Neuroscience Flashcards
brainstem
part of the brain that contains the medulla, pons, and midbrain
pons
relays information from cerebellum to the rest of the brain
axon terminal (synaptic terminal)
contains synaptic vesicles that contain neurotransmitters
resting potential
the measure of the electrical charge across a neural membrane when the neuron is not processing information (nothing is flowing in or out of the cell)
action potential
when he electrical charge inside the neuron reaches a high enough level relative to the outside
cerebellum
participates in skilled movement and complex cognitive processing
midbrain
lies between the pons and the cerebral hemispheres
reticular formation
a collection of structures located along the midline of the brainstem
basal ganglia
involved with voluntary movements
nucleus accumbent
involved with addiction and reward
broca’s area
area of the brain involved in speech production
prefrontal cortex
involved with the planning of behavior, attention, and judgment
obitofrontal cortex
impulse control
parietal lobe
- primary somatosensory cortex
- touch
- pain
- skin temperature
peripheral nervous system (pns)
nerves exciting the cns that carry sensory and motor information to and from the rest of the body
somatic nervous system
voluntary and conscious control
sympathetic nervous system
- fight or flight
biological psychology
the scientific study of the reciprocal connections between the structure and activity of the nervous system and behavior and mental process
cell body
the large, central mass of a neuron, containing the nucleus
dendrites
a branch from the neural cell body that usually receives input from other neurons
axon
the branch of a neuron that is usually responsible for carrying information to other neurons
myelin sheath
- insulating material coverage of some actions
- speeds of the process of electrical messages
nodes of ranvier
- breaks in the myelin sheath
- electrical impulses jump from node to node, speeding the conduction of information down the axon
glial cells
nervous system cells that perform a variety of support functions, including formation of the blood-brain barrier and myelin
ions
small electrically charged molecules
threshold
when the electrical charge inside the neuron reaches a high enough level of relative to the outside an action potential occurs
refractory period
the time following an action potential during which a new action potential cannot be initiated
synapse
the region between the axon of one neuron and the dendrites of cell body of another
neurotransmitters
chemical messages that transmit information across the synapse from one neurons to another dendrite
excitatory messages
- tells the neuron to active another action potential
- keeps the messages going to other neurons
inhibitory messages
- tells the neuron to stop another action potential
- keeps the messages from going further
cns
- brain and spinal cord
- receives sensory information from the external world
- processes and coordinates information
- sends information to the skeletal and muscular systems for action
spinal cord
- bundle of nerve fibers
- pathway from the brain
- initiates reflexes without assistance from the brain
medulla
responsible for vital functions
cerebral cortex
- outermost layer of the brain
- visible to the naked eye
thalamus
relays and filters informations from the senses and transmits information to the cerebral cortex
hypothalamus
- 4 f’s
- feeding
- fornication
- fleeing
- fighting
hippocampus
new memories then integrated into long-term memory
amygdala
process fear and egressing
cerebral cortex lobes
- frontal
- parietal
- occipital
- temporal
frontal lobe
- front of the brain
- planning
- judgement
- problem solving
- memory
occipital lobe
primary visual cortex
temporal lobe
primary auditory cortex
wernicke’s area
comprehension of speech
mirror neurons
neurons that help us understand emotions and actions of other people
corpus callosum
supports communication across the hemispheres
brain plasticity
the ability for the brains to reorganize neural pathways based on new experiences
lateralization
localization of a function in either the right or left cerebral hemisphere
autonomic nervous system
involuntary and automatic commands
parasympathetic nervous system
rest and digest
enteric nervous system
control motor functions, local blood flow, mucosal transport and secretions, and modulates immune and endocrine functions
