Unit 1 Key Terms Flashcards
Central nervous system
made up of the brain and spinal cord, controlling most of the body’s functions (ex. Thoughts, senses, movement)
Peripheral nervous system
made up of all the nerves connecting to the spinal cord, transferring information to and from the central nervous
Neuron
nerve cells from the nervous system that transmit signals throughout the body
Dendrite
tendrils stemming from the cell body that receive impulses from other neurons
Axon
a long fiber that carries impulses from the cell body to the axon terminal (ex. a cable connecting to an outlet to charge your computer)
Cell body
the main part of a neuron that carries the nucleus and connects the dendrites to other parts of the cell for transmissions
Myelin Sheath
a fatty tissue layer that covers and insulates the axon and speeds up impulse transmissions (ex. A blanket, basically)
Glial Cells
cells that make up the myelin sheath and also supply neurons with nutrients, aid in neural connections, and help with various mental processes (ex. Memory, learning)
Endocrine system
Controls, creates, and monitors hormones
Adrenal Gland
Located on top of the kidneys and releases hormones that increase heart rate, blood pressure, and blood sugar to provide a surge of energy.
Pituitary Gland
a pea-sized structure located in the brain’s core where the hypothalamus controls it. It secretes many hormones that contribute to growth and development.
Brain
An organ that controls the entire body. The brain and the spinal cord make up the central nervous system. It is basically the command center for the center body.
Brain stem
The connecting point between the brain and the spinal cord. It is what relays information between the brain and the spinal cord. It is like playing telephone with the two.
Medulla
Part of the adrenal gland. The base of the brainstem which controls involuntary processes like breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure. Involuntary processes are things that you do without thinking about them.
Thalamus
a structure in the brain that is located above the brainstem. Its main job is to send movement and sensory information to the cerebral cortex.
hypothalamus
the part of the brain that sends hormones to help keep your body in homeostasis (in an equal balance). (controlling thirst, hunger, heart rate, mood, and body temperature).
Reticular formation
a system of nerves that move throughout the brainstem and into the thalamus. The job of this part of the brain is to filter information and control awareness
Cerebellum
the term means “little brain” in latin and it is located at the back of the brainstem. It controls posture, balance, movement, memory, and learning. (ex. Picking up a pencil)
Amygdala
an almond-shaped structure in the brain that tells your body how to react when you see something. It deals with emotions, motivation, and fear (Ex. Poor little albert ☹️)
Hippocampus
A structure in the brain that looks like a seahorse and processes memories. It helps with remembering things and awareness of your environment. (Ex. a cab driver memorizing routes)
Cerebral Cortex
The part of the brain that contains the major information/processing controls (Memory, thought, language, emotion, personality, decisions, learning, etc.) (Ex. The ability to identify objects based on touch only)
Synapse
The connecting point between neurons. It helps the neurons pass signals to each other. It is like the chain-link between neurons
Neuroplasticity
The brain’s ability to change and grow based on experiences. Damage to the brain can help reorganize and reconstruct the brain. If it did not have the ability to change then it would not be able to learn. Neuroplasticity is what helps rebuild the brain like a continuous construction site
Frontal
the largest part of the brain and cerebral cortex
many responsibilities such as behavioral traits that consider how unique a person can be, like decision making, personality, and even motor control.
responsible for making senses of varieties of information about the memories, environment, and emotions, and it uses these traits to make decisions
Temporal
Processes audio, sounds, etc.
holds all the emotions, memories and language comprehension
contains the hippocampus, the Wernicke’s area, and the primary auditory cortex.
The information throughout the brain is passed through through the entorhinal cortex which leads into the hippocampus creating all the memories.
able to link words, spoken or written, which is also a “hotspot” for epilepsy
Occipital
responsible for visual signals. This information is visual and it arrives from the retina via the thalamus.
informs on what and how we are seeing things.
It tells us where a boomerang is, and how we look and react when it comes back to us
Parietal
part of your brain that interprets your five senses.
processes things you touch and also takes information from your other senses to interpret what you are feeling.
helps you identify where you are in comparison to other things around you that your senses are picking up
The Limbic System
made up of the amygdala, hypothalamus, and hippocampus.
works to control your memories, behavior, motivation, and emotions.
works with other parts of your brain to process information
Declarative/Explicit Memory
has to do with remembering things such as names, places, events, facts, dates, etc. that you have experienced.
This type of memory is a part of long term memory and these memories are saved when consciously thought about and “declared.”
- broken down into two categories; episodic or semantic memory
Nondeclarative/Implicit Memory
a part of your long term memory.
deals with being able to remember information or events without knowledge or awareness.
This type of memory uses no effort since it is you doing something without even thinking about it.
An example of this would be how to pick up a spoon or how to ride a bike
Episodic Memory
aa part of your long term declarative memory
has to do with remembering your own personal experiences. (It’s like “episodes” of your story)
Semantic Memory
long-term memory that recalls words, numbers, or concepts
Flashbulb Memory
an emotionally significant memory that might be historic or notable
Working/Short Term memory
the temporary/short term storage of information
Priming/Priming Effect
positive or negative effect of a priming stimulus on the processing of a target stimulus
Classical Conditioning
An automatic response being paired with specific stimuli. A learning process of involuntary behaviors
Primacy/Recency Effect
the remembrance of items at the beginning of a list
Memory Retrieval
recalling or remembering of information; the recovery of stored information
Memory Interference
an explanation for forgetting long-term memory. When some info makes it hard to remember similar information
Broca’s area
- located in the left frontal lobe
- controls expressive language function
- damage to this area can result in issues with the production of speech
Wernicke’s area
- located in the left temporal lobe
- controls language reception
- damage to this area can result in problems with language comprehension
traumatic brain injury (TBI)
usually caused by a violent blow or jolt to the head or body. Symptoms can range from mild, moderate, to traumatic
