Unit 1 Part 1 (1.1-1.4) Flashcards
selectively breeding humans to promote certain characteristics
eugenics
the principle that inherited traits enabling an organism to survive and reproduce in a particular enviroment will most likely be passed on to succeeding generation
natural selection
the genetic transfer of characteristics from parents to offspring
heredity
the body’s speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous system
nervous system
arouses and expends energy (fight or flight)
sympathetic nervous system
this consists of the brain and spinal cord; it’s the nervous system’s decision maker
central nervous system
the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system (CNS) to the rest of the body.
peripheral nervous system
enables voluntary control of our skeletal muscles
somatic nervous system
controls our glands and our internal muscles
autonomic nervous system
calms the body; conserves energy
parasympathetic nervous system
a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system
nueron
cells in the nervour system that support, nourish, and protect neurons
glial cells
reflex arc
neurons that carry incoming information from the sensory reseptors to the brain and spinal cord
sensory neurons
neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands
motor neurons
neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs
internuerons
in neural processing, a brief resting pause that occurs after a neuron has fired; subsequent action potentials cannot occur until the axon returns to its resting state
refractory period
a neuron’s reaction of either firing (with a full-strength response) or not firing.
all-or-none principle
the state of the neuron when not firing a neural impulse (postive-outside/negative-inside)
resting potential
The level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse.
threshold
The process leading up to the height of action potential when sodium is rushing into the cell causing the interior to become more positive.
depolarization
A neuromuscular disease in which the muscles cannot contract, resulting in muscle weakness, difficulties with muscle control, or paralysis.
myasthenia gravis
a neurotransmitter’s reabsorption by the sending neuron
reuptake
block chemical messages
inhibitory neurotransmitter
A disease due to the degeneration of the myelin sheath in which communication to muscles and brain regions slow, resulting in diminished muscle control and sometimes impaired cognition.
multiple sclerosis
A neurotransmitter that affects hunger, sleep, arousal, and mood.
serotonin
The function of a neurotransmitter which results in a greater likelihood of an action potential.
excitatory neurotransmitter
A major excitatory neurotransmitter; involved in memory.
glutamate
“morphine within” - natural . opiatelike neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure
endorphins
A neurotransmitter associated with movement, attention and learning and the brain’s pleasure and reward system.
dopamine
A neurotransmitter that enables learning and memory and also triggers muscle contraction.
acetycholine
A neurotransmitter that helps control alterness and arousal. An undersupply can lead to a depressed mood.
norepinephrine
Most abundant inhibitory neurotransmitter; regulates daily sleep-wake cycles.
GABA