lesson 4 Flashcards
Neurons
Cells in the nervous system that communicate with one another to perform information‐processing tasks
Cell body
Coordinates information‐ processing tasks and keeps the cell alive
Dendrite
Receives information from other neurons and relays it to the cell body
Axon
Transmits information to other neurons, muscles, or glands
Myelin Sheath
Provides insulating layer of fatty material
Glial cells
Support cells found in the nervous system
Synapse
Junction or region between the axon of one neuron and the dendrites or cell body of another
Sensory neurons
Receive information from the external world and convey this information to the brain via the spinal cord
Motor neurons
Carry signals from the spinal cord to the muscles to produce movement
Interneurons
Connect sensory neurons, motor neurons, or other interneurons
Communication of information within and between neurons proceeds in two stages
Conduction and transmission
Conduction and transmission together are referred to as
electrochemical action
Resting potential
Difference in electric charge between the inside and outside of a neuron’s cell membrane
Action potential
Electric signal that is conducted along a neuron’s axon to a synapse
refractory period
A refractory period is the time following an action potential
Another action potential can’t occur during the refractory period
what mv is resting potential
-70
Breaks in the myelin sheath are called
the nodes of Ranvier
nodes of ranvier
The electric impulse jumps from node to node, thereby speeding the conduction of information down the axon
Neurotransmitters
Chemicals that transmit information across the
synapse to a receiving neuron’s dendrites
Terminal buttons
Knob like structures that branch out from an axon
Receptors
Parts of the cell membrane that receive the neurotransmitter and initiate or prevent a new electric signal
Agonists
Drugs that increase the action of a neurotransmitter
Antagonists
Drugs that block the function of a neurotransmitter
Nervous system
Interacting network of neurons that conveys electrochemical information throughout the body
Central nervous system (CNS)
Composed of the brain and the spinal cord
Peripheral nervous system (PNS)
Connects the CNS to the body’s organs and
muscles
Spinal reflexes
Simple pathways in the nervous system that rapidly generate muscle contractions
spinal cords four main parts
Cervical Nerves, Thoracic Nerves, Lumbar Nerves, Sacral Nerves
Hindbrain
Coordinates information coming into and out of the spinal cord, and controls the basic functions of life
Midbrain
Important for orientation and movement
Forebrain
Highest level of brain; critical for complex cognitive, emotional, sensory, and motor functions
Thalamus
Relays and filters information from the senses and transmits the information to the cerebral cortex
Hypothalamus
Regulates body temperature, hunger, thirst, and sexual behaviour; also part of the limbic system
Pituitary gland
“Master gland” of the body’s hormone‐producing system, which releases hormones that direct the functions of many other glands in the body
Basal ganglia
Set of subcortical structures that directs intentional movements
Limbic system
Group of forebrain structures involved in motivation, emotion, learning, and memory
Hippocampus
Critical for creating new memories and integrating them into a network of knowledge so that they can be stored indefinitely in other parts of the cerebral cortex
Amygdala
Plays a central role in many emotional processes, particularly the formation of emotional memories
Occipital lobe
Processes visual information
Parietal lobe
Processes information about touch
Temporal lobe
Responsible for hearing and language
Frontal lobe
Specialized areas for movement, abstract thinking, planning, memory, and judgment
Somatosensory cortex
Represents skin areas on contralateral surface of body
Homunculus
Rendering of the body in which each part is shown in proportion to show how much of the somatosensory cortex is devoted to it
Association areas
Composed of neurons that help provide sense and meaning to information registered in the cortex
Gene
Unit of hereditary transmission; sections on strands of DNA organized into chromosomes
Chromosomes
Strands of DNA wound around each other in a double‐helix configuration
Degree of relatedness
Monozygotic versus dizygotic twins
Heritability
Measure of the variability of behavioural traits among individuals that can be accounted for by genetic factors
Electroencephalograph (EEG)
Device used to record electrical activity in the brain
Hubel and Wiesel
Inserted electrodes into the brains of anesthetized cats; discovery of feature detectors by mapping visual cortex
