Module 3 Flashcards
How many axons does the average neuron have
One
What part of the neuron holds the nucleus
Soma
______ __________ ________ end in a button shape rather than a tapered point
Axon’s terminal fibers
What are terminal fibers responsible for
Releasing chemical messengers, called neurotransmitters, that communicate the interneuronal signal from one neuron to the next.
Why are there many dendrites on one neuron
to provide a larger surface area for receptor sites to receive signals from other neurons.
True or false: the myelin sheath covers the whole axon
False
The unmyelinated sections of an axon are called
Nodes of Ranvier
Where is a cells action potential generated
at an unmyelinated region near the nexus of the axon and the soma (at a point called the axon hillock),
The thicker the myelin sheath, the (more/less) effective it is at sending neural impulses
more
The _____ ________ is the state of a neuron between communication
resting potential
During the resting potential sodium is primarily (inside/outside) the neuron
outside
During the resting potential potassium is primarily (inside/outside) the neuron
inside
Sodium and potassium create the (chemical/electrical) gradient, during resting potential
chemical
Chlorine ions and proteins in the cell, create the (chemical/electrical) gradient, during resting potential
Electrical
The large proteins in a neuron are (negatively/positively) charged
negatively
The chlorine ions outside of a neuron are (negatively/positively) charged
positively
The starting relative electrical charge of the average neuron during resting potential is about…
negative 70 millivolts
When sodium enters the neuron the sodium potassium pump will…
pump it back out
When potassium leaves the neuron the sodium potassium pump will…
try to get it back in
What happens when an excitatory neurotransmitter binds with an excitatory gate
the gate opens and lets sodium in, in an attempt to bring the cell closer to firing by, increasing the relative electrical charge
What happens when an inhibitory neurotransmitter binds with an inhibitory gate
the gate opens and lets potassium out, in an attempt to bring the cell further from firing by, decreasing the relative electrical charge
True or false: The intensity of a neuron firing depends on the voltage released
False (they fire the same voltage each time)
True or false: The intensity of a neuron firing depends the speed at which it fires
True
what makes up the myelinization of the peripheral nervous system
Schwann Cells
How does myelin influence the process of propagation
It accelerates it
What do voltage gated channels respond to
certain relative voltages between the inside and outside of the cell
The term “synapse” is interchangeable with
synaptic gap, synaptic cleft
What happens after the auto-receptors stop the production of a neurotransmitter
Reuptake channels suck them back into the pre-synaptic neuron
What happens after the reuptake channels suck the neurotransmitters back into the pre-synaptic neuron
Chemical Enzymes break them down, so they are now infective
What is Acetylcholine responsible for
Motor Control
What is Epinephrine responsible for
Energy
What is Norepinephrine responsible for
Arousal / Vigilance
What is Serotonin responsible for
Emotional States / Impulse Control
What is Dopamine responsible for
Reward and Motivation
What is GABA responsible for
Inhibition of Action Potentials
What does GABA stand for
gamma-aminobutyric acid
What is Endorphins responsible for
Pain Reduction and Rewards
As neurons remain dormant, they will become less easily activated and the synapses that connect these neurons shrivel up – this is referred to as _________ _________
synaptic pruning
They become more likely to fire. Each activation of a neuron makes it more likely to fire in the future and enhances the connections that neuron has to other neurons – this is referred to as _____________
synaptogenesis
the less active your brain is, the (more/less) synaptic pruning will occur.
more
The ___________ ______ is the collection of neurons that allow for the communication between the brain and self-regulated functions
Autonomic PNS (ANS)
the _______ ____ which is responsible for willful volitional control.
Somatic PNS (SNS)
What does PNS stand for
Peripheral Nervous System
What does CNS stand for
Central Nervous System
ANS can be further subdivided into the…
Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Nervous Systems
The sympathetic nervous system helps you get (calm/aroused)
Aroused
The parasympathetic nervous system helps you get (calm/aroused)
Calm
What are the three classes of neurons
Afferent neurons, efferent neurons, and interneurons
afferent neurons are referred to as _______ neurons
sensory
efferent neurons are referred to as _______ neurons
motor
What three major regions can the brain be divided into
1) the brainstem and cerebellum,
2) the limbic system,
3) the cerebral cortex.
The brainstem is made up of the…
medulla oblongata, the pons, and the reticular formation.
The cerebellum is responsible
for balance and coordination of voluntary movement.
The Cerebellum can be found
extending from the rear of the brainstem
The limbic system is composed of several structures that control…
appetite behaviors, emotions, and other psychological behaviors.
The medulla oblongata is responsible…
for the most basic functions, maintaining self-regulated organ functions, like your heart-rate, breathing, and even coordinates the muscles in your throat to ensure effective swallowing
What does ARAS do
carries sensory information from the body up to the thalamus
What does ARAS stand for
Ascending Reticular Activating System
what descending reticulospinal tracts do?
which carry motor information from the brain to the spinal cord–which the directs this information to our muscles through motor/efferent neurons
The Raphe nucleus is responsible…
for the synthesis of serotonin
What does the pons do?
an extension of the reticular formation and a continuation of the bridge for sensory and motor responses between the brain, body, and the and other geographically proximate regions like the cerebellum.
The cerebellum is composed of…
two wrinkled little hemispheres that look like a miniature version of our cerebral cortex.
Does the cerebellum coordiante or initiate movements
coordinate
The limbic system is made up of several subcortical structures that help control…
emotion, memory, and appetitive behaviors.
The limbic system is made up of structures such as
thalamus, hypothalamus, amygdala, and hippocampus
The hypothalamus controls the _________ system
endocrine
the thalamus is responsible for
routing incoming sensory information to the regions on the cerebral cortex that are responsible for processing that information.
hippocampus helps us to…
form new memories
Damage to the hippocampus results in…
anterograde amnesia (Can’t make new memories)
The frontal lobes are responsible for…
higher order cognitive processes, language production, and initiation of movement.
The temporal lobes are responsible for…
auditory functions.
The occipital lobes are responsible…
for vision.
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is responsible for…
our rational activity.
What is Broca’s aphasia?
the loss of the ability to speak
Where is Broca’s Area located
the frontal lobe of the left hemisphere
parietal lobes are responsible for…
attention, spatial relations, and the conscious experience of many sensory experiences, including the sensations of taste and touch.
What does The right hemisphere of the parietal lobe do?
Mental imagery (picturing and manipulating things in your minds eye)
What does the The left hemisphere of the parietal lobe do?
the ability to understand and engage in writing/reading, as well as mathematical concepts
The somatosensory cortex is involved in…
the perception of being touched
The motor cortex is involved in…
Initiating movement
The homonuclus in the somatosensory cortex is going to be distorted according to the amount of..
Sensitivity of that body part
The homonuclus in the motor cortex is going to be distorted according to the amount of..
Amount of fine motor movement in that body part
Only the (somatosensory/motor) cortex’s homunculus have teeth and genitals
somatosensory
The primary auditory cortex is the portion of the temporal lobe that is responsible…
for hearing.
Wernicke’s area is located in the…
temporal lobe of the left hemisphere
Wernicke’s area is responsible for…
comprehension of speech
The fusiform face area is located in the ______ hemisphere of the ________ lobe
right hemisphere of the temporal lobe
The occipital lobes are responsible for…
vision
Which lobe is responsible for hearing?
Temporal Lobe
Which lobe contains the somatosensory cortex?
Parietal Lobe
Which lobe contains the fusiform face area?
Temporal Lobe
Damage to this lobe can result in hemineglect:
Parietal Lobe
Which lobe contains the primary motor cortex?
Frontal Lobe
Which lobe is responsible for vision?
Occipital Lobe
Which lobe contains the angular gyrus?
Parietal Lobe
Which lobe contains the Broca’s area?
Frontal Lobe
Which lobe is responsible for higher order cognitive processes, language production, and initiation of movement?
Frontal Lobe
