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Intro to Physical Education > Psychology Chapter Three: Structures of the brain > Flashcards

Psychology Chapter Three: Structures of the brain Flashcards

1
Q

An interdisciplinary field of study directed at understanding the brain and its relation to behavior

A

Neuroscience

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2
Q

Neuroscience

A

An interdisciplinary field of study directed at understanding the brain and its relation to behavior

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3
Q

Neurons

A

The cells in the nervous system that receive and transmit information

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4
Q

Sensory neurons

A

Cells that carry environmental messages towards the spinal cord and the brain.

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5
Q

Interneurons

A

Cells that transfer information from one neuron to another; interneurons make no direct contact with the outside world.

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6
Q

Motor Neurons

A

Cells that carry information away from the central nervous system to the muscles and glands that directly produce behavior.

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7
Q

Glial cells

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Cells that fill in space between neurons, remove waste or help neurons to communicate efficiently.

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8
Q

Myelin sheath

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An insulating material that protects the axon and helps to speed up neural transmission

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9
Q

What are myelin sheaths made out of?

A

Glial cells

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10
Q

Reflexes

A

Largely automatic body reactions–such as the knee jerk–that are controlled primarily by spinal cord pathways.

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11
Q

What are dendrites?

A

Primary information receivers

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12
Q

4 major structural parts of a neuron

A

1) dendrites
2) soma
3) axon
4) terminal buttons

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13
Q

What is a soma?

A

The main body of the cell, which processes the information.

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14
Q

What is an axon?

A

The cell’s transmitter, which branches out near the end.

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15
Q

What are terminal buttons?

A

at the end of the axon’s branches are tiny swellings called terminal buttons. They release chemicals.

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16
Q

What separates neurons?

A

The synapse, a small space between the terminal buttons of one cell and the dendrite or cell body of another.

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17
Q

What is a synapse?

A

A small space between the terminal buttons of one cell and the dendrite or cell body of another.

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18
Q

What makes up the most of the cells in the brain: Glial cells, neurons, or others?

A

Glial cells make up 90% of the brain.

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19
Q

What are the gaps in a myelin sheath called, and what do they do?

A

Nodes of Ranvier, and they allow the action potential to jump down the axon rather than traveling from point to point.

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20
Q

The Nodes of Ranvier allow for what kind of transmission?

A

Node to node, known as saltatory conduction

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21
Q

What disease damages the myelin sheath?

A

MS

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22
Q

What is a neurotransmitter?

A

Chemical messengers released from the terminal buttons, either excitatory or inhibitory.

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23
Q

What is the most common neurotransmitter in the brain?

A

Glutamate

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24
Q

Glutamate

A

The most common neurotransmitter in the brain; usually excitatory and involved in many aspects of brain functioning, including memory.

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25
Acetylcholine
The primary neurotransmitter between motor neurons and muscles, generally excitatory. Always required for voluntary motor movement.
26
Dopamine
Usually inhibitory, linked to reward and pleasure systems in the brain, decreased levels have been linked to Parkinson disease and increased levels have been linked to schizophrenia
27
Decreased levels of what neurotransmitter have been linked to Parkinson's disease?
Dopamine
28
Increased levels of what neurotransmitter have been linked to schizophrenia?
Dopamine
29
The destruction of what neurotransmitter is associated with Alzheimer's?
Acetylcholine; is used in memory functioning
30
Serotonin
Usually inhibitory, affects sleep, dreaming, and general arousal. It is also involved in psychological disorders such as depression, schizophrenia, and OCD
31
What neurotransmitter is associated with depression, schizophrenia, and OCD?
Serotonin
32
GABA
A neurotransmitter that may play a role in the regulation of anxiety; usually inhibitory
33
Define agonist
Drugs that enhance or mimic the action of neurotransmitters
34
Define Antagonists
Drugs that block the action of neurotransmitters
35
Endorphines
Morphine like chemicals that act as the brain's natural painkillers
36
Two divisions of the nervous system
CNS (Central nervous system) and PNS (peripheral nervous system)
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CNS:
Central nervous system, composed of the brain and spinal cord
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PNS:
Peripheral nervous system, the collection of nerves that transmits information towards the brain and connects to the skeletal muscles to initiate movement; part of the peripheral nervous system
39
Parts of the PNS
Autonomic and Somatic
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Nerves
Bundles of axons that make up neural "transmission cables."
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Somatic system
The collection of nerves that transmits information toward the brain and connects to the skeletal muscles to initiate movement; part of the peripheral nervous system
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What nerve pathways carry information to the brain and spinal cord?
Afferent (sensory) nerve pathways
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What nerve pathways carry CNS messages outward to the muscles and glands?
Efferent (motor) nerve pathways
44
Autonomic system
The collection of nerves that controls the more automatic needs of the body (such as heart rate, digestion, blood pressure); part of the peripheral nervous system.
45
What division of the nervous system controls emergency situations?
Sympathetic division
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What division of the nervous system controls calming after an emergency?
Parasympthatic divison
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What controls the Parasympathetic division of the nervous system?
The PNS controls the autonomic division, which controls the parasympathetic and sympathetic.
48
Ways to determine brain function
1) Brain Damage 2) Activating the brain 3) Monitoring the brain 4) EEG 5) CT scan 6) PET 7) MRI
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What is an EEG
Electroencephalograph is a device used to monitor the gross electrical activity of the brain
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What is a CT scan
Computerized tomography scan, the use of highly focused beams of X-rays to construct detailed anatomical maps of the living brain
51
What is a PET?
Positron emission tomography: A method for measuring how radioactive substances are absorbed in the brain; it can be used to detect how specific tasks activated different areas of the living brain
52
What is a MRI?
A device that uses magnetic fields and radio-wave pulses to construct detailed, three-dimensional images of the brain; "functional" MRIs can be used to map changes in the blood oxygen use as function of task activity
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Uses of assessing brain damage:
Finding the areas of the brain that may be responsible for different functions
54
Uses of electrical brain stimulation
How activation of certain brain regions affects behavior
55
Uses of EEG
Shows how overall activity in the brain changes during certain activities
56
Uses of the CT scan
Shows tumors or injuries to the brain, as well as structural bases for chronic behavioral or psychological disorders
57
Uses of PET
Shows how various tasks (such as reading a book) affect different parts of the brain
58
Uses of MRI
A 3D view of the brain, serving as a diagnostic tool for brain abnormalities and for observation of brain function
59
3 major anatomical regions of the brain:
Hindbrain Midbrain Forebrain
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Hindbrain
A primitive part of the brain that sits at the juncture point where the brain and spinal cord merge. Structures in the hindbrain, including the medulla, pons and reticular formation, act as the basic life-support system for the body.
61
Medulla and Pons jobs (5):
1) heart rate 2) breathing 3) blood pressure 4) reflexes such as vomiting, sneezing, and coughing. 5) Pathways for neural impulses to and from the spinal cord.
62
Reticular formation
A network of neurons and nerves linked to the control of general arousal, sleep, and consciousness
63
What is the little brain?
The cerebellum
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Cerebellum
A hindbrain structure at the base of the brain that is involved in the coordination of complex motor movements,
65
Midbrain:
The middle portion of the brain, containing such structures as the tectum, superior colliculus, and inferior colliculus; midbrain structures serve as neural relay stations and may help coordinate reactions to sensory events.
66
Substantia nigra
A cluster of neurons that release dopamine from their terminal buttons. The death of these neurons is believed to be the cause of Parkinson's
67
Forebrain
The outer portion of the brain, including the cerebral cortex and the structures of the limbic system
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cerebral cortex
The outer layer of the brain, considered to be the seat of higher mental processing.
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Thalamus
A relay station in the forebrain thought to be an important gathering point for input from the senses
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Hypothalamus
A forebrain structure thought to play a role in the regulation of various motivational activities, including eating, drinking, and sexual behavior.
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Limbic System
A system of structures thought to be involved In motivational and emotional behaviors (the amygdala) and memory (the hippocampus)
72
Where are the pons located?
Hindbrain
73
Where is the limbic system located?
Forebrain
74
Amygdala
Motivational and emotional behaviors such as fear, aggression, and defensive actions. Without this, animals are very passive.
75
Hippocampus
The formation of memories, especially personal events.
76
How many lobes does the Cerebral cortex have?
Two hemispheres with four lobes each.
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Name the four lobes of the cerebral cortex
1) Frontal 2) Temporal 3) Parietal 4) Occipital
78
Frontal lobe
Planning and coordinating voluntary behavior and decision-making. Problem-solving, remembering, and socialization, and personality. One of four anatomical regions of each hemisphere of the cerebral cortex, located on the top front of the brain; contains the motor cortex and may be involved in higher-level thought processes.
79
Wernicke's Area
Speech comprehension, located in the temporal lobe
80
Broca's area
Speech production, located in the motor cortex of the frontal lobes of the cerebral cortex of the forebrain
81
Parietal lobe
One of four anatomical regions of each hemisphere of the cerebral cortex, located roughly on the top middle portion of the brain; it contains the somatosensory cortex, which controls the sense of touch
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Somatosensory cortex
Where the sense of touch is processed and controlled
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Temporal lobe
Processing auditory information. One of four anatomical regions of each hemisphere of the cerebral cortex, located roughly on the sides of the brain' it's involved in certain aspects of speech and language perception.
84
Where do you process auditory information?
Temporal lobe/Wernicke's area
85
Where and in which lobe is touch processed?
Somatosensory cortex, parietal lobe, forebrain.
86
Where is problem-solving in the brain?
Frontal lobe, forebrain.
87
where is motivational fear processed?
Amygdala
88
Occipital lobe
One of four anatomical regions of each hemisphere of the cerebral cortex, located at the back of the brain; visual processing is controlled there.
89
Tectum
Located in the midbrain, relay stations for visual and auditory information
90
Corpus Callosum
The collection of nerve fibers that connects the two cerebral hemispheres and allows information to pass from one side to the other.
91
Two major communication systems in the body
1) Nervous system | 2) Endocrine system
92
Adaptation
A trait that has been selected for by nature because it increases the reproductive "fitness" of that organism
93
Genotype
The actual genetic information inherited from one's parents
94
Phenotype
A person's observable characteristics, such as red hair. The phenotype is controlled mainly by the genotype, but it can also be influenced by the environment.
95
Mutation
A spontaneous change in the genetic material that occurs during the gene replication process
96
Family Studies
The similarities and differences among biological relatives are studied to help discover the role heredity plays in physical or psychological traits

Intro to Physical Education (12 decks)

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