neurobiology

Question 1

The neuron

Answer 1

made up of the cell body, the axon, which sends electrical charges and the dendrites, which receiev the chemical messages that the charges are converted to as the axon terminal. the resulting process is called action potential, which is created when the neuron depolarizes allowing positively charged ions. some neurons have a coating on the outside which insulates the nerve allowing the charge to move faster (called a myelin sheath). when the charge reaches the axon, it causes a neurotransmitter to be released and binds the dendrite, allowing the charge to flow. the neurotransmitter is then reabsorbed by the axon, breaking the connection.

Question 2

Cerebral Cortex

Answer 2

• This is the upper, complex brain, which is larger in humans than other animals.
• It is divided into four parts called lobes, which are divided by fissures:
• frontal lobe
• parietal lobe
• occipital lobe
• temporal lobe
• the brain is divided left to right between hemispheres by the corpus callosum, which allows messages to pass between the two sides. The left side is the sadder, verbal, logical, and reasoning side. The right side is the happier, intuitive, spatial, and artistic side

Question 3

Lower Brain

Answer 3

• brain stem
• limbic system
• FYI: long term memory is NOT localized but it stored throughout the cerebral cortex

Question 4

brain stem

Answer 4

keeps you alive and contains the reticular activating system (RAS), which regulates arousal level, the medulla, which regulates heart rate and breathing, and the thalamus, which connects the sensory apparatus and the higher brain

Question 5

limbic system

Answer 5

the emotional brain. It contains the hypothalamus, which regulates basic drives (hunger, thirst, sex), the amygdala, which regulates the primitive emotions of anger and fear, and the hippocampus, which is important for short-term memory

Question 6

Drugs

Answer 6

• Serotonin reuptake inhibitors SSRI
• Thorazine and Clopazine
• Lithium
• Valium and Xanax
• Ritalin
• L-Dopa

Question 7

Serotonin reuptake inhibitors SSRI

Answer 7

anti-depressants that prevent the reabsorption ion of serotonin and lift the mood. They include Prozac, Zoloft, and Luvox

Question 8

Thorazine and Clopazine

Answer 8

antipsychotics prescribed for schizophrenia. They work on the dopamine system. Dopamine excess is a possible cause of schizophrenia.

Question 9

Lithium

Answer 9

• a salt

- stabilizes mood, works with antidepressants for bipolar patients

Question 10

Valium and Xanax

Answer 10

tranquilizers used for anxiety disorders

Question 11

Ritalin

Answer 11

stimulant used for ADHD to stimulate brain activity

Question 12

L-Dopa

Answer 12

helps produce dopamine, which is lacking in Parkinson’s patients