Unit 2 Flashcards
basic building blocks of nervous system
neurons
receive, process, and transmit electromagnetic information to muscles, glands and each other
neurons
what are the 4 types of neurotransmitters/chemical messengers
acetylcholine
dopamine
serotonin
endorphins
nervous system
the electrochemical communication system that carries information to and from all parts of the body
CNS
brain and spinal chord
reflexes
PNS
nerves and neurons that connect the CNS to the rest of the body
carries incoming messages to your brain and outgoing signals to your muscles and glands
dendrites
receive incoming messages
cell body (soma)
contains the nucleus of a neuron
nucleus of a neuron
makes the decision to fire or not to fire the message that the dendrite receives
myelin sheath
fatty tissue that insulates the axon, speeding up transmission of the message
node of ranvier
space between the myelin sheaths
axon
longest part of the neuron which the electrical message travels the length of
schwann cells
non-neuronal cells in the CNS that form a myelin sheath
axon terminal buds
the end point of a neuron that releases neurotransmitters into the synapse, hense sending the message on to the next neuron
resting potential
when a neuron is NOT firing, and has a negative charge with mostly potassium ions inside and mostly sodium ions outside
meaning that the neuron is polarized when opposites are AWAY from each other
polarization in a neuron
at resting potential, when sodium is on the outside, potassium on the inside of a neuron
at this state, a neuron is at homeostasis
polarized state
action potential
“nerve impulse” (electrical pulse/message that travels down the length of the axon) - causes the neuron to fire
all or nothing principle
when the nucleus decides to fire, it fires down the axon completely (all the way) or not at all
depolarization in a neuron
when a message begins, sodium ions come in and depolarize or neutralize section of axon
when opposites are no longer away from each other. this happens with action potential like a domino effect
refractory period
potassium ions are pushed out and neuron pauses to reload
the period of time after firing that the neuron is focused on resetting and therefore is unable to fire again
synapse
a gap or open space between neurons, and therefore is not a part of the firing process
neurotransmitter
a chemical substance that crosses the synapse to carry the message to the next neuron
receptor sites
specific points on dendrites of neurons that receive specific types of neurotransmitters
primary role of acetylcholine
muscle contractions, memory, and learning
disorders associated with acetylcholine
alzheimer’s disease
primary role of dopamine
movement, thought process, rewarding sensation
disorders associated with dopamine
parkinson’s, schizophrenia, drug addiction
primary role of serotonin
emotional states, sleep
disorders associated with serotonin
depression
primary role of norepinephrine
physical arousal, learning, and memory
disorders associated with norepinephrine
depression and stress
primary role of GABA
inhibition of brain activity
disorders associated with GABA
anxiety disorders
primary role of endorphins
pain perception, positive emotions, “runner’s high”
disorders associated with endorphins
opiate addiction
similarities (2) between agonists and antagonists
both are outside/external substances that somehow interact with neurotransmitters at the receptor sites on dendrites of a neuron
both interact differently at the receptor sites
Peripheral nervous system (PNS)
the sensory and motor neurons that connect the CNS to the rest of the body
autonomic nervous system
part of the PNS
controls involuntary functions or items that happen automatically within our body-breathing, heartbeat, digestion, etc…
sympathetic nervous system
part of the autonomic nervous system
physically arouses the body, preparing it to act/react in stressful situations, expanding energy. initiates fight or flight
parasympathetic nervous system
part of the autonomic nervous system
calms the body, conserving its energy and helping keep a constant internal state (returns body to homeostasis). Initiates rest and digestion
central nervous system (CNS)
contains the spine and the brain, in the center of the body
what is the brain’s role in the CNS
the neural center of the body, the body’s control center
what is the spinal cord’s role in the CNS
super highway of nerves-the body’s means of transmitting messages to and from the brain
interneurons
the only neurons in the CNS, acting as messengers between sensory and motor neurons
motor (efferent) neurons
carries outgoing information from the CNS to the peripheral nervous system and muscles
functions of sympathetic nervous system
inhibits digestion
stimulates glucose release by liver
stimulates release of epinephrine and norepinephrine by adrenal gland
dilates pupils
increases breathing and heartrate to oxygenate blood
functions of parasympathetic nervous system
stimulates digestion
contracts pupils
slows breathing and heartrate
endocrine system
communicates with the brain using chemical messages, hormones
hormones are released into and circulate through the bloodstream at specific sites
works in parallel with the parasympathetic NS to sustain our basic processes
in a crisis, it works to support the sympathetic system when responding to a stressful situation
5 parts of the endocrine system
pituitary gland
thyroid gland
adrenal gland
gonads
pancreas
what does the pituitary gland do in the endocrine system
regulates activity of all other glands in the endocrine
it’s directed by the hypothalamus and sends out hormone signals to other endocrine glands
what does the thyroid gland do in the endocrine system
produces hormone thyroxine which stimulates chemicals important to all body tissues and regulates metabolism, physical growth and development, and calcium rate
what does the adrenal gland do in the endocrine system
releases epinephrine and norepinephrine to help individuals generate extra energy to deal with difficult situations and to regulate the fight or flight response and metabolism
what do gonads do in the endocrine system
testes: releases the hormone testosterone
ovaries: release the hormones estrogen and progesterone
what does the pancreas do in the endocrine system
regulate the level of sugar/glucose in the blood
brain lesion
experimentally destroys brain tissue to study behaviors after such destruction
usually done for scientific or medicinal purposes
EEG
an amplified recording of the electrical waves sweeping across the brain’s surface, measured by electrodes placed on scalp
MRI
magnetic resonance imaging
uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer generated images that distinguish among different types of tissue
fMRI
measures brain activity by detecting changes associated with blood flow
the patient interacts with information during the scan to show that activity
PET scan
positron emission tomography
a process that’s used to observe metabolic processes in the body and brain
patient ingests a radioactive form of glucose, PET takes pictures of it being used in the body/brain
CAT (CT) scan
computerized tomography
combines a series of x-ray images to allow taken from different angles, that create cross-sectional images of the body (bone) and brain
function of medulla
controls heartbeat
reticular formation function
band of neurons that go up the brainstem-controls alertness, ability to wake up in the morning
function of pons
control ability to go through sleep stages and breathing
function of cerebellum
controls movement, balance, coordination
thalamus function
information taken in goes here and then thalamus decides correct place to send the information
hypothalamus function
controls drives (hunger, thirst, etc) and pituitary gland
amygdala function
controls extreme fear and behaviors
hippocampus function
controls and processes all new memories and learning
parts of hindbrain
medulla (breathing/heart rate/swallowing
pons (sleeping)
cerebellum (balance/movement)
parts of midbrain
reticular formation (attention/arousal)
parts of forebrain
thalamus (responsible for all senses but smell)
hypothalamus (pituitary gland/hormones)
hippocampus (memory/learning)
amygdala (emotions)
limbic system
functions of limbic system
emotion, behavior, motivation, learning, and memory
parts of limbic system
hypothalamus
amygdala
hippocampus
cingulate gyrus
corpus callosum
thalamus
the outermost layer of the cerebrum, and the most prominent part of the brain
cerebral cortex
what does the cerebrum do
responsible for most of the sophisticated information processing in the brain
what is the make up of the cerebral cortex
frontal lobe
parietal lobe
temporal lobe
occipital lobe
motor complex
sensory complex
controls functions like judgement, planning, producing speech sounds, emotions, personality, temperament, movement, and works with the motor cortex to make precise movements
frontal lobe
what is the motor cortex responsible for
the voluntary movement of parts of the body
movements that are precise and delicate
what does the parietal lobe control
body position,
spatial reasoning (like touch, pressure, temperature, and pain),
somatosensory cortex
what is the somatosensory cortex responsible for
perceiving touch and pressure on parts of the body
where is the somatosensory cortex located
at the front of the parietal lobe
what functions does the temporal lobe control
hearing
storing long term memories
speech and language
understanding
where is the auditory cortex
in the temporal lobe
what is the auditory cortex responsible for
sense of hearing
what does the occipital lobe control
all functions of vision
where is the visual cortex and what is its role
inside of the occipital lobe
receives images from the eyes and transform them into meaningful stimuli
what side of the brain are the broca and wernicke areas on
the left
(left–>language)
where is the broca’s area
left frontal lobe
what does the broca’s area do
directs muscle movements involved in speech
physical formation and movement of speech
where is the wernicke’s area
in left temporal lobe
does the wernicke’s area do
involved in language comprehension and expression
what is the left hemisphere of the brain responsible for
speech, grammar, reading, writing, arithmetic
verbal memory
language, sounds
words, letters
what is the right hemisphere of the brain responsible for
geometry, sense of direction, distance, mental rotation of shapes
emotional tone of speech
nonverbal memory
non-language sounds, music
geometric patterns, faces, emotional expression
the two hemispheres of the brain communicate and share information through what
the corpus callosum
a chemical substance that alters perceptions and mood (effects consciousness)
continued use produces tolerance
psycholactive drugs
tolerance (in reference to drugs)
with repeated exposure to a drug, the drug’s effect lessens. thus it takes bigger doses to get the desired effect
symptoms of physical addiction to psychoactive drugs
intense cravings
symptoms of physical withdrawal from psychoactive drugs
physical pain, hallucinations, vomiting, sweating
drugs that reduce neural activity and slow body functions
depressants
kinds of depressants
alcohol
barbiturates
opiates (narcotics)
how does alcohol effect someone at low doses
relaxes drinker by slowin down sympathetic nervous system (lowering inhibitions and judgements)
how does alcohol affect a drinker in high doses
reactions slow, speech slurs, and skilled performance deteriorates
how does alcohol affect memory
it disrupts the processing of recent events into long term memory, reduces self-awareness, and focuses one’s attention on the immediate situation
how do barbiturates affect a user
depresses CNS activity and in large doses, can lead to impaired memory and judgement
how do opiates/narcotics depress a user
depresses neural activity, temporarily lessening pain and anxiety
what type of drug is heroin
opiate-depressant
how does heroin affect a user
user gets 3-5 hours of blissful pleasure and is followed by craving another fix, the need for larger dosages, and physical withdrawal symptoms
drugs that excite neural activity and speed up body functions
stimulants
what are the 5 types of stimulants
caffeine
amphetamines
methamphetamine
cocaine
ecstasy
what are physical withdrawal symptoms of coffee
headaches, irritability, and drowsiness
what does caffeine increase in your body
attentiveness and improves mood by mimicking adenosine
what bad things can caffeine produce
restlessness and insomnia
and (@ high dosages) increased heart rate
what do amphetamines do
suppress appetite
increase concentration
reduce fatigue
can increases anxiety and irritability
effects of methamphetamine
(smoked or injected)
after using, one crashes-symptoms of fatigue, deep sleep, intense mental depression, increased appetite
often includes insomnia, irritability, hypertension, seizures, periods of disorientation, and occasional violent behavior
what happens when one inhales or snorts cocaine
reaches the brain quickly-produces intense euphoria, mental alertness, and self-confidence which lasts for several minutes
blocks the reuptake of dopamine… so the brain is flooded with dopamine
effects of using acstasy
decline in memory and performance on IQ tests
what does ecstacy do
increases empathy, peacefulness, and the person feels calm or elated; yet they also seem to have an unending supply of energy
drugs that distort perceptions and evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory input
hallucinogens/ psychedelics
types of hallucinogens
lsd
marijuana
lsd’s effects during “the trip”
visual distortions and hallucinations
emotions very intense and unstable and impaired thoughts
what happens during bad trips while on lsd
terrifying and users are iin a state of panic
feel as if they will go mad and never come out
flashbacks after using lsd
have sudden brief recurrences of the trip weeks or months after use without warning
this drug produces feeling of elation, rpomotes relacation, relieves inhibitions, relieves anxiety, and increases sensitivity to sights, sounds, and touch-causes sense of time to be distorted
marijuana
effects of using marijuana
impairs attention or coordination
slows reaction time
interferes with:
concentration, logical thinking, ability to form new memories, and ability to hold in mind what is said
what is chronic use of marijuanna associated with
loss of motivation and general apathy
causes respiratory damage faster than cigarette smoking
heavy use or abuse affects reproductive system
three types of influences on drug use
biological
social-cultural
psychological
biological influences on drug use
genetic tendencies
dopamine reward circuit
social-cultural influences on drug use
urban environment
belonging to drug-using cultural group
peer influences
psychological influences on drug use
lacking sense of purpose
significant stress
psychological disorders such as depression
what stages of sleep are considered part of NREM
stages 1-4
what brain waves are there during the first stage of sleep
mix of alpha and theta brain waves
what happens during stage 1 of sleep
drifting to sleep
experience fantastic images or auditory hallucinations
what chemicals are sent in the brain during stage 2 of sleep
sleep spindles
K complexes
theta brain waves
beginnings of delta brain waves
what happens during stage 2 of sleep
more relaxed
clearly asleep
sleep spindles occur
brain waves sent during stage 3 of sleep
theta and delta waves
what happens during the third stage of sleep
transitional stage to deeper sleep
what brain waves are sent during stage 4 of sleep
delta brain waves
what happens during the fourth stage of sleep
deepest sleep
hard to awaken
only occurs first few cycles of the night
what is rem also known as
paradoxical sleep
what brain waves are sent during rem
fast, active brain waves
rapid eye movement
what happens during rem
after reaching stage4, sleep scycle moves back towards stage 1
brain engages in low amplitude, fast, and regular beta waves
how long does each sleep cycle last
about 90 minutes
what are circadian rhythms controlled by
the hypothalamus (SCN)
effects of sleep deprivation
difficulty focusing
diminished productivity
greater tendency to make mistakes
irritability and fatigue
diminished immune system
hallucinations
4 sleep theories
sleep:
protects
recuperates
helps remembering
helps growth
story-like unfolding mental imagery-most commonly dreams have some degree of likeness to daily activities, yet tend to be more bizarre and unrealistic
dreams
3 reasons we dream
wish fulfillment
information processing
physiological function
how do dreams promote physiological function
provide sleeping brain with periodic stimulation to develop and preserve neural pathways
neural networks of newborns are fast developing and therefore need more sleep
