Lecture 4

Question 1

The Nervous System

Answer 1

The Body’s electrochemical communication system

Divided into two parts: The Central Nervous System and the Peripheral Nervous System

Question 2

The Central Nervous System

Answer 2

Made up of the brain and the spinal cord
Functions include: receiving, processing and storing incoming information; sends out messages to muscles, glands and internal organs
The central command system which controls thought and movement

Question 3

The Peripheral Nervous System

Answer 3

Nervous system outside the brain and spinal cord which handles input and output of the CNS

Connects the brain and spinal cord to the other areas of the body—organs and muscles

Question 4

Sensory and Afferent Neurons

Answer 4

carry information to the brain from the skin muscles organs

Question 5

Motor or Efferent Neurons

Answer 5

Carry the brains output to carry the brains output to muscles, glands, and organs

Question 6

Interneurons

Answer 6

neurons that connect sensory neurons, motor neurons or other interneurons

Question 7

Mirror Neurons

Answer 7

neurons which are activated by performing an action or by seeing another perform the same action· May play a role in developing new motor skills
· Empathy and language (partly based on imitation)
· Dysfunction linked to autistic spectrum disorders

Question 8

Glial Cells

Answer 8

hold the neurons in place, nourish and insulate neurons. Non-neuron cells which provide a supportive function for the nervous system

Question 9

Dendrites

Answer 9

receive messages from other neurons, transmit to the cell body

Question 10

Cell body/ Soma

Answer 10

Keep neurons alive; contains substances for growth, determines whether to fire

Question 11

Axons

Answer 11

Transmit messages away from the cell body to other neurons, muscles or glands
— The axon is insulated by fatty material called the myelin sheath which helps the nerve impulse travel faster
— The axon ends in branches or terminal buttons

Question 12

Synapses

Answer 12

the gaps (tiny spaces) between the neurons-often between the axon of one neuron and the dendrite or cell body of another neuron through which communication occurs.

Question 13

Long-Term studies about brain and experiences

Answer 13

· Long-term studies indicate that enriched environments for rats, even later in life can lead to not only functional, but structural brain changes evident in the synapses and their connections
Brain growth and new connections have also been seen in human subjects

Question 14

Resting Potential

Answer 14

a neuron at its stable negative charge when it is inactive

Question 15

Action Potential

Answer 15

when a nerve is stimulated an electrical impulse occurs and moves down the axon to the end of the axon’s terminal tip

Question 16

Synaptic Vessicles

Answer 16

release neurotransmitters which then bind with a dendrite receptor site
· Can excite or inhibit the firing of the receiving neuron
Absolute refractory period: minimum amount of time during which another action potential cannot begin

Question 17

Absolute Refractory Period

Answer 17

minimum amount of time during which another action potential cannot begin

Question 18

Neurotransmitters

Answer 18

chemical substances which carry information across the synaptic gap to the next neuron
— Each neurotransmitter binds to a particular receptor site
— Affects many behavior and functions

Question 19

Excitatory PSP’s

Answer 19

increases the likelihood it will fire an action potential

Question 20

Inhibitory PSP’s

Answer 20

decreases the likelihood of an action potential

Question 21

Serotonin

Answer 21

involved in sleep and wakefulness, mood, depression, eating and aggression

Question 22

Dopamine

Answer 22

regulates motor behavior, motivation, *pleasure and emotional arousal
— High levels of dopamine associated with schizophrenia
— Low levels of dopamine associated with Parkinson’s
— *Recent research challenges the role of dopamine in the experience of pleasure

Question 23

Acetylcholine

Answer 23

muscle action and control, memory and attention. Some receptors stimulated by nicotine

Question 24

Norepinephrine

Answer 24

involved in mood, arousal: alertness and wakefulness; excite heart muscles, intestines and urogenital tract

Question 25

Glutamine

Answer 25

excitatory transmitter widely distributed and implicated in memory formation, information transmission in the brain

Question 26

GABA

Answer 26

(gamma amino butyric acid) Inhibitory neurotransmitter,

	           - Low levels linked with anxiety  
 - Anti-anxiety drugs increase the inhibitory effects of GABA

Question 27

Endorphins

Answer 27

The Brains natural opiates
Produce effects of reducing pain; promoting pleasure
Act within the pain pathways and emotion centers of the brain
Levels increase during stress or fear response which gives an evolutionary advantage ( during childbirth, exercise)

Question 28

Hormones

Answer 28

— Chemical messengers manufactured in the endocrine glands and released into the blood stream
— Some may be classified as neurotransmitters depending on how it is “operationalized”
— A few of particular interest:
— Melatonin: regulates biological rhythm
— Adrenal hormones: involved in emotions and stress; cortisol

Question 29

The Somatic Nervous System

Answer 29

Sensory nerves relay information from the skin and muscles to the CNS about pain, temperature and informs muscles when to act, conscious or voluntary control over this system

Question 30

The Automatic Nervous System

Answer 30

Fight or flight response
Works automatically/involuntary
Takes messages to and from the body’s internal organs monitoring breathing, heart rate and digestion
Sympathetic Nervous System: o Mobilizes body for action, stops digestion, increases oxygen to the blood for muscle responses, increases heart rate, dilates pupils, dry mouth, goose bumps
Parasympathetic Nervous System:o Slows actions down, conserves bodily resources
The Central Nervous System: The Brain and the Spinal Cord

Question 31

Different ways to learn about the brain

Answer 31

— 1. Study the disease process
— 2. The lesion method: damage or remove section of brain and observe the effects
— 3. Electrode Method EEG: detect electrical activity of neurons; look at brain waves across events.
— Newer uses of EEG being explored with improved
Technology
· 4. CT scans: Multiple X-Rays of successive slices of the brain. Looks at brain structure
· 5. PET scans: Records biochemical changes in the brain as they occur by detecting radioactive material, which has been injected or inhaled. Looks at brain function
· 6. MRI: Uses magnetic fields and radio frequencies, which produce vibrations that are picked up by receivers. Provides a structural view of the brain
· 7. fMRI: (Functional/Fast MRI): assess changes in blood oxygen flow to areas of the brain, able to look at both structure and function of the brain
· 8. Electrical Stimulation of the Brain: Newer studies look at “electrical stimulation” deep in the brain, which promotes particular sensations and emotions. Used as treatment for Parkinson’s disease, Depression and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in Clinical Trials