Neuroscience (Lecture and Chapter)

Question 1

serotonin

3

Answer 1

mood, impulsive/aggressive behavior, appetite

too little associated with depression and ocd

Question 2

GABA

2

Answer 2

associated with the nervous system and anxiety

some anxiety meds aim to increase GABA

Question 3

Glutamate

2

Answer 3

learning, memory

associated with migraines

Question 4

norepinephrine

2

Answer 4

alertness and arousal

too little associated w depression, too much associated w schizophrenia

Question 5

dopamine

5

Answer 5

tension, frisson, movement, learning, impulse control

oversensitivity related to schizophrenia, too little related w Parkinson

Question 6

acetylcholine

Answer 6

memory, sleep, involuntary movement

Question 7

dendrites

Answer 7

a neuron’s often bushy, branching extensions that recieve and integrate messages, conducting impulses toward the cell body

short

Question 8

axon

Answer 8

the segmented neuron extension that passes messages through its branches to other neurons or to muscles or glands

may be very long, projecting several feet through the body

Question 9

myelin sheath

Answer 9

a fatty tissue layer segmentally encasing the axons of some neurons; enables vastly greater transmission speed as neural impulses hop from one node to the next

Question 10

glial cells

Answer 10

cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons; they also play a role in learning, thinking, and memory

Question 11

action potential

Answer 11

a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon

Question 12

resting potential (of a neuron)

Answer 12

the positive-outside/negative-inside state of a neuron when it is not firing (at rest)

Question 13

refractory period

Answer 13

in neural processing, a brief resting pause that occurs after a neuron has fired; subsequent action potentials cannot occur until the axon returns to its resting state

Question 14

all-or-none response

Answer 14

a neurons reaction of either firing (with a full-strength response) or not firing

Question 15

synapse

Answer 15

the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the recieving neuron. The tiny gap at this junction is called the synaptic gap.

Question 16

neurotransmitters

Answer 16

chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gap between neurons. When released by the sending neuron, neurotransmitters travel across the synapse and bind to receptor sites on the receiving neuron, thereby influencing whether that neuron will generate a neural impulse

Question 17

reuptake

Answer 17

a neurotransmitter’s reabsorption by the sending neuron

Question 18

agonist

Answer 18

a molecule that increases a neurotranmitter’s action

Question 19

antagonist

Answer 19

a molecule that inhibits or blocks a neurotransmitter’s action

Question 20

sensory neurons

Answer 20

neurons that carry incoming information from the body’s tissues and sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord

Question 21

motor neurons

Answer 21

neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands

Question 22

interneurons

Answer 22

neurons within the brain and spinal cord; they communicate internally and process information between the sensory inputs and motor inputs

Question 23

Central Nervous System (CNS)

Answer 23

the brain and the spinal cord

Question 24

peripheral nervous system (PNS)

Answer 24

the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body

transmits information to and from the CNS

Question 25

Spinal Cord

Answer 25

bridge between the brain and peripheral nerves

Question 26

somatic nervous system

Answer 26

branch of peripheral nervous system that controls the body's skeletal muscles | consists of sensory input and motor output

Question 27

Autonomic Nervous System

Answer 27

part of PNS that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs (such as the heart) | regulates glands, blood vessels, and internal organs ## Footnote consists of parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system

Question 28

Parasympathetic Nervous System

Answer 28

the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy | part of autonomic nervous system, maintains a quiet state

Question 29

sympathetic nervous system

Answer 29

the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy | mobilizes body for action, energy output... part of autonomic system

Question 30

EEG (Electroencephalogram)

Answer 30

an amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity sweeping across the brain's surface, measured by electrodes placed on the scalp

Question 31

MEG (magnetoencephalography)

Answer 31

a brain-imaging technique that measures magnetic fields from the brain's natural electrical activity ## Footnote Researchers create special rooms that cancel out other magnetic signals, to isolate the brain's magnetic signals -when participants complete activites, neurons create electrical pulses, which create magnetic fields... the speed and strength allows researchers to understand how certain tasks influence brain activity

Question 32

PET (positron emission tomography) Scan

Answer 32

a technique for detecting brain activity that displays where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given tast ## Footnote -Shows each brain area's consumption of glucose; the scan can track the gamma rays released by this food as tasks are performed. -PET-scan hot spots show the most active brain areas as the person does tasts

Question 33

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)

Answer 33

a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images of soft tissue. MRI scans show brain anatomy ## Footnote -head is put in a strong magnetic field, which aligns the spinning atoms of brain molecules -then a radio-wave pulse momentarily disorients the atoms; when the atoms return to their normal spin, they emit signals that providea detailed picture of soft tissues

Question 34

fMRI (functional MRI)

Answer 34

a technique for revealing blood flow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing succesive MRi scans. fMRI scans show both brain function as well as structure ## Footnote -researches can watch as specific brain areas activate, showing increased oxygen-laden blood flow

Question 35

brainstem

Answer 35

the oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; the brainstem is responsible for automatic survival functions | brain's oldest and innermost region

Question 36

medulla

Answer 36

the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing | the hindbrain

Question 37

pons

Answer 37

helps coordinate movement and control sleep; responsible for sleep paralysis | sits just above the medulla, part of the hindbrain

Question 38

cerebellum

Answer 38

coordinates voluntary movement, balance | the hindbrain

Question 39

Reticular Activating System/The Reticular Formation

Answer 39

brain's secretary, prioritizes incoming messages, allows multitasking | the midbrain

Question 40

The midbrain

Answer 40

Reticular Activating System/Formation

Question 41

Hindbrain

Answer 41

medulla, pons, cerebellum

Question 42

the forebrain

Answer 42

thalamas, limbic system (hippocampus, hypothalamus, amygdala), corpus callosum, basal ganglia

Question 43

thalamus

Answer 43

the brain's sensory control center, located on top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory recieving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla | forebrain ## Footnote acts like a relay between motor and sensory systems

Question 44

amygdala

Answer 44

linked to emotion; healthy people with smaller-than-average amygdala's display reduced arousal to threatening stimuli | forebrain, part of limbic system ## Footnote related to our fear and aggression responses

Question 45

limbic system

Answer 45

associated with emotions and drives

Question 46

hypothalamus

Answer 46

involved in biological drives like thirst, hunger, sex, body temp... links to the endocrine system | forebrain, part of limbic system

Question 47

hippocampus

Answer 47

involved in memory transfer from short term to long term | forebrain, part of the limbic system

Question 48

Basal Ganglia

Answer 48

causes involuntary movement, involved in movement disorders | linked to Huntington's, Tourette's, and Parkinson's

Question 49

Corpus Callosum

Answer 49

connects the two parts of the brain and allows it to act as a union | thin surface layer of interconnnected neural cells

Question 50

association areas

Answer 50

areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions; rather, they are involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking