Neurostransmitters And Neuroplactsisty

Question 1

a chemical messenger that carries, boosts, and balances signals between neurons (also known as nerve cells) and target cells throughout the body.

Answer 1

Neurotransmitter

Question 2

this causes a vesicle to release a neurotransmitter.

Answer 2

electrical impulse

Question 3

a nerve cell that is the basic building block of the nervous system.

Answer 3

neuron

Question 4

BRANCH WHERE NEURON CONNECTS TO OTHER NEURONS

Answer 4

dendrites

Question 5

the points of contact between neurons where information is passed from one neuron to the next

Answer 5

synapse

Question 6

After release, the neurotransmitter crosses the synaptic gap and attaches to a __________ on the other neuron, either exciting or inhibiting the receiving neuron, depending on the neurotransmitter.

Answer 6

receptor

Question 7

After a neurotransmitter has signaled an electrical impulse in the post-synaptic cell, some types are ‘cleaned up’ by transporter molecules released by the pre-synaptic neuron. This process of is called…

Answer 7

reuptake

Question 8

In some cases, leftover neurotransmitters in the synapse are broken down. This breaking down of neurotransmitters is known as ….

Answer 8

degradation

Question 9

cutting unused neural connections

Answer 9

synaptic pruning

Question 10

A type of neurotransmitters, like epinephrine and norepinephrine, which compel a neuron to activate and “fire”.

Answer 10

excitatory neurotransmitter

Question 11

These types of neurotransmitters, serotonin and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), decrease the likelihood that the neuron will “fire”

Answer 11

inhibitory

Question 12

These drugs that treat depression work because they prevent the reuptake of serotonin.

Answer 12

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI)

Question 13

a kind of molecule that increases the effect of any given neurotransmitter. It does this by mimicking the neurotransmitter itself and binding to the receptor site of the post-synaptic neuron.

Answer 13

agonist

Question 14

a kind of molecule that reduces the effects of neurotransmitters by blocking receptor sites on the post-synaptic neuron and thereby reducing the neurotransmitter’s effect.

Answer 14

antagonist molecule

Question 15

plays a large role in regulating your mood, including your level of anxiety, happiness, and well-being

Answer 15

serotonin

Question 16

When people expect or receive a reward - whether it is a cheeseburger, sex, or scoring the winning touchdown in a football game - levels of this neurotransmitter increase in the brain. This results in feelings of pleasure and reward, prompting us to alter our behavior to get more of that reward in the future.

Answer 16

dopamine

Question 17

Most medications prescribed today to treat depression work by reducing the re-uptake of this neurotransmitter

Answer 17

serotonin

Question 18

Addictive drugs (such as cocaine, heroin, and nicotine) cause huge increases in the level of this neurotransmitter, leading to the “high” that people feel.

Answer 18

dopamine

Question 19

In high doses it it an antagonist and works as an anasthetic but it low doses it acts as an agonist and is a treatment for depression.

Answer 19

ketamine

Question 20

study that looked at neuroplasticity by investigating the physiological impact of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programmes on our brains.

Answer 20

Hölzel et al. (2011)

Question 21

Participants with lower serotonin levels (those that did not receive tryptophan) rated the couples as less intimate and romantic as those that received tryptophan

Answer 21

Rogers

Question 22

Rats were randomly placed in one of two different environments. In the enriched environment, rats were placed in a cage with other rats, toys, games, and a maze to explore. In the deprived environment, rats were placed alone in a cage, with no other rats or toys. Rats spent either 30 or 60 days in their environments, and then were killed in order to examine changes in brain structure.

Answer 22

Rosenzweig and Bennett

Question 23

The posterior regions (back parts) of the taxi drivers’ hippocampi were significantly larger than those of control subjects

Answer 23

Maguire et al. (2010)

Question 24

serotonin could promote prosocial behavior by enhancing harm aversion, a prosocial sentiment that directly affects both moral judgment and moral behavior.

Answer 24

Crockett (2010)