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PSYC 1011 > Neuroscience and Behavior > Flashcards

Neuroscience and Behavior Flashcards

1
Q

What are neurons?

A

cells that are highly specialized to receive and transmit information from one part of the body to another

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2
Q

What do sensory neurons do?

A

convey information about the environment from specialized receptor cells in the sense organs to the brain

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3
Q

What do motor neurons do?

A

communicate information to the muscles and glands of the body

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4
Q

What do interneurons do?

A

communicate information between neurons

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5
Q

What are the basic components of neurons?

A

the cell body, dendrites, and axon

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6
Q

What is the cell body of a neuron? What does it contain?

A
  • the part containing structures that process nutrients, providing the energy the neuron needs to function (aka the soma)
  • it contains the nucleus
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7
Q

What are dendrites?

A

the part of the neuron that receives messages from other neurons

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8
Q

What is an axon?

A

The part of the neuron that carries information from the neuron to other cells in the body (including other neurons, glands, and muscles)

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9
Q

What are myelin sheaths? What do they help with?

A
  • white fatty coverings that are wrapped around the axons of some neurons in the brain
  • they insulate axons to increase the speed of neurotransmission
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10
Q

What is an action potential?

A

a brief electrical impulse that transmits information along the axon of a neuron

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11
Q

What is a stimulus threshold?

A

The minimum level of stimulation required to activate a particular neuron

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12
Q

What is a resting potential

A

the state in which a neuron is prepared to activate and communicate its message if it receives sufficient stimulation

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13
Q

What is the 1st step of Action potential? What are the conditions of the cell? What happens?

A
  • Resting Potential
  • the inside of the cell is negatively charged
  • outside of the cell is positively charges
  • A -70 mV charge inside the cell
  • Na and K channels are closed
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14
Q

What is the 2nd step of the Action potential? What are the conditions of the cell? What happens?

A
  • Stimulus threshold
  • the cell body receives a critical amount of stimulation from other cells
    The action potential is initiated
    neuron is considered polarized
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15
Q

What is the 3rd step of the Action potential? What are the conditions of the cell? What happens?

A
  • Depolarization
  • Na channels open
  • positively charged Na ions flow into the neuron
  • Inside the cell becomes positively charged
  • Outside the cell becomes negatively charges
  • Na channels close
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16
Q

What is the 4th step of the Action potential? What are the conditions of the cell? What happens?

A
  • Repolarization
  • K channels open
  • Positive K ions flow out of the cell
  • inside the cell become negatively charged
  • outside the cell becomes positive charged
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17
Q

What is the 5th step of the Action potential? What are the conditions of the cell? What happens?

A
  • Refractory period
  • positive K ions continue to leave the neuron
  • outside the cell becomes more positively charges
  • inside the cell becomes more negatively charges
  • neuron returns to resting potential
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18
Q

What is a synapse?

A

the point of communication between two neurons

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19
Q

Which neuron is the presynaptic neuron and which is the postsynaptic neuron?

A

The presynaptic neuron is the message-sending neuron and the postsynaptic neuron is the one message-receiving neuron

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20
Q

How do neurons communicate?

A

when the presynaptic neuron is activated it generates an action potential that travels to the end of the axon

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21
Q

What are axon terminals, synaptic vesicles, and neurotransmitters?

A
  • Axon terminals: small branches at the end of the axon
  • synaptic vesicles: tiny sac in the axon terminal
  • Neurotransmitters: chemical messengers manufactured by the neuron
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22
Q

What are inhibitory vs excitatory neuronal inputs?

A
  • Inhibitory: reduce the likelihood of an action potential
  • Excitatory - increases the likelihood of an action potential
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23
Q

What two primary systems are the nervous system split into?

A

The central and peripheral nervous system

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24
Q

What is the central nervous system? And what is it responsible for?

A
  • the division of the nervous system that consists of the brain and the spinal cord
  • responsible for being the central processing center; processing every action thought, feeling, and sensation you experience
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25
Q

What are spinal reflexes?

A

simple automatic behaviors that occur w/out any brain involvement

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26
Q

What is the peripheral nervous system? What does it control?

A
  • the division of the nervous system that includes all the nerves lying outside the central nervous system
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27
Q

What are the communication functions of the peripheral nervous system handles by?

A

by its two subdivisions: the somatic and autonomic nervous systems

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28
Q

What is the somaic nervous system?

A

the subdivision of the peripheral nervous system that receives information from sensory receptors along sensory nerves and communicates it to the central nervous system

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29
Q

What is the autonomic nervouse system?

A

the subdivision of the peripheral nervous system that regulates involuntary functions such as heartbeat, blood pressure, breathing, and digestion

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30
Q

What are the involuntary functions regulated by the autonomic nervous system controlled by?

A

The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system

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31
Q

What is the sympathetic nervous system?

A

the branch of the autonomic nervous system that is the body’s emergency system, rapidly activating bodily systems to meet threats or emergencies

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32
Q

What are some example of thigns the sympathetic nervous system may do when stimulated?

A

activate fight or flight, dialate pupils, inhibit salication, made breathing more rapid or shallow, increase heart rate, increase sweat, inhibit digestion

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33
Q

What is the parasympathetic nervous system?

A

the branch of the autonomic nervous system that conseves and maintains your physical resources

34
Q

What are some thing the parasympathetic nervous system may do to the body when stimulated?

A

activate the body’s “rest and digest” mode, contract pupils, stimulate salivation, make breaths slower and deeper, decrease heart rate, decrease sweat, stimulate digestion

35
Q

How does the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems complement each other?

A

The sympathetic nervous system stimulates the body’s fight or flight while the parasympathetic nervous system returns the body to its resting state

36
Q

What is the endocrine system?

A

the system of glands, located throughout the body, that secrete hormones into the bloodstream

37
Q

Is the endocrine system part of the nervous system?

A

No, but it interacts with it in important ways

38
Q

What does the endocrin system use to transmit information from one part of the body to another?

A

chemical messengers

39
Q

How do endocrine glands communicate information from one part of the body to another?

A

hormones

40
Q

What are hromones? What do they regulate and influence?

A
  • chemical messengers secreted into the bloodstream
  • they regulate physical processes and influence behavior
41
Q

What is the hypothalamus?

A
  • a complex structure that is found just beneath the thalamus
  • it’s the direct link between the endocrine system and the nervous system via the pituitary gland
42
Q

Which structure in the brain primarily regulates the signals that trigger the secretion of hormones?

A

the hypothalamus

43
Q

What is the pituitary gland?

A

a pea-sized gland under the brain that regulates the production of other hormones by many of the glands in the endocrine system

44
Q

What are the adrenal glands?

A

a pair of endocrine glands that are involved in the stress response (also play a key role in fight-or-flight response)

45
Q

Which glands are stimulated when the sympathetic nervous system is activated? Which hormones are release?

A
  • adrenal glands
  • epinerphrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine
46
Q

What is neuroplasticity?

A

the brain’s ability to change function and structure

47
Q

What is functional plasticity?

A

the brain’s ability to shift functions from damaged to undamaged areas

48
Q

What is structural plasticity?

A

the brain’s ability to change its physical structure in response to learning, active practice, or environmental influences

49
Q

What is neurogenesis? What were scientists old thoughts on this?

A
  • the development of new neurons
  • scientists used to think humans didn’t experience neurogensis after birth
50
Q

Where is it now believed that neurogenesis occurs?

A

the hippocampus and olfactory bulb (responsible for odor perception)

51
Q

What is the brainstem?

A

a region of the brain made up of the hindbrain and midbrain

52
Q

What is the hindbrain? What does it connect?

A
  • a region at the base of the brain containing several structure that regulate basic life functions
  • connects the spinal cord with the rest of the brain
53
Q

What structures make up the hindbrain?

A

the medulla, pons, and cerebellum

54
Q

What is the medulla?

A

a hindbrain structure that controls vital life functions

55
Q

What is the pons? Where is it located?

A
  • a hindbrain structure that connects the medulla to the two sides of the cerebellum and helps coordinate and integrate movements on each side of the body
  • above the medulla
56
Q

What is the cerebellum?

A

a lare, two-sided hindbrain structure at the back of the brain that is responsible for muscle coordination and equilibrium

57
Q

What is the midbrain?

A

an important relay station that contains centers involved in the processing of auditory and visual sensory information

58
Q

What is the forebrain?

A

the largest and most complex brain region which contains centers for complex behaviors and mental processes (aka cerebrum)

59
Q

What is the limbic system?

A

a group of forebrain structures that form a border around the brainstem and are involved in emotion, motivation, learning, and memory

60
Q

What is the hippocampus?

A

a large forebrain structure that is part of the libmic system and embedded in the temporal lobe in each cerebral hemisphere

61
Q

what is the thalamus?

A

a round forebrain structure located within each cerebral hemisphere that processes sensory information (expect smell)

62
Q

What is the amygdala? What does it do?

A
  • an almond-shaped cluster of neurons at the base of the temporal lobe
  • it’s involved in a variety of emotional responses
63
Q

What is the cerebral cortex?

A
  • the wrinkled outter portion of the borebrain, which contains the most sophisticated brain centers
64
Q

What is the cererbal cortex mainly composed of?

A

neuron cell bodies, unmyelinated zons, and capillaries (giving it a light grayish appearance) which is generally described as gray matter

65
Q

What is the difference between gray and white matter?

A
  • Gray matter descriebs the neuron cell bodies, unmyelinated axons, and capillaries that make up the cerebral cortex
  • white matter describes the myelinated axons that extend inward from the cerebral cortex (have a white appearance b/c of fatty myelinated axons)
66
Q

What are cerebral hemispheres?

A

the nearly symmetrical left and right halves of the cerebral cortex

67
Q

What is the corpus collosum? What does it serve as?

A
  • the thick band of axons that connects the two cerebral hemispheres and acts as a communication link between them
  • serves as the primary communication link between the left and right cerebral hemispheres
68
Q

What are the 4 lobes of the brain? What’s the pneumonic to remember their locations?

A
  • occipital, parietal, temporal, and frontal
  • a fist, fingers = frontal, parietal = other side of palm, temporal = thumb, occipital = wrist/other
69
Q

What is the occopital lobe? How does it process data?

A
  • an area at the back of each cerebral hemisphere that is the primary receiving area for visual information
  • it processes visual info contralaterally
70
Q

What does contralateral mean?

A

cortical representation or processing is on the opposite side of the brain relative to the body

71
Q

What is the parietal lobe?

A

an area on each hemisphere of the cerebral cortex above the temporal lobe that process the body’s sensations

72
Q

What is the somatosensory cortex? How is information processed this region?

A

aparietal region specialized in touch processing

73
Q

What is the temporal lobe?

A

an area on each hemisphere of the cerebral cortex, near the temples, that is the primary receiving area for auditory information

74
Q

What is the auiditry complex?

A

a temportal cortex that processes sound (contralaterally represented)

75
Q

What is Wernicke’s area?

A
  • a temporal area that is important for processing language
  • damage to this area causes Wernicke’s aphasia
76
Q

What is the frontal lobe? What does it do?

A
  • the larges lobe of each cerebral hemisphere
  • it processes voluntary muscle movements and is involved in thinking, planning, and emotional control
77
Q

What is the primary motor cortex?

A

a band of tissue on the frontal lobe where muscle movements of different body parts are represented

78
Q

What is the prefrontal cortex? What is it known as?

A
  • a portion of the frontal lobe located in front of the motor strip that coordinated a number of cognitive functions in humans (thinking, attention, and regulating emotion)
  • known as the “central executive” of the brain and is where personality resides
79
Q

How does brain damage help us understand the brain?

A
  • if we know what is damage in a system, seeing how that system fail can tell us about its function
80
Q

What is transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)? What does it do?

A
  • strong controlled magnetic field interfaces with neurons’ electrical impulses
  • it interrupts cognition in specific locations
81
Q

What is is the procedure involving the corpus collosum? what is its intended purpose?

A
  • a procedure where the corpus callosum is served fully or partially
  • performed to relieve epileptic seizures
82
Q

What is split brain? How does it effect the brain?

A
  • a state where due to damage, the corpus callosum communication between the hemispheres is limited

PSYC 1011 (9 decks)

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