects on groups of neurons
Nitric oxide
What is neural integration
The ability to process store and recall information and use it to make decisions
What is the Excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP)
Voltage change from the RMP towards the threshold
What is the inhibitory postsynaptic potential (IPSP)
Voltage becomes more negative than it is at rest
What is the EPSP produced by
Glutamate
What is the IPSP produced by
GABA and Glycine
What is temporal summation
One neuron sends powerful stimuli
A synapse generates EPSPs so quickly that one is produced before the last one fades
What is Spatial Summation
A bunch of neurons send small stimuli to create a big one
What is Presynaptic Facilitation
When one presynaptic neuron enhances another
What is neural coding
Converting stimulus information into meaningful pattern of action potentials
What is a Serial processing
Neurons and neural pools relay information in a fairly linear way
What is parallel processing
information is transmitted along diverging circuits through different pathways that act simultaneously for different purposes
What is synaptic potentiation
process of making transmission easier
What is synaptic facilitation
Making it easier to transmit signals across synapse
What is post tetanic potentiation
Calcium levels in axon terminal stay elevated leading to an exceptionally large burst of neurotransmitter
What are the regions of the spinal cord
Cervical, Thoracic, Lumbar, Sacral
What is the Meninges
Three fibrous membranes that enclose brain and spinal cord
Dura, pia, arachnoid matter
What is Dura mater
Loose fitting sleeve around spinal cord
What is arachnoid mater
Webbed cushoning
What is pia mater
Delicate transparent membrane that follows the contours of spinal cord
What is grey matter
unmyelinated matter that contains neuron cell bodies, dendrites, and proximal portions of axons
in the medulla
What do the posterior horns do
Receive sensory nerve fibers and synapse with interneurons in horn
What does the anterior horn do
Contain cell bodies of motor neurons
What is white matter
Myelinated matter that surrounds grey matter and is in axon bundles that course up and down the spinal cord
Communicates through tracts
is in the cortex
In the spine where do motor and sensory function go
Motor functions end in the spine
Sensory functions end in the brain
What do ascending tracts do
Carry information up
What do descending tracts do
Carry information down
What is decussation
Crossing of the midline that occurs in tracts so that the brain senses and controls contralateral side of the body
Define Contralateral
When the origin and destination of a tract are on opposite sides of the body
Define ipsilateral
when the origins and destination of a tract are on the same side of the body
What does the first order neuron do
Detect stimuli and transmit signal to spinal cord or brain stem
What does the second order neuron do
Continues to the thalamus
What does the third order neuron do
Carries the signal the rest of the way to the sensory region of the cerebral cortex
What is the Upper motor neuron
Originates in the cerebral cortex or brain stem and terminates on a lower motor neuron
What is a Lower motor neuron
Cell body is in the brainstem or spinal cord and the axon leads to a muscle or other target organ
What do the lateral and anterior corticospinal tracts do
They carry signals from cerebral cortex for precise finely coordinated movements
What is a nerve
A cordlike organ composed of numerous nerve fibers bound together by connective tissue
What are sensory nerves
They are composed only of afferent fibers; carry signals from sensory receptors to CNS
What are motor Nerves
Composed of efferent fibers and carry signals from CNS to muscles and glands
What are mixed nerves
Consists of both afferent and efferent fibers
What is ganglion
Cluster of nerve cell bodies outside the CNS
What is the anterior ramus
In the thoracic region, each one gives rise to an intercostal nerve
What is the posterior ramus
Innervates nerves and muscles in that region of the spine and the skin of the back
What is the Meningeal Branch
Reenters the vertebral canal and innervates the meninges, vertebrae, and spinal ligaments
What are the reflex arc steps
- Somatic receptors in skin muscle or tendons
- Afferent nerve fibers carry information from receptors to spinal cord or brain stem
- Integrating center- point of synaptic contact between neurons in gray matter of cord or brainstem
- Efferent nerve fibers- carry motor impulses to muscles
- Effectors- the muscles that carry out the response
What are reflexes
Muscles are stimulated on the spindle
How do projection tracts communicate
Lobe communicates with itself
Which matter receives brain signals
White
How do association tracts communicate
From lobe to lobe
What does the cerebellum do
Controls fine motor movements
What parts of the brain are sensory and which are motor
The front is motor
The back is sensory
What is the blood-CSF barrier
Protects brain at the choroid process and is formed by tight junctions between ependymal cells
What is the Blood Brain barrier system (BBS)
It regulates what substances can get from bloodstream into tissue fluid of the brain
What is the medulla oblongata
Brain region that develops from embryonic myelencephalon
What is the pons
Controls rhythm and sleep cycle
What are the parts of the midbrain
Tectum, substantia nigra, and cerebral crus
What is the inferior Collucci
Part of the midbrain that controls ear reflexes
What does the temporal lobe control
Hearing, taste, smell, balance
What is the superior collucci
Part of the midbrain that controls reflexes for eyes
What is the substantia nigra
Part of the midbrain that suppresses unwanted body movements and releases GABA to counteract dopamine
What does the Wernicke area do
Interpret language
What does the parietal lobe do
helps senses/touch
What does the occipital lobe control
vision
What does the insula control
The reception and modulation of pain
What does the frontal lobe control
Gross motor and thinking
What does the Broca area do
formulate speech
What does the hypothalamus control
homeostasis
What does the thalamus control
limbic system, emotions, personality
What does the meninges do
protect brain
What are ventricles
pools of CSF
What is CSF
blood without blood- Just plasma
Nourishes the brain and allows for protection, keeps it floating, and monitors pH
What are arachnoid granulations
Reabsorb the CSF and put it back into blood
What is the blood capillary
Let’s CSF enter ventricles
What does the sympathetic nervous system control
Fight or flight
Triggered by stress
Uses epinephrine neurotransmitters produced by adrenal glands
Epinephrine binds to adrenergic receptors
What does the parasympathetic nervous system control
Rest and digestion
What is Dual Innervation
Impacted by both sympathetic and parasympathetic
Only organ in the body controlled by sympathetic
What is the limbic system
Center of emotion and learning
What is the basal nuclei
Sends motor information to substantial nigra then down spinal cord