Unit 2 Flashcards
a neural impluse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon
action potential
the strength of a response of a nerve cell or muscle fiber is not dependent upon the strength of the stimulus
All or None Response
the center of emotion and motivations, linked to emotion, fear, & aggression tells your body to produce adrenaline
amygdala
a molecule that blocks a neurotransmitter’s release
antagonist
any area in the cerebral cortex that is not in the motor, sensory, visual, or auditory cortexes: process/integrate information from the senses
association areas
controls the glands and the involuntary muscles of internal organs: sympathetic & parasympathetic
autonomic nervous system
a long tubular structure in a neuron that transmits action potentials
axon
the oldest part and central core of the brain, connects brain and spinal cord, responsible for automatic survival functions
brainstem
the part of a neuron that convents oxygen, sugars, and other nutrients into energy, contains nucleus
cell body
the brain and the spinal cord, centrally located in the body, communication highway between rest of body and brain
central nervous system
attached to rear of the brainstem, fine motor movements, procedural memory: coordinates voluntary movement & balance
cerebellum
the intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells, wrinkly outer layer of the cerebellum
cerebral cortex
the study of brain activity linked with mental activity
cognitive neuroscience
band of neural fibers that connects the 2 brain hemispheres together and allows them to communicate
corpus callosum
special x-ray equipment that produces multiple images of inside the body and a computer joins them together
CT scan
branches off the nerve cell and receives chemical messages coming from other neurons
dendrite
records electrical brain activity, electrodes to the outside of the head, brain’s electrical signals traced on paper
EEG
a system of glands that secretes hormones into the circulatory system
endocrine system
neurotransmitters linked to reduced pain, increased pleasure
hypersensitivity to pain –> TOO MUCH
hypersensitivity to pain –> TOO LITTLE
endorphins
functional magnetic resource imaging observe bloodflow in the brain(glucose + oxygen levels) rather than just magnetic fields in a traditional MRI
fMRI
deals with abstract thought, emotional control, planning, & judgment control panel of our personality & ability to communicate
frontal lobes
non-neuronal cells that provide support & protection for neurons in CNS as well as nutrition outnumber neurons 50:1
glial cells
responsible for the formation of memories, processes/stores them, close to emotional centers so memories can be emotional
hippocampus
chemical messengers manufactured and secreted by glands
hormones
regulates the autonomic nervous system and tells the pituitary gland to produce and release hormones
hypothalamus
internally communicate between sensory inputs and motor outputs
interneurons
group of brain structures that regulate basic emotions: hypothalamus, hippocampus, amygdala deals with memories, emotion and drives
limbic system
non-invasive technique for measuring the magnetic fields generated by electric currents in the brain, accurate resolution of the timing in neuronal activity
MEG
controls autmatic(involuntary) functions such as breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, at the base of the brainstem
medulla
in the DNS, carry outgoing information to muscles and glands in order to initiate action
motor(efferent) neurons
region of frontal lobe that controls voluntary muscle movement, suppresses animalistic/emotinal parts of the brain
motor cortex
uses magnetic field and measures radio frequency of waves to show higher resolution images of brain anatomy, no exposure to radioactivity
MRI
layer of fatty tissue on the axon that protects it and speeds neural impulses
myelin sheath
bundles of neural axons that extend outside of the brain and spiral cord part of the peripheral nervous system
nerves
system of nerves, neurons, & chemicals that facilitates communication bach and forth between the world, body, & brain
nervous system
a nerve cell, the building block of the nervous system, millions of neurons all over the body
neuron
the chemical messengers that carry messages from one neuron to another
neurotransmitters
contains visual cortex and processes vision from the opposite eye visual perception and color recognition
occipital lobes
the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body conserving energy
parasympathetic nervous system
receives + processes incoming touch sensations from the rest of the body, behind the motor cortex
parietal lobes
the nerves that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body, outside to the brain and the spinal cord
peripheral nervous system
reads brain consumption of glucose to elevate a variety of conditions including neurological disease
PET scan
the brain’s ability to change and adapt as a result of an experience, or modify itself in response to change
plasticity
innate motor responses that are triggered by specific patterns of sensory stimulation
reflex
recovery time that a neuron needs between action potentials, can’t re-fire must recharge
refractory period
nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal
reticular formation
when excess neurotransmitters are reabsorbed by the sending neuron
reuptake
in the PNS carrying incoming information from the senses to the CNS
sensory neurons(afferent)
controls the body’s skeletal muscles for voluntary movements
somatic nervous system
the sight that registers touch, pressure, temperature & pain in the cerebral cortex
somatosensory cortex
when the 2 brain hemispheres are not attached by a corpus callosum possible to survive but difficulty with speech, vision, & motor skills
split brain
the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations
sympathetic nervous system
junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite of the receiving neuron, meet to transfer information
synapse
process auditory sensory input & is the location of the primary auditory cortex and Wernicke’s area
temporal lobes
top of brainstem, relay station for incoming/outgoing sensory information(except smell) sends signals tot he correct part of the brain
thalamus
discovered that a structure in the left frontal lobe controls language production, the structure is known as broca’s area
paul broca
discovered that a structure in the left temporal lobe controls language comprehension; the structure is known as Wernicke’s area
Carl wernicke
1981 nobel prize winner for medicine on split brain research
roger sperry
worked with sperry made important advances in our understanding of functional lateralization in the brain and how the central hemisphere communicates
michael gazzinga
