Neuroscience Flashcards
What does a neuron consist of?
Cell body, dendrites and axon
What is a synapse?
The small gap between axons where neurotransmitters are released, permitting signalling between neurons.
What is an action potential?
A sudden change (depolarization and repolarization) in the electrical properties of the neuron membrane and in an axon.
What are neurotransmitters?
Chemicals that are released by one neuron and that affect the properties of other neurons.
True or False? A small proportion of neurons also signal electrically.
True (e.g. the retinal gap junction)
True or False? Neurons can regenerate.
True (e.g. dentate gyrus neurons)
What are gatekeepers?
Sodium and potassium ions which keep the balance between the inside/outside of the neuron membrane (-70mV) resting potential
Give examples of neurotransmitters.
-GABA (inhibition), glutamate (excitation) =these are found throughout the brain
-Serotonin, dopamine, acetylcholine, noradrenaline
What are gray and white matter made up of?
Gray matter=neuronal cell bodies
White matter=axons and support cells (glia)
How many ventricles does the brain has filled with cerebrospinal fluid?
4
What is the central nervous system made up of?
Brain and spinal cord
What is the brain made up of?
Hindbrain, midbrain, diencephalon, forebrain
What is the hindbrain made up of?
Cerebellum, pons, and medulla oblongata
What is the midbrain made up of?
Substantia nigra, superior and inferior colliculi
What is the diencephalon made up of?
Thalamus, hypothalamus, mamillary bodies
What is the forebrain made up of?
Cerebrum/Telencephalon (Cerebral cortex, limbic system) and Basal ganglia (Cingulate cortex, Caudate+ Putamen=Striatum, Putamen+Globus pallidus=Lentiform nucleus)
What is the cerebral cortex made up of?
Frontal, temporal, parietal, occipital lobes.
What are the 4 ways to divide the regions of the cerebral cortex?
-Pattern of gyri and sulci
-Broadmann’s areas (cythoarchitecture)
-Function
-Connectivity
What is the function of basal ganglia?
Motor activity (programming and termination of action)
What is the function of the thalamus?
Sensory relay for all senses (except smell)
What is the function of superior and inferior colliculi?
The superior colliculi integrates information from the senses (vision, hearing, touch), and the inferior one auditory processing
Hemispatial neglect is caused by:
Damage to the right parietal lobe (inferior parietal lobule typically), part of the dorsal/ where stream
Explicit memory is located in:
Medial temporal lobe
Implicit memory is located in:
-Priming -> neocortex
-Procedural -> striatum
-Conditioning -> amygdala (emotional) and cerebellum (motor)
-Non-associative learning (habituation/sensitization) -> reflex pathways
What do James-Lange and Cannon-Bard theories of emotion state?
James-Lange: body states first, emotion second
Cannon-Bard: perception first (brain state), emotion second
What is Kluver-Bucy’s syndrome caused by?
Damage to amygdala (problem with fear processing)
Disgust and interoception are processed in:
Insula
Orbito-frontal cortex’s function is:
Processing of contextual emotions and feelings (+exctinction)
Anterior cingulate cortex is responsible for response evaluation, automatic responses, pain. True or false?
True
Ventral striatum is responsible for rewards. True or false?
True
