Neuroscience Flashcards
What is neuroplasticity?
Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections, allowing recovery and adaptation after injury or in response to learning
What is an action potential?
An action potential is a brief electrical impulse that travels down the axon of a neuron, triggered by changes in the electrical charge of the neuron
What is the function of an axon?
The axon is a long, slender projection of a neuron that transmits electrical impulses from the cell body to other neurons or muscles
What is the synaptic cleft?
The synaptic cleft is the small gap between the presynaptic and postsynaptic neurons where neurotransmitters are released to transmit signals
What is a neurotransmitter?
A neurotransmitter is a chemical substance released at the end of a nerve fiber by the arrival of an action potential, allowing the signal to pass to the next neuron
What is the myelin sheath?
The myelin sheath is a fatty layer that surrounds the axon of a neuron, increasing the speed at which electrical impulses travel along the nerve
What is an excitatory synapse?
An excitatory synapse increases the likelihood that the postsynaptic neuron will generate an action potential by depolarizing its membrane
What is an inhibitory synapse?
An inhibitory synapse decreases the likelihood that the postsynaptic neuron will generate an action potential by hyperpolarizing its membrane
What is the role of the presynaptic neuron?
The presynaptic neuron is the neuron that sends signals by releasing neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft
What is the role of the postsynaptic neuron?
The postsynaptic neuron is the neuron that receives signals via neurotransmitter binding at the synapse, resulting in changes to its membrane potential
What is the resting potential of a neuron?
The resting potential is the electrical potential across a neuron’s membrane when it is not transmitting a signal, typically around -70mV
What is the role of the sodium-potassium pump?
The sodium-potassium pump maintains the resting potential by moving sodium ions out of the cell and potassium ions into the cell against their concentration gradients
What is the refractory period in neuron signaling?
The refractory period is the time after an action potential during which a neuron is unable to fire another action potential until it returns to its resting state(
What is synaptic plasticity?
Synaptic plasticity refers to the ability of synapses to strengthen or weaken over time, in response to increases or decreases in their activity
What is a receptive field in neuroscience?
A receptive field is the specific area in which a stimulus will affect the firing of a neuron, such as visual stimuli affecting retinal cells
What is the difference between afferent and efferent neurons?
Afferent neurons carry sensory information toward the central nervous system, while efferent neurons carry motor commands away from the central nervous system
What is topographic mapping in the brain?
Topographic mapping refers to the spatial arrangement of neurons in the brain that reflects the layout of sensory inputs, such as the mapping of the visual field in the occipital cortex
What is the role of the central nervous system (CNS)?
The CNS, consisting of the brain and spinal cord, integrates and processes information and coordinates activity throughout the body
What is the peripheral nervous system (PNS)?
The PNS consists of nerves outside the CNS, including sensory and motor neurons that transmit information to and from the CNS
What is functional localization in the brain?
Functional localization refers to the idea that specific brain regions are responsible for particular functions, such as the motor cortex controlling movement
What is the role of Broca’s area?
Broca’s area, located in the left frontal lobe, is responsible for language production and speech articulation
What is Wernicke’s area?
Wernicke’s area, located in the left temporal lobe, is responsible for language comprehension
What is the role of the occipital lobe?
The occipital lobe, located at the back of the brain, processes visual information
What is the motor cortex responsible for?
The motor cortex, located in the frontal lobe, is responsible for voluntary motor movements
What is the somatosensory cortex?
The somatosensory cortex, located in the parietal lobe, processes sensory information from the body, such as touch, pain, and temperature
What is the difference between gray matter and white matter?
Gray matter consists of neuron cell bodies and is involved in processing information, while white matter consists of myelinated axons and is involved in communication between different brain areas
What is synaptic transmission?
Synaptic transmission is the process by which one neuron communicates with another by releasing neurotransmitters across the synapse
What is neural summation?
Neural summation is the process by which multiple synaptic inputs combine their effects to either excite or inhibit the postsynaptic neuron
What is lateralization in the brain?
Lateralization refers to the specialization of certain functions in one hemisphere of the brain, such as language typically being localized in the left hemisphere
What is long-term potentiation (LTP)?
Long-term potentiation (LTP) is when connections between neurons become stronger after they fire together multiple times, helping with learning and memory. It can last for days or longer
