Unit 3: Biological Basis Flashcards
Myelin Sheath
a layer of fatty substances that wraps around the shaft of the axons with 2 purposes:
- protects and insulates the axon
- speeds up action potential
Axon Terminal
several shorter fibers that have little knobs on the end that branch out from the axon that are responsible for communicating with other nerve cells
Dendrites
the parts of the neuron that receive messages from other cells
Action Potential
the neuron has received enough information to fire a message
Sensory/Afferent Neurons
neurons that carry messages from the senses to the spinal cord
Motor/Efferent
neurons that carry messages from the spinal cord to the muscles and glands
Acetylcholine
neurotransmitter involved in new memory formation, learning, attention, sleep, and dreaming
deficit: Alzheimer’s Disease
surplus: violent muscle contractions
Dopamine
neurotransmitter involved in control of movement, motivation, and emotional pleasure/reward
deficit: Parkinson’s Disease
surplus: Schizophrenia, addiction
Serotonin
neurotransmitter involved in regulation of mood, sexual behavior, pain perception, sleep, eating behavior, and aggression
deficit: depression, irritability, OCD, anxiety disorders
Reuptake
the process by which neurotransmitters end up back in the synaptic vesicles after leaving the receptor sites before the next stimulation
Agonist
a chemical substance that mimics or enhances the effects of a neurotransmitter
Antagonist
a chemical substance that blocks or reduces the effects of a neurotransmitter
Sympathetic Nervous System
“fight-or-flight” response, how people and animals deal with stressful events
ex. increase heart rate, dilates pupils, decreases salivation
Parasympathetic Nervous System
returns the body to normal functioning after a stressful situation ends, responsible for day-to-day functions
ex. slows heart rate, constricts pupils, regulates heart rate, breathing and digestion
Cerebellum
part of the lower brain that controls all involuntary, rapid, fine, motor movement, coordinates voluntary movements that happen in rapid succession (walking, dancing, playing an instrument), stores learned habits and skills
Limbic System
includes the thalamus, hypothalamus, hippocampus, amygdala, and the cingulate cortex, involved in emotions, motivation, memory, and learning
Thalamus
acts as a relay station for incoming sensory information, sends it to the part of the cortex that deals with that kind of sensation
Ventromedial Hypothalamus
regulates hunger (overeating), balances energy, regulates sexual behavior
Lateral Hypothalamus
regulates hunger (under eating), sleep/wake cycle, reward system
Hippocampus
forming long-term declarative memories that are stored elsewhere in the brain
Amygdala
involved in fear responses and memory of fear, helps people respond to danger quickly, forms emotional memories
Occipital Lobe
processes visual information in the primary visual cortex, visual association cortex helps identify and make sense of visual information
Prefrontal Cortex
responsible for higher mental functions like planning, personality, and decision making
Temporal Lobes
contain the primary auditory cortex and the auditory association area, involved with language and visual information but mainly auditory information
Broca’s Area
located in the left frontal lobe, production of speech
Wernicke’s Area
located in the left temporal lobe, involved in the understanding the meaning of words
Plasticity
the brain’s ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience
Neural Pruning
the process of removing neurons that are no longer used or useful in the brain
Circadian Rhythm
sleep-wake cycle
Activation Synthesis
a dream is another type of thinking that occurs when a person is asleep that comes from their memories and experiences, the frontal lobe is shut down which is why they’re so weird
Manifest Content
the actual content of a dream
Latent Content
what the content of a dream symbolized
Barbiturates
major tranquilizers, have a sedative effect
Narcotic/Opiates
a depressant that suppresses the sensation of pain by binding to and stimulating the receptor sites for endorphins
Hallucinogens
drugs that cause hallucinations and alter perceptions
