Unit 1 Flashcards
grounding assumption
the proximal cause of cognition emotion and behaviour is the structure and functioning of nervous system
CNS
network or specialised cells capable of transmitting info around the body and co ordinates the behaviour of the organism
hindbrain
mainly controls survival functions like breathing consciousness
midbrain
above hindbrain and responsible for movement and homeostasis
limbic system
links mid and fore brain and mainly responsible for emotional responses and important role in aggression
forebrain
thinking lang and memory
cerebrum
regulates emotions,initiates and co ordinates movement,speech,problem soliving
cerebellum
co ordinates muscle movement and maintains posture
pfc
thinking planning and problem solving
impulse control (stopping yourself from doing something)
frontal lobe
thinking problem solving and planning
temporal lobe
memory, understanding, language
occipital lobe
vision,sensitive to light and colour
parietal lobe
A region of the cerebral cortex whose functions include processing information about touch and senses
brocas area
speech production
vernickes area
speech understanding and receiving
somatosensory cortex
senses and sensations
brainstem
sustains the survival functions,responsible for priamry consciousness and connect cerebrum and spinal cord
medulla
controls heartbeat and breathing
spinal cord
a major part of the central nervous system which conducts sensory and motor nerve impulses to and from the brain
cerebral cortex
-gray matter surrounding cerebrum
-large SA due to its folds
-two hemispheres
-ridges (gyri) and folds (sulci)
lateralisation
tendency of diff hemispheres of the brain to take care of diff functions
localisation
The theory that specific areas of the brain are associated with particular physical and psychological functions
contralateral control
each hemisphere of the brain controls the opposite side of the body
CAT scan
reveals internal structure of the brain by using x rays
PET scan
generates images of brain activity but tracing uptake of glucose in diff brain areas
fMRI scan
generates images of brain structure and activity by tracing the movement of water blood in diff brain areas
spatial resolution
the detail of the image so higher resolution means more detailed
temporal resolution
how well scanner tracks changes in brain activity (higher means more responsive to short term changes in brain activity)
vernickes aphasia
inability to understand speech
brocas aphasia
inability to produce speech
action potential
a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon
axon
A threadlike extension of a neuron that carries nerve impulses away from the cell body.
dendrites
Branchlike parts of a neuron that are specialized to receive information.
downstream neurons
receives signals
upstream neurons
sends signals
firing rate
the rate at which a neuron produces action potentials; usually expressed in terms of spikes per second
ion channels
Proteins embedded in the membrane that open and close to allow ions through
ions
charged particles
myelin sheath
Fatty layer that wraps around axon of some neurons,speeding up transmission of APs through a process called saltatory conduction
nodes of ranvier
gaps in the myelin sheath
saltatory conduction
the jumping of action potentials from node to node
synapse
A junction between two neurons where information is transmitted from one neuron to the next.
terminals
release NTs - send signal onto next neuron
1)resting potential
No AP occurs here as the outside is more positive than the inside meaning the membrane is polarised
polarised
State of a neurons membrane at resting potential when there’s a diff in charge between outside and inside of neuron
2)depolarisation
Where the neurons membrane potential becomes more positive leading to the propagation of an AP
3)propagation
Membrane is sensitive and can sense an AP therefore creates a chain reaction causing AP to spread to terminal direction (where the reaction is triggered to adjacent side)
4)repolarisation
Ions move back to original positions so have become repolarised
refractory period
Time after AP where the neuron cannot fire another AP as ion channels reset and membrane returns to resting potential
