The Brain

Question 1

Function of Neurons

Answer 1

Transfer info across the brain and nervous system

Question 2

Structure of a Neuron

Answer 2

Soma (cell body)
Dendrites
Axon
Myelin Sheath
Terminal Buttons
Synapse

Question 3

Soma (Cell body)

Answer 3

contains nucleus and controls cell function

Question 4

dendrites

Answer 4

transmits impulses from other cells to the cell body

Question 5

axon

Answer 5

where impulses come from

Question 6

myelin sheath

Answer 6

wraps around the axon and acts as insulation for the neuron

Question 7

terminal buttons

Answer 7

sends signals to other neurons

Question 8

synapse

Answer 8

connects neurons to each other
goes from the brain to the body to the muscle

Question 9

glia cells

Answer 9

removes waste
adds structure

Question 10

mirror neurons

Answer 10

neurons that are activated by seeing another person perform an action

Question 11

resting potential

Answer 11

stable, negative charge of an inactive neuron

Question 12

depolarization

Answer 12

less negative charge on the inside of a cell than the outside

Question 13

action potential

Answer 13

brief change in a neuron’s electrical charge

Question 14

all or none principle

Answer 14

nerves either fire at full strength or not at all

Question 15

refractory period

Answer 15

when response to a second stimulant is slowed because the first stimulant is still being processed

Question 16

synaptic cleft

Answer 16

the space that a nerve impulse is transmitted across

Question 17

what are neurotransmitters and how do they send messages

Answer 17

chemical messengers
they release, go to the synapse then attach to the receptors

Question 18

receptor sites

Answer 18

where neurotransmitters are found

Question 19

reuptake

Answer 19

when neurotransmitters are sponged up from the cleft by the presynaptic membrane

Question 20

agonists

Answer 20

mimic a certain neurotransmitter

Question 21

antagonist

Answer 21

blocks a certain neurotransmitter

Question 22

synaptic pruning

Answer 22

when the synapses sever certain connections that they no longer need

Question 23

acetycholine

Answer 23

the only transmitter between motor neurons and voluntary muscles
linked to memory
undersupply leads to alzheimers

Question 24

dopamine

Answer 24

reward center
controls voluntary movements, learning and attention
undersupply leads to Parkinson’s and oversupply leads to schizophrenia

Question 25

norepinephrine

Answer 25

alertness and arousal undersupply can depress mood

Question 26

serotonin

Answer 26

regulates sleep and wakefulness, mood and hunger undersupply leads to depression

Question 27

GABA

Answer 27

only produces inhibitory postsynaptic potential undersupply leads to seizures, tremors, insomnia and anxiety

Question 28

endorphins

Answer 28

resembles opiates in structure and effects body's natural pain killer

Question 29

central nervous system

Answer 29

brain, spinal cord, cerebrospinal fluid

Question 30

peripheral nervous system

Answer 30

somatic nervous system autonomic nervous system

Question 31

somatic vs. autonomic

Answer 31

somatic - voluntary movements; throwing, kicking, writing autonomic - involuntary and has the sympathetic (fight or flight) and parasympathetic (rest and digest) systems

Question 32

cerebellum

Answer 32

coordinates muscle movements and balance hindbrain

Question 33

medulla

Answer 33

controls breathing and circulation hindbrain

Question 34

pons

Answer 34

controls sleep, arousal and fear hindbrain

Question 35

reticular formation

Answer 35

carries stimulations related to sleep and arousal midbrain

Question 36

thalamus

Answer 36

incoming/outgoing signals forebrain

Question 37

hypothalamus

Answer 37

regulates hunger, thirst, and temperature control forebrain

Question 38

hippocampus

Answer 38

involved in learning and memory limbic system

Question 39

amygdala

Answer 39

involved in emotion and aggression/fear limbic system

Question 40

corpus callosum

Answer 40

connects and allows communication between hemispheres in the cerebral cortex

Question 41

frontal lobe

Answer 41

controls muscle movements and higher-level functioning

Question 42

parietal lobe

Answer 42

registers sense of touch, smell, taste, etc

Question 43

occipital lobe

Answer 43

where visual signals are sent

Question 44

temporal lobe

Answer 44

devoted to auditory processing and encoding memory

Question 45

motor cortex

Answer 45

causes voluntary muscle contractions in the fingers, lips, tongue, etc

Question 46

somatosensory cortex

Answer 46

receives signals from different areas of the body

Question 47

left brain vs right brain

Answer 47

left deals with language and logic, right deals with spatial navigation and facial recognition

Question 48

broca's area

Answer 48

left frontal lobe area that directs the muscle movements involved in speech

Question 49

wernicke's area

Answer 49

left temporal lobe area involved in language comprehension

Question 50

split brain research (sperry's famous experiment)

Answer 50

sperry did experiments on split brain patients (patients who had their corpus callosum split so their brains were in two separate halves) he would have them cover one eye and read words then cover the other and try to draw them. it showed how either side of the brain processed specific language functions vs visual functions

Question 51

endocrine system

Answer 51

body system that produces and regulates hormones

Question 52

role of the pancreas

Answer 52

produces enzymes and hormones

Question 53

role of pituitary gland

Answer 53

produces growth hormone and promotes sexual reproduction

Question 54

adrenal glands

Answer 54

regulates metabolism, immune system, blood pressure and controls the responses to stress