Neuroscience and Behavior Flashcards
Neurons
nerve cells, the basic elements of the nervous system
Dendrite
a cluster of fibers at one end of a neuron that receives messages from other neurons
axon
the part of the neuron that carries messages destined for other neurons
terminal buttons
small bulges at the end of axons that send messages to other neurons
myelin sheath
a protective coat of fat and protein that wraps around the axon
all or none law
the rule that neurons are either on or off
resting state
the state in which there is a negative electrical charge of about -70 millivolts within a neuron
action potential
an electrical nerve impulse that travels through a neurons axon when it is set off by a “trigger” changing the neurons charge from negative to positive
mirror neurons
specialized neurons that fire not only when a person enacts a particular behavior but also when a person simply observes another individual carrying out the same behavior
synapse
the space between two neurons where the axon of a sending neuron communicates with the dendrite of a receiving neurons by using c chemical messages
neurotransmitters
chemicals that carry messages across the synapse to the dendrite (and sometimes the cell body) of a receiver neuron
excitatory message
a chemical message that makes it more likely that a receiving neuron will fire and an action potential will travel down its axon
inhibitory message
a chemical message that prevents or decreases the likelihood that a receiving neuron will fire
reuptake
the re-absorption of neurotransmitters by a terminal button
CNA
the part of the nervous system that includes the brain and the spinal cord
spinal cord
a bundle of neurons that leaves the brain and runs down the length of the back and is the main means for transmitting messages between the brain and the body
reflex
an automatic, involuntary response to an incoming stimulus
sensory (afferent) neurons
neurons that transmit information from the perimeter of the body to the central nervous system
motor (efferent) neurons
neurons that communicates information from the nervous system to muscles and glands
interneurons
neurons that connect sensory and motor neurons, carrying messages between the two
peripheral nervous system
the part of the nervous system that includes the autonomatic and somatic subdivisions, made up of neurons with long axons and dendrites, it branches out from the spinal cord and brain and reaches the extremities of the body
somatic division
the part of the peripheral nervous system that specializes in the control of voluntary movement and the communication of information to and from the sense organs
autonomic division
the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls involuntary movement of the heart, glands, lungs and other organs
sympatheic division
the part of the autonomic division of the nervous system that acts to prepare the body for action in stressful situations, engaging all the organisms resources to respond to a threat
parasympathetic division
the part of the autonomic division of the nervous system that acts to calm the body after an emergency has ended
endocrine system
a chemical communication network that sends messages through out the body via the bloodstream
hormones
chemicals that circulate through the blood and regulate the functioning or growth of the body
pituitary gland
the major component of the endocrine system or “master” gland which secretes hormones that control growth and other parts of the endocrine system
central core
the “old brain”, which controls basic functions such as eating and sleeping and is common to all vertebrates
cerebellum
the part if the brain that controls bodily balance
reticular formation
the part of the brain extending from the medulla through the pons and made up of groups of nerve cells that can immediately activate other parts of the brain to produce general bodily arousal
thalamus
the part of the brain located in the middle of the central core that acts primarily to relay information about the sense
hyothalamus
a tiny part of the brain, located below the thalamus, that maintains homeostasis and produces and regulates vital behavior, such as eating, drinking, and sexual behavior
limbic system
the part of the brain that controls eating, aggression, and reproduction
cerebral cortex
the “new brain” responsible for the most sophisticated information processing in the brain; contains four lobes
lobes
the four major sections of the cerebral cortex, frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital
motor area
the part of the cortex that is largely responsible for the body’s voluntary movement
sensory area
the site in the brain of the tissue that corresponds to each of the senses, with the degree of sensitively related to the amount of tissue
association areas
one of the major regions of the cerebral cortex;the site of the higher mental processes such as thought, language, memory,and speech
neuroplasticity
changes in the brain that occur throughout the life span relating to the addition of new neurons, new interconnections between neurons and the reorganization of the information-processing areas
neurogenesis
the creation of neurons
hemispheres
symmetrical left and right halves of the brain that control the side of the body opposite to their location
lateralization
the dominance of one hemisphere of the brain in specific functions, such as language
biofeedback
a procedure in which a person learns to control through conscious thought internal physiological processes such as blood pressure, heart, and respiration rate, skin temperature, sweating, and the constriction of particular muscles
