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Psych 115 > Midterm 1 Vocab > Flashcards

Midterm 1 Vocab Flashcards

1
Q

neurons

A

specialized cells that can generate action potentials

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2
Q

action potentials

A

fast electrical impulses

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3
Q

fMRI

A

a non-invasive method for measuring brain activity by using a magnetic field to compare blood oxygen level dependent signals across the brain

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4
Q

dendrites

A

treelike arborizations that receive signals from other neurons

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5
Q

soma

A

cell body containing the nucleus

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6
Q

axon

A

long branched cable that sends signals to other neurons

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7
Q

myelin sheath

A

a wrapping around the axon

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8
Q

axon terminals/synaptic boutons

A

tips of axon branches from which neurotransmitter is released onto target cells

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9
Q

synapses

A

chemical junctions that connect neurons to one another

info flows mostly in one direction across the synapse, from the presynaptic neuron to the postsynaptic neuron

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10
Q

neurotransmitter

A

chemicals released from one neuron onto another neuron to send messages

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11
Q

excitatory neurotransmitter

A

transmitters that depolarize the postsynaptic neuron and usually increase the likelihood of a post-synaptic AP

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12
Q

inhibitory neurotransmitter

A

transmitters that hyperpolarize the postsynaptic neuron and usually decreases the likelihood of a post-synaptic AP

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13
Q

modulatory neurotransmitter

A

transmitters that can have multiple or complex effects on their postsynaptic target

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14
Q

Dale’s principle

A

a single neuron typically releases similar neurotransmitter chemical(s) from ALL of its synapses

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15
Q

efferent connections

A

neural populations that send their axons to make synapses onto other neurons

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16
Q

afferent connections

A

neural populations that receive their synaptic inputs from other neurons

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17
Q

interneurons/local circuit neurons

A

neurons that only send short-range efferents to their local neighbors

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18
Q

projection neurons/principle neurons

A

neurons that send long-range efferent projections to distant brain areas

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19
Q

voltage

A

the difference in electrical charge between two locations

a form of potential energy

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20
Q

resting potential

A

when a neuron is at rest

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21
Q

ion channels

A

pores in the cell that allow ions to pass into or out of the cell

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22
Q

driving force on an ion

A

the sum of the electrical and chemical forces determined by the magnitude and direction of both forces

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23
Q

chemical equilibrium

A

when the concentration of an ion is equal on both sides

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24
Q

electrical equilibrium

A

when the total charge summed over all ions is equal on both sides

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25
equilibrium potential
stable membrane voltage
26
leak channels
ungated channels, always open
27
ligand-gated channels
opened or closed channels when a chemical molecule binds to them
28
voltage-gated channels
opened or closed channels when Vm falls into some target range
29
mechanically gated channels
opened or closed channels by a mechanical force
30
optically gated channels
opened or closed channels by light
31
IPSPs
a synaptic potential that makes a postsynaptic neuron less likely to generate an action potential
32
EPSPs
a synaptic potential that makes a postsynaptic neuron more likely to generate an action potential
33
electrolyte
a fluid that conducts electricity
34
closed Na+ channel states
Na+ ions cannot pass through the pore
35
open Na+ channel states
Na+ ions can pass freely through the pore
36
inactive Na+ channel states
Na+ cannot pass through the pore, and the channel cannot be opened even if the membrane is depolarized above spike threshold
37
central nervous system
brain and spinal cord
38
nucleus
a group of cluster of neurons in the CNS
39
peripheral nervous system
spinal and cranial nerves that relay sensory and motor info to and from the CNS
40
ganglion
a group or cluster of neurons in the PNS
41
dorsal root ganglion neurons
unipolar neurons in the PNS that relay somatosensory info from the skin to the spinal cord
42
nodes of Ranvier
small gaps in myelin sheath where the axon membrane is exposed to the cerebrospinal fluid
43
salutatory conduction
action potential being passed from node to node along the myelinated axon fast and far
44
passive conduction
axon without active channels propagates the spike fast but not far
45
active conduction
unmyelinated axon with active channels that propagates the spike very far
46
myelin
glial cell sheath around axons
47
schwann cells
myelin in the PNS
48
oligodendrocytes
myelin in the CNS
49
white matter
cortical regions that contain lots of myelin
50
gray matter
cortical regions that contain little myelin
51
synaptic vesicles
small sacks filled with neurotransmitter molecules at the end of each axon branch
52
synaptic cleft
thin space between the presynaptic and postsynaptic cells
53
glutamate
the dominant excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain
54
GABA
the dominant inhibitory neurotransmitter in the CNS
55
ionotropic receptors
ligand-gated ion channels opened by neurotransmitter binding
56
metabotropic receptors
G-protein coupled receptors activated when neurotransmitters bind to the extracellular domain of the receptor protein, and then float through the cytoplasm until it binds to various targets `
57
agonists
molecules that bind to the receptor and activate it in much the same way as its normal endogenous ligands
58
antagonists
molecules that bind to the receptor and prevent it from being activated by its normal endogenous ligand
59
competitive binding
an antagonist where the drug attaches to the receptor and blocks the normal ligand binding site
60
noncompetitive binding
an antagonist where the drug attaches to the receptor and prevents it from being activated, even though it does not block the normal ligand binding site
61
catecholamines
molecules synthesized from the AA tyrosine
62
mesolimbocortical projection
originates from dopamine neurons in the VTA, which send their axons to target in the cortex, hippocampus, and nucleus accumbens
63
mesostriatal projection
originates from dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra, which send their axons to target in the caudate nucleus (striatum) and globus pallidus
64
D1 metabotropic dopamine receptors
G-proteins are coupled to alpha subunits that excite production of the 2nd messenger cAMP by adenylyl cyclase
65
D2 metabotropic dopamine receptors
G-proteins are coupled to alpha subunits that inhibit production of the 2nd messenger cAMP by adenylyl cyclase
66
Alpha metabotropic adrenoreceptors
G-proteins coupled to second messenger pathways that can produce either inhibition of the postsynaptic cell, or trigger the release of calcium from intracellular stores
67
Beta metabotropic adrenoreceptors
G-proteins coupled to second messenger pathways that usually produce excitation of the postsynaptic cell
68
transporter
a protein complex that pushes molecules from one side of the cell membrane to the other
69
competitive antagonism
the transporter sucks up the drug instead of the neurotransmitter, which prevents the transmitter from being taken up
70
non-competitive antagonism
the drug causes the transporter to be internalized into the presynaptic cell membrane, so it is no longer able to remove transmitter from the synapse
71
reversal
the drug causes the transporter to reverse direction and push the neurotransmitter in the opposite direction across the membrane
72
vesicular transporters
transporters that dump transmitters out of vesicles into the cytoplasm
73
synaptic transporters
transporters that dump transmitters out of the cytoplasm into the synapse
74
nicotinic receptors
ligand-gated cation channels with a 5-subunit structure very similar to GABA-A channels
75
muscarinic receptors
metabotropic receptors that are linked to voltage-gated potassium channels
76
opiate drugs
exogenous ligands for opiate receptors
77
retrograde transmitters
send signals backwards across the synapse, from the presynaptic cell to the postsynaptic cell
78
ribosomes
translate RNA into proteins
79
transcription
nuclear DNA is copied to make strands of mRNA done by RNA polymerase
80
translation
the mRNA strand leaves the nucleus and moves to the cytoplasm, where it is translated into a chain of AAs by ribosomes
81
gene
a piece of DNA that holds the instructions for making a single protein
82
SCN9A gene
encodes a Nav1.7 protein which can serve as one of the four subunits in a voltage-gated sodium channel loss of Nav1.7 sodium channels renders individuals unable to feel pain, and thus highly vulnerable to injury
83
gene knockout
remove a gene from an organism to test whether it is necessary for a specific biological trait or phenotype
84
gene knock-in
add a gene to an organism to test whether it is sufficient to endow the organism with a specific trait
85
gene editing
modify the nucleotide sequence of a gene to change the AA sequence of the protein it encodes
86
transgene
a gene that is artificially transferred from one species to another
87
ectopic expression
expression of the gene in cells that don’t normally express it
88
channelrhodopsin
a sodium channel sensitive to blue light, which causes sodium to enter and depolarize the cell
89
halorhodopsin
a chloride pump sensitive to yellow light, which causes chloride to be pumped in, hyperpolarizing the cell
90
archaerhodopsin
a protein pump sensitive to green light, which causes protons to be pumped out, hyperpolarizing the cell
91
embryo
a developing human for the first 10 weeks of pregnancy
92
fetus
a developing human after 10 weeks of pregnancy
93
neurogenesis
the birth of cells that become neurons
94
spina bifida
a birth defect that occurs when the neural tube fails to close at the caudal end of the ectoderm
95
ipsilateral
on the same side as
96
contralateral
on the opposite side from
97
dorsal
towards the head/back
98
ventral
towards the feel/stomach
99
posterior/caudal
towards the back
100
anterior/rostral
towards the stomach
101
ventricular zone
the region of the neural tube that surrounds the canal
102
marginal zone
the outer regions of the neural tube
103
radial glia
a population of glial cells that form in the ventricular zone, providing a “railway” system for migrating cells
104
synaptogenesis
formation of the connections between cells
105
ischemia
a stroke caused when a blood vessel is blocked by an embolism or blood clot, starving the brain of oxygen and glucose
106
hemorrhage
a stroke caused when blood vessels rupture and bleed into the brain
107
medulla oblongata
controls respiration, heartbeat, reflexive behaviors, arousal and sleep cycles
108
superior colliculus
visual orienting responses and reflexes
109
inferior colliculus
auditory orienting responses and reflexes
110
oculomotor nucleus
controls eye movements
111
red nucleus
a major motor relay structure
112
periacqueductal gray
pain and defensive action patterns
113
vestibular cerebellum
critical for maintaining balance and posture
114
hypothalamus
controls hormone release by the pituitary gland | regulates homeostasis and motivational states
115
thalamus
sensory/motor info passes through the thalamus on its way to/from the cortex

Psych 115 (10 decks)

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