Synapse, CNS and Neurotransmitters Flashcards
A neurone is
A nerve fibre which carries electrical signals in the brain
A neurotransmitter is
A chemical which carries messages between nerve cells
A hormone is
A chemical carried in the blood which spreads messages around the body
What is the central nervous system?
The brain and the spinal cord
What is this blue area of the brain?
Frontal lobe- responsible for emotional control and higher order thinking
What is this red area of the brain?
Occipital lobe- for vision
What is this green area of the brain?
Temporal lobe- for memory and hearing
What is this yellow area of the brain?
Parietal lobe- controling bodily sensation and movement
What is the role of a dendrite?
It collects signals and delivers them to the main body of the nerve cell
What is the role of a axon?
It carries the electrical signal down the length of the neurone
What is the role of an axon terminal?
It passes the electrical signal to the next neurone
What is the role of a myelin sheath?
It insulates the axon of the cell to stop the electrical signal disapating and speeding it up
What is a synapse?
The end of one neurone and the beginning of another which has a gap and information must pass across
What is a vesicle?
A ‘bubble’ which is full of neurostransmitters that it can release into the synaptic gap
What is a synaptic gap?
The space between two neurones which neurotransmitters must drift through
What is a receptor?
An area on the second neurone which neurotransmitters bind to and create a new impulse
What is the process of synaptic transmission?
A nerve impulse causes a release of neurotransmitter from the vesicles. These neurotransmitters drift across the synaptic gap. On the next neurone the neurotransmitters bind to receptor sites.
What is the role of Dopamine?
It creates a sense of reward or enjoyment
What is the role of Serotonin?
It creates a feeling of relaxation and happiness
What is the role of Cortisol?
It creates a feeling of stress
What is an action potential?
the change in electrical potential associated with the passage of an impulse along the membrane of a muscle cell or nerve cell.
Where does a brain cell’s activity begin?
-70mv resting potential
Where does the all-or-nothing principle come in?
-55mvs the threshold
What happens after a threshold has been met?
Depolarisation
What is depolarisation?
Where the cell is becoming less negative inside as ions move in and out
What is at the peak of the action potential graph?
+40mv the action potential firing
What happens after the action potential firees?
Repolarisation
What is repolarisation?
Where the cell is becoming more negative inside as ions move in and out
What happens at the end of the action potential process?
Hyperpolarisation where the inside of the cell gets extra negative
