Systems + Brains & co. Flashcards
Central Nervous System (CNS)
Spinal cord and fluids
Peripheral Nervous System
Sensory nerves that connect to the CNS to relay messages to the brain
Somatic Nervous System
Enables voluntary muscle movement through motor neurons once commands are sent from the brain (motor cortex/cerebellum)
Automatic Nervous System
Largely uncontrollable and functions on autopilot beating the heart, digesting food, and moving organs
Sympathetic Nervous System
Arouses and expends energy (fight or flight)
Parasympathetic Nervous System
Slows your heartbeat, lowers blood sugar, and calms your system after sympathetic makes it all high alert and stuff
Sensory Neurons
relay signals to the brain from sensory receptors (sent to the brain through the CNS)
Neurons
made up of 4-5 main parts: the soma, axons, dendrites, myelin, and synapses.
Soma
the cell body, which contains all the DNA,
and other essential parts for keeping the neuron alive
Axon
Where the message travels through to get to the synapses
Myelin Sheaths
Fat around the axon that protects the neuron
Synapses
Also known as Axon terminal. It is where neurochemicals are released and received by the dendrites
Dendrites
Receives neurochemicals from synapses
Neurotransmitters
When electrical charges travel through the axon, they reach the end and trigger the release of chemicals called neurotransmitters. Chemical particles/messengers. Ex: serotonin, dopamine, endorphins, norepinephrine. Once the neurotransmitters have bound to the receptors, they are sent back to the original axon in a process called reuptake or dissolved
Sodium-Potassium Pumps
Re-separates the Na and K ions in neuron communication. This process is known as action potential, when an electrical Impulse passes through the axons of the communicating neuron
Agonists
chemicals in drugs that can bind and activate the
receptors in the synapses, thus providing the associated feeling. Ex: cocaine, heroine, nicotine
Addiction
Reuptake can be slowed, and these
drugs can overuse and deplete your natural neurotransmitters, leaving you feeling worse afterwards and in need of more drugs
Antagonists
Chemicals that bind and DO NOT activate the receptors—sometimes permanently
Lesions
the destroying of brain cells
Cognitive Revolution
When most of the technology we used to view brains when patients are alive and alert were invented
Electroencephalogram (EEG)
can target the electrical waves in one’s brain, down to a specific stimulus
Computed Tomography (CT) Scans
x-rays that can reveal brain damage
Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scan
shows brains consumption of chemical fuel—glucose (shows most active regions during activity)
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
puts head in strong magnetic field that aligns spinning electrons of brain molecules, then disorients them with a radio wave. When they return to normal, it gives a detail picture of the soft tissues.
Functional MRI
takes MRI scans less than a second apart to track blood flow and reveal activity in areas on the brain
Adrenaline
Hormone. Involved in fight or flight, beneficial in short bursts
Oxycontin
Hormone. Us vs. them hormone, not necessarily the cuddle hormone.
Oxycontin
Hormone. Us vs. them hormone, not necessarily the cuddle hormone.
Cortisol
Stress hormone, like adrenaline helps the body with threats
Testosterone
Hormone involved in sexual arousal and competition (and supposedly not aggression but kinda aggression)
Estrogen(s)
Category of hormones involved in reproduction, sexual desire
Leptin
Involved in turning off hunger
Ghrelin
Involved in turning on hunger
Melatonin
Helps to turn on the sleep process
Acetylcholine (ACh)
Enables muscle action and learning. Lacking = Alzheimer’s
nfluences pleasure, movement, emotion (need more). Lacking = Parkinson’s
Serotonin
Affects mood, hunger, sleep
Lacking = Depression
Norepinephrine
Controls alertness and arousal
Glutamate
Major excitatory neurotransmitter
GABA
Major inhibitory neurotransmitter
Endorphins
Your body’s natural pain killer
Neural Transmission
1) Dendrite receives neurotransmitters
2) Soma decodes transmitters and triggers the cycle
3) Cycle:
a. Resting Potential: A state where there are more positive ions outside the neuron than inside
b. Permeability: the gates open and allow the negative and positive ions to mix
c. When the firing threshold is reached, an Action Potential is sent
d. Neural firing is an “all or none” process
4) Refractory Period: the cell must recharge/ prepare the polarity to fire again
5) Re-uptake: any extra neurotransmitters left in the synapse are reeled back into the axon terminal
Endocrine System
Hormone-based. Slowly sends messages through the bloodstream. Affect different tissues, including the development of the brain and body, impacting our maturity, moods, feelings, and behavior. Takes longer for feelings/moods to leave.
Adrenal Glands
Part of the endocrine system. Above the kidneys, release adrenaline in fight or flight situations
Pancreas
Part of the endocrine system. Below the lungs, releases insulin (use or storage of glucose and energy levels)
Thyroid
Part of the endocrine system. Located in the neck, this organ controls hormones that boost or reduce metabolism (consumption of energy)
Pituitary Gland
Part of the endocrine system. Master gland – release growth and other hormones that can most severely impact your behavior
Testes/Ovaries
Part of the endocrine system. Release testosterone and estrogen – male and female sex hormones (impacts sexual behavior, muscle and body fat, aggression, and more)
Dual Processing
the conscious and unconscious processing of information simultaneously
Cortical Region
The outmost layer of our brain containing four lobes. The frontal lobe, parietal lobe, temporal lobe, and occipital lobe
Frontal Lobe
Last area of the brain to fully develop and connect. Responsible for the majority of one’s creativity,
problem-solving, abstract thinking, and personality. Responsible for impulse control
Impulse Control
The ability to resist urges and thoughts that offer short-term benefits rather than long-term
Phineas Gage
Case study. A dynamite accident sent a metal rod through his frontal cortex–he was perfectly healthy, but now more abrasive, ill-tempered personality
Association Areas
This area (cerebrum) is responsible for interpreting,
integrating, and acting on sensory info and linking it with stored memories. Also responsible for recognizing objects and faces
Working Memory
As we get older, we have more and more memories and experiences that our cerebrum can interact with, and provide us with more, efficient thinking
Prosopagnosia
a disorder in which the parts of the brain that recognize features has been damaged, we can no longer remember or recognize faces
Hemispheric Specialization
the idea that some functions are more dominant in one side of the brain
Left Hemisphere
deals, roughly speaking, with mastery and organization of what we already know (things like speech)
Right Hemisphere
deals more with exploring new ideas or concepts we don’t understand (things like creativity, and complex & inferential thought)
Brain Lateralization
the notion that visual fields and motor functions run by the opposite hemisphere of the brain. The two hemispheres communicate through the corpus callosum
Michael Gazzaniga
split hemisphere research, 1960s; minds operate
independently and the left side rationalizes actions it doesn’t understand
Roger Sperry
won a Nobel prize for his research on the split
brain, it’s interaction, and motor and sensory neurogenesis
Hindbrain
coordinates information coming into and out of the spinal cord, and controls the basic functions of life
Midbrain
important for orientation, movement, memory, and learing
Forebrain
highest level of brain; critical for complex cognitive, emotional, sensory, and motor functions
Brainstem
Part of the hindbrain. Connects the spine to the brain
Pons
Part of the brainstem. Paralyzes our body during REM Sleep
Medulla
Part of the brainstem. Regulates heartbeat and breathing
Reticular Formation (R.F.)
Part of the brainstem. Regulates our sleep/arousal (circadian rhythm)
Cerebellum
Part of the hindbrain. Coordinates voluntary muscle movement and balance
Thalamus
Part of the midbrain. Relays and filters information from the senses
Hypothalamus
Part of the midbrain and limbic system. Regulates body temperature, hunger, thirst, and sexual behavior
Pituitary Gland
Part of the midbrain. The “master gland” of the body’s hormone-producing system, which releases hormones
The Limbic System.
A group of forebrain structures involved in motivation, emotion, learning, and memory. It includes the hypothalamus, amygdala, and hippocampus
Amygdala
Part of forebrain and the limbic system. Plays a central role in many emotional processes…fear/anger/impulse control
Hippocampus
Part of the forebrain and the limbic system .Critical for creating new memories, particularly facts/personal memories
The Cerebral Cortex
the highest level of the brain. RIght and left hemispheres. Includes the occipital lobe, parietal lobe, temporal lobe, and frontal lobe
Contralateral Control
Left Hemisphere controls right side of body, vice-versa
Corpus Callosum
Connects the two hemispheres of the brain
Occipital Lobe
processes visual information
Parietal Lobe
processes information about touch
Temporal Lobe
responsible for hearing and language
Frontal Lobe (card #2!)
has specialized areas for movement, abstract thinking, planning, memory, and judgment
Plasticity
The brain’s ability to change across one’s life or mend itself after damage by developing new or alternative neural pathways from existing neurons
Neurogenesis
The brain can slowly create small amounts of new neurons
Broca’s Area
The area in the left hemisphere that controls language expression. Directs muscle movements involved in speech. Discovered by Paul Broca
Aphasia
The inability to understand or formulate language
Lesions
Damaged areas in the brain
Wernicke’s Area
Discovered by Carl Wernicke. Controls language reception & plays a key role in language development. It is located in the temporal lobe on the left hemisphere.
Natural Selection
Traits that allow populations to reproduce, expand, and survive are passed on to subsequent generations. Research by Charles Darwin
Personality
one’s character, interests, temperament—are largely genetic (heritable)
Adoption Studies
have confirmed that despite not even their knowing biological parents, the personality of children tends to reflect biological parents rather than adoption parents
Identical Twin Studies
those raised together and separately)
tend to demonstrate large similarities in personality as opposed to fraternal twins who exhibit behavior differences at the same rate of non-twin siblings
Alleles
Genes play a large role in determining both behavioral and physical attributes by activating and deactivated certain clusters in a genetic clusters within our DNA called…
Alleles
Genes play a large role in determining both behavioral and physical attributes by activating and deactivated certain clusters in a genetic clusters within our DNA called…
Interaction
the environment can impact the actual genes
and DNA of organisms—particularly during gestation
Epigenetics
Factors such as stress, diet, and drugs or chemicals can act as activators or deactivators, and change a gene’s expression
Sleep
the periodic loss of natural consciousness, distinct from coma, anesthesia, or hibernation
Motor Cortex
Active during sleep, but motor command signals are blocked by the brain stem
Stages of Sleep
- Waking Beta
- Waking Alpha (relaxed, but awake state)
- Non-REM 1 (can experience hallucinations, images, falling, jerking)
- Non-REM 2
5 .Non-REM 3 (delta brain waves – ‘deep sleep’) - REM sleep for roughly 10 minutes with vivid dreaming (90-minutes to complete entire cycle)
REM Sleep
usually involves vivid dreams, an increase in heart rate and breathing, rapid eye movement (REM), and genital arousal
Insomnia
consistent lack of sleep and/or inability to maintain sleep
Narcolepsy
uncontrolled bouts of falling asleep (short or long)
Sleep Apnea
temporary ceasing of breathing and micro-wake ups
that interrupt sleeping cycles and deplete people of their REM sleep
Night Terrors
an nREM-3 and REM sleep disorder that causes subjects to experience extreme fright or dread
Dreams
vivid, hallucinations that are often of regular, familiar details in our life we regret or relish
Dream Theories
- Dreams are meant to satisfy our wishes. The main proponent of this theory was Freud, who believed
the manifested content (remembered storyline) represented the latent (underlying/hidden wishes) - Scientists also believe dreams aid the filing away of memories, thus enhancing memory & task performance relative to those deprived of dream cycles
- Dreams also develop and preserve neural pathways (practice new skills)
- Dreams help to make sense of neural static as the more emotional and mood-related parts of the brain are highly active when dreaming
- Lastly, dreams may play a role in reflecting on cognitive development by practicing and comprehending top-down understandings of the world. For example, many toddlers dream about letters and numbers as they learn
