Unit 3 Flashcards Neurobiology
What do dendrites do?
Receives impulses (from other nerve cells). Carries impulses into the cell body.
What are glial cells?
They (physically) support neurons/axons.they maintain a homeostatic environment around neurons.they remove debris by phagocytosis.
What is organisation?
Related information is grouped together.information is put into categories/headings.
What is elaboration?
Additional information is given (about each term). Meaningful information is given (about each term).
What are contextual cues?
Same environment/time/ seat/location/people/group of children/ presenter/clothes worn/scent
What does the corpus callosum do?
Transfers / shares information / impulses between the two (cerebral) hemispheres / sides of the brain.
What does myelination do?
increases the speed of impulse conduction
Features of the protocol used for clinical trials
A placebo is used. Many trial groups are used. A double-blind procedure is used
What are T-lymphocytes?
Cells of the immune system mainly involved in an autoimmune response
What is the function of the somatic nervous system?
Controls the skeletal muscles
What does the peripheral nervous system include?
Includes the autonomic and somatic nervous system
What is the function of the sympathetic nervous system?
Increases heart rate increases breathing rate slows down digestive processes involved in fight or flight
What is the function of the parasympathetic nervous system?
Decreases heart rate decreases breathing rate speeds up digestive processes involved in rest and digest
What does the medulla control?
Breathing, heart rate, arousal and sleep
What is the function of the Limbic system?
Processing information for memories and influencing emotional and motivational states
What does the cerebral cortex do?
Receives sensory information from your surroundings centre for conscious thought recalls memories and alters behaviour in the light of experience co-ordinates voluntary movement
What does the cerebellum control?
Controlling balance, posture and movement
What are association areas?
Deals with thought processes including language, personality, imagination and intelligence
What is localisation of function?
Include sensory areas, motor areas and the association areas concerning language, personality, imagination and intelligence.
What does the left cerebral hemisphere deal with?
Deals with information from the right visual field and controls the right side of the body and vice versa
Memory
Storage, retention and retrieval of information
What is sensory memory?
Lasts a few seconds and retains all of the visual or auditory input
What is the serial position effect?
Most recent items recalled as still in stm items in middle of sequence displaced/discarded first items recalled as transferred to long term memory by process of rehearsal
What is rehearsal?
Repetition of items
What is episodic memory?
Memories of events and experiences stored in the cortex
What is semantic memory?
Involving facts and concepts stored in the cortex
What are procedural memories?
Those used to perform skills. Linked to the motor cortex and cerebellum
What are emotional memories?
Involve links between the cerebral cortex and the limbic system
What is the myelin sheath made of?
Composed of fatty material and surrounds the axon produced by glial cells.
Where is the spatial memory located?
Located in the limbic system
Sensory neurons
Neurons which take impulses from sensory receptors to the central nervous system
What is the function of the motor neurons?
Take impulses from central nervous system to an effector (e.g. Muscle)
What do inter neurons do?
Transmit impulses between sensory and motor neurons within the central nervous system
What is a synapse?
An area of communication between axon of one neuron and dendrite of another
What is a neurotransmitter?
Chemical that relays the message from the pre synaptic neuron to the post-synaptic neuron.. Insufficient neurotransmitter at the synapse results in failure of transmission of the impulse
What is a converging neural pathway?
Several neurons sending an impulse to one receiving neuron in order to increase the intensity of the impulse e.g. Used to see in the dark
What is a diverging neural pathway?
Motor neuron sending an impulse to multiple neurons in order to provide fine motor control and hypothalamus co-ordinated control of body temperature
What is a reverberating neural pathways?
A pathway which can repeat the original impulse
What are endorphins?
Stimulate neurons involved in reducing the intensity of pain also connected to feelings of euphoria, appetite control and release of sex hormones. Production increases in response to severe injury, prolonged exercise, stress and certain foods e.g. Chocolate
What is dopamine?
A neurotransmitter that induces feelings of pleasure and reinforces particular behaviours in the reward pathway
What is the function of an agonist?
Binds to and stimulates receptors mimicking the neurotransmitter. Lead to a decrease in sensitivity and number of receptors and as a consequence results in drug tolerance = desensitisation
What is the function of an antagonists?
Bind to specific receptors blocking the action of the neurotransmitter. Lead to an increase in sensitivity and number of receptors and as a consequence results in addiction = sensitisation
What is sensitisation?
an increase in the number and sensitivity of neurotransmitter receptors as a result of exposure to drugs that are antagonists and leads to addiction.
What is desensitisation?
a decrease in the number and sensitivity of number and sensitivity of receptors as a result of exposure to drugs that are agonists and leads to drug tolerance
What are recreational drugs?
Can mimic neurotransmitters. Changes in neurochemistry alter mood, cognition, perception and behaviour.
What is plasticity of response?
created when new neural pathways are developed to create new responses, bypass areas of brain damage, to suppress reflexes or responses to sensory impulses.
What is summation?
a series of weak stimuli can trigger enough neurotransmitter to fire an impulse.
