H2 Introducing the brain

Question 1

neuron

Answer 1

consists of 3 components: cell body, dendrites, axon
→ type of cell that makes up the nervous system and supports, among other things, cognitive function

Question 2

cell body

Answer 2

part of neuron containing nucleus & other organelles

Question 3

dendrites

Answer 3

branching structures that carry information from other neurons

Question 4

axon

Answer 4

branching structure that carries info to other neurons & transmits an action potential

Question 5

nucleus

Answer 5

contains the genetic code & involved in protein synthesis

Question 6

proteins

Answer 6

wide variety of functions from providing scaffolding to chemical signaling, can also act als neurotransmitters & receptors inneurons

Question 7

synapse

Answer 7

small gap between neurons in which neurotransmitters are released, permitting signaling between neurons

Question 8

presynaptic

Answer 8

neuron before the synapse

Question 9

postsynaptic

Answer 9

neuron after the synapse

Question 10

action potential

Answer 10

when presynaptic neuron is active, electrical current is propagated down the length of the axon

Question 11

neurotransmitters

Answer 11

chemicals released into synaptic cleft when action potential reaches axon terminal

Question 12

synaptic potential

Answer 12

when NT bind to receptors on the dendrites/cell body →conducted passively through dendrites of postsynaptic neuron=these passive currents=basis EEG

Question 13

myelin

Answer 13

fatty substance that is deposited around axon of some neurons that speeds conduction

Question 14

GABA

Answer 14

neurotransmittor with an inhibitory effect on postsynaptic neuron

Question 15

glutamate

Answer 15

neurotransmitter with an excitatory effect on the postsynaptic neuron

Question 16

spiking rate

Answer 16

number of action potentials per second

Question 17

gray matter

Answer 17

matter consisting primarily of neuronal cell bodies

Question 18

white matter

Answer 18

tissue of the nervous system consisting primarily of axons and support cells

Question 19

glia

Answer 19

support cells of the NS involved in tissue repair and formation of myelin

Question 20

cerebral cortex

Answer 20

highly convoluted folded sheet of gray matter

Question 21

subcortex

Answer 21

collection of gray matter in the center of the brain including the basal ganglia, limbic system & diencephalon

Question 22

association tracts

Answer 22

white matter tracts that project between different cortical regions in = hemisphere

Question 23

commissures

Answer 23

white matter tracts that project between different regions in different hemispheres
(most important commissure = corpus callosum)

Question 24

projection tracts

Answer 24

white matter tracts that project between cortical & subcortical structures

Question 25

ventricles

Answer 25

hollow chambers of the brain that contain cerebrospinal fluid

Question 26

cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)

Answer 26

-carries waste metabolites
-transfers some messenger signals
-provides protecting cushion for the brain

Question 27

anterior

Answer 27

toward the front

Question 28

posterior

Answer 28

toward the back

Question 29

superior

Answer 29

toward the top = dorsal

Question 30

inferior

Answer 30

toward the bottom = ventral

Question 31

lateral

Answer 31

the outer part

Question 32

medial

Answer 32

in/toward the middle

Question 33

coronal cross-section

Answer 33

slice in the vertical plane through both hemispheres

Question 34

sagittal section

Answer 34

slice in the vertical plane through 1 hempishere

Question 35

midline

Answer 35

sagittal section that lies between the hemispheres

Question 36

axial

Answer 36

slice in the horizontal plane

Question 37

gyrus

Answer 37

raised surface of the cortex

Question 38

sulcus

Answer 38

dip/fold of the cortex

Question 39

Brodmann’s areas

Answer 39

regions of cortex defined by the relative distribution of cell types across cortical layers (cytoarchitecture)

Question 40

Parkinson’s disease

Answer 40

hypokinetic disorder of the basal ganglia (poverty of movement)

Question 41

Huntington’s disease

Answer 41

hyperkinetic disorder of the basal ganglia (excess of movement)