Pyschology Chapter 2

Question 1

also called nerve impulse; a brief disturbance from the resting potential of a neuron that is propagated along an axon, and results in the release of neurotransmitters (chemical messages) at the axon terminal

Answer 1

Action Potential

Question 2

a neurotransmitter that is involved in muscle activation, sleep regulation, and memory consolidation.

Answer 2

Acetylcholine

Question 3

the tendency for a drug to bind to a receptor site on a neuron.

Answer 3

Affinity

Question 4

a drug that promotes the action of a neurotransmitter at the synapse.

Answer 4

agonist

Question 5

a property of axon conduction whereby the size of action potential does not vary as it travels down an axon.

Answer 5

all-or-none law

Question 6

the disturbance or loss of memory.

Answer 6

amnesia

Question 7

a brain structure activated by pain and fear and responsible for evaluating the emotional significance of situations that may involve risk, pain, fear, reward and sexuality.

Answer 7

amygdala

Question 8

a drug that inhibits or obstructs the action of a neurotransmitter at the synapse.

Answer 8

antagonist

Question 9

neuron that fires when an individual “sees” an action performed, but is inhibited when the participant “performs” the same action.

Answer 9

anti-mirror neuron

Question 10

the “following away” process that occurs whereby cells that are not used are absorbed by glial cells

Answer 10

apoptosis

Question 11

glial cells that function to transport nutrients to neurons from blood vessels.

Answer 11

astrocytes

Question 12

the branch of the peripheral nervous system that consists of nerves that control the function of smooth muscles, cardiac muscles, internal organs and glands.

Answer 12

autonomic nervous system

Question 13

the process of a neuron that is specialized to conduct nerve impulses away from the soma towards the axon terminal.

Answer 13

axon

Question 14

the boundary between the axon and the cell body

Answer 14

axon hillock

Question 15

a motor area in the brain that activates the muscle contractions that underlie the capacity to speak.

Answer 15

Broca’s area

Question 16

a brain scan technique whereby the brain tissue is visualized by taking x-ray at different angles of the brain and producing an image or picture of a “slice”, of the brain.

Answer 16

CAT ( computed tomography) scan

Question 17

that portion of the nervous system in which the cell bodies are encased in bone (the skull and vertebrae).

Answer 17

central nervous system (cns)

Question 18

the largest part of the brain that is composed of four lobes (frontal, parietal, occipital, and temporal) and is responsible for higher cognitive functions; also known as the neocortex.

Answer 18

cerebral cortex

Question 19

with regards to brain function, the process whereby an action on one side of the body is carried-out by the opposite-side brain hemisphere

Answer 19

contralateral

Question 20

the process of a neuron that extends outward from the cell body multiplying the surface area near the cell body that is specialized to receive information from other neurons.

Answer 20

dendrite

Question 21

a decrement in the polarity of a neuron produced by the inflow of sodium (NA+) ions.

Answer 21

depolarization

Question 22

a synapse in which the receptor site and the affected ion channel are positioned in close proximity, resulting in rapid communication between neurons.

Answer 22

direct chemical synapse

Question 23

neurotransmitter that is involved in movement, attention, learning, and reinforcement.

Answer 23

Dopamine

Question 24

a graph displaying the range of effectiveness of a drug as a function of the dose administered.

Answer 24

dose-response curve

Question 25

also known as tight junctions are synapses that do not involve the release or neurotransmitters. In these synapses the action potential opens ion channels in the receiving neuron, and they are found in some regions of the brain where time-of-arrival of neural impulses must be measured very precisely.

Answer 25

electrical synapses

Question 26

a brain scan technique whereby the recording of electrical activity along the scalp is measured by placing electrodes on the scalp and recording the firing of neurons within the brain.

Answer 26

electroencephalogram (EEG)

Question 27

synapses that depolarize the receiving neuron causing excitation.

Answer 27

excitatory synapses

Question 28

deep grooves in the brain that separate gyri

Answer 28

fissures

Question 29

)a type of MRI that is enhanced by measuring changes in brain behavior by looking at brain activation while specific tasks are performed.

Answer 29

(FMRI) functional magnetic resonance imagining

Question 30

the most anterior portion of the neocortex. This lobe is responsible for activating the muscles underlying movement, and planning for movement.

Answer 30

frontal lobe

Question 31

also known as "glue" cells; serve as helper cells of neurons by providing protection nourishment and support

Answer 31

glial cells

Question 32

the parts of a brain comprised of cell bodies and unmyelinated axons.

Answer 32

grey matter

Question 33

the chemical sense of taste.

Answer 33

gustation

Question 34

normal protrusions in brain texture that cause irregularities in the surface of the brain.

Answer 34

gyri

Question 35

a brain structure implicated in the formation of long-term memories, and spatial memory and navigation

Answer 35

hippocampus

Question 36

the maintenance of a stable constant condition

Answer 36

homeostasis

Question 37

literal translation is "little human": a representation of the human body found on the somatosensory and motor areas of the cortex.

Answer 37

homunculus

Question 38

an increment in the polarity of a neuron caused by the inflow of chloride (CL-) ions, or the outflow of potassium (K+) ions.

Answer 38

hyperpolarization

Question 39

the brain structure responsible for the regulation of blood pressure, heart rate, hunger, thirst, sexual arousal, and sleep; it also controls the pituitary gland.

Answer 39

hypothalamus

Question 40

also called a metabotropic synapse involves the activation of a second messenger required to open ion channels. This results in a slower type of interneuron communication.

Answer 40

indirect chemical synapse

Question 41

synapses that hyperpolarize the receiving neuron causing inhibition.

Answer 41

inhibitory synapses

Question 42

a multipolar neuron located in the brain or spinal cord that connects motor and sensory neurons.

Answer 42

interneuron

Question 43

small passages embedded within the cell membrane of neurons that can open and close in order to permit the inflow and outflow of ions.

Answer 43

ion channels

Question 44

a transmembrane protein that functions to exchange sodium and potassium ions between the intracellular and extracellular fluids required to restore the neuron to its resting potential.

Answer 44

ion transporter

Question 45

with regards to brain function, the process whereby an action on one side of the body is carried-out by the same-side brain hemisphere.

Answer 45

ipsilateral

Question 46

a portion of the brain located beneath the cerebral cortex that is not rigidly defined anatomically. The most important structures associated with the limbic system are the thalamus, hypothalamus, amygdala, hippocampus, nucleus accumbens, and pituitary. This system plays a major role in motivation and emotion.

Answer 46

limbic system

Question 47

the difference between the therapeutic and toxic dose-response curves.

Answer 47

margin of safety

Question 48

a neuron that fires when an individual performs a specific motor action, and which also fires when an individual sees (and sometimes hears) another individual perform the exact same motor action.

Answer 48

mirror neuron

Question 49

a neuron located in the CNS that project axons that either directly or indirectly control muscle contractions.

Answer 49

motor neuron

Question 50

a brain scan technique whereby different brain areas are observed by using magnetic fields and radio waves to produce images of the brain.

Answer 50

MRI ( mirror resonance imaging)

Question 51

also called action potential; a brief quantal disturbance from the resting potential of a neuron that is propagated along an axon, and that results in the release of neurotransmitters (chemical messages) at the axon terminal.

Answer 51

nerve impulse

Question 52

the embryo's precursor to the central nervous system that comprises the brain and spinal cord.

Answer 52

neural tube

Question 53

the process by which new neurons are generated.

Answer 53

neurogenesis

Question 54

a type of interneuron communication that blends communicative traits of neurotransmitters and hormones. Neuromodulators are secreted in larger quantities, and must disperse greater distances to reach the receptor sites on the receiving neuron

Answer 54

neuromodulation

Question 55

the synapse of the axon terminal of a motor neuron on the excitable region of a muscle fiber.

Answer 55

neuromuscular junction

Question 56

specialized cells that execute the executive functions of the nervous system through the generation and conduction of the nerve impulse.

Answer 56

neurons

Question 57

a chemical messenger secreted at the synapse that activates the receiving neurons by opening ion channels.

Answer 57

neurotransmitter

Question 58

a small gap between adjacent segments of myelin found on myelinated axons.

Answer 58

node of ranvier

Question 59

a neurotransmitter that is involved in vigilance and the regulation of sleep cycles.

Answer 59

norepinephrine

Question 60

a brain structure activated by stimulation that results in the experience of pleasure

Answer 60

nucleus accumbens

Question 61

the most posterior lobe in the neocortex. This lobe is responsible for the initial steps in processing visual information.

Answer 61

occipital lobe

Question 62

the chemical sense of smell.

Answer 62

olfaction

Question 63

the division of the autonomic nervous system responsible for digestion and replenishment of the body's energy reservoirs.

Answer 63

parasympathetic branch of the ANS

Question 64

the most superior lobe in the neocortex. This lobe is responsible for somatosensation, and it plays a role in spatial orientation.

Answer 64

parietal lobe

Question 65

that portion of the nervous system in which the cell bodies are not surrounded by bone.

Answer 65

peripheral nervous system (PNS)

Question 66

a brain scan technique whereby the rate of glucose is measured in the brain by capturing images of brain activity while one performs specific tasks.

Answer 66

PET (positron emission) scan

Question 67

phenomenon that occurs in individuals with a missing or amputated limb where the individual experiences the sensation that the limb actually still exists.

Answer 67

phantom limb

Question 68

the "master gland": a small gland at the base of the brain about the size of a pea that protrudes from the hypothalamus

Answer 68

pituitary gland

Question 69

the cell responsible for receiving the neurotransmitter.

Answer 69

postsynaptic cell

Question 70

the cell responsible for secreting the neurotransmitter.

Answer 70

presynaptic cell

Question 71

in biology: a projecting component of a cellular structure. A process is an extension that protrudes from the soma.

Answer 71

processes

Question 72

a term used to describe communication between neurons where the presynaptic cell is precisely targeting a specific postsynaptic cell.

Answer 72

punctuate

Question 73

a property of neural communication whereby the amplitude of the nerve message is conveyed by changes in the rate that neurons produce action potentials.

Answer 73

rate law

Question 74

a region on the postsynaptic cell that is activated by a neurotransmitter.

Answer 74

receptor sites

Question 75

an electrical potential or voltage difference that neurons preserve by maintaining an imbalance in ion concentrations in the intracellular and extracellular fluids (typically a -70 mV charge).

Answer 75

resting potential

Question 76

a process whereby neurotransmitters are recycled by being reabsorbed into the axon buttons of the sending neuron, where it is re-stored into the synaptic vesicle for use in later action potentials.

Answer 76

reuptake

Question 77

type of nerve transmission in which the action potential hops down the length of the axon from one Node of Ranvier to the next Node of Ranvier.

Answer 77

salutatory conduction

Question 78

a blind spot in the visual field caused by damage to the occipital lobe.

Answer 78

scotoma

Question 79

the act of calming or reducing agitation, arousal, excitement, or anxiety.

Answer 79

sedation

Question 80

with regards to a drug, the increase in effectiveness of a drug that occurs as a result of repeated use of that drug.

Answer 80

sensitization

Question 81

a type of neuron that detects physical stimuli such as light, sound or touch, and transmit this information to the CNS.

Answer 81

sensory neuron

Question 82

a neurotransmitter that is involved in mood, sleep, arousal, pain, and risk taking

Answer 82

serotonin

Question 83

the cell body.

Answer 83

soma

Question 84

the branch of the peripheral nervous system that receives information from sensory receptors, and controls contractions of skeletal muscles.

Answer 84

somatic nervous system

Question 85

random neural firing that occurs in the absence of excitation.

Answer 85

spontaneous activity

Question 86

sulci shallow grooves in the brain that separate gyri.

Answer 86

sulci

Question 87

the division of the autonomic nervous system that prepares the body for the rapid expenditure of energy. Over activation of the sympathetic branch of the ANS is associated with stress related disorders.

Answer 87

sympathetic branch of the ANS

Question 88

the junction between sending and receiving neurons where neurotransmitters are secreted.

Answer 88

synapse

Question 89

the very small gap between the terminal button and the postsynaptic cell.

Answer 89

synaptic cleft

Question 90

spherical structure or bubble that contains a set volume of neurotransmitter.

Answer 90

synaptic vesicle

Question 91

this lobe is located behind the temporal bone in which the ears are located. This lobe is the auditory cortex, and it also important for analyzing patterns required for object recognition in the visual system.

Answer 91

temporal lobe

Question 92

the end of an axon where neurotransmitters are secreted.

Answer 92

terminal button

Question 93

the brain structure that serves as a relay station between the subthalamic structures and the cerebral cortex.

Answer 93

thalamus

Question 94

also known as the therapeutic ratio is a comparison of the dose of the drug that causes a therapeutic effect relative to the dose that causes a toxic effect.

Answer 94

therapeutic index

Question 95

level of stimulation or depolarization below which the neuron does not fire.

Answer 95

threshold depolarization

Question 96

with regards to a drug, the decrease in effectiveness of a drug that occurs as a result of repeated use of that drug.

Answer 96

tolerance

Question 97

an area of the brain that underlies speech comprehension and understanding.

Answer 97

Wernicke's area

Question 98

the parts of a brain comprised of myelinated axons.

Answer 98

white matter