Week 2 Advanced Neural Transmission Flashcards
What is “resting potential”?
refers to the difference in electric charge between the inside and the outside of a cell when it is at rest (aka resting membrane potential).
What is an ion?
an atom or molecule which has an uneven number of positively charged protons and negatively charged electrons. (electrically charged particle).
What ions are of particular importance to neural communication?
Sodium, potassium, and chloride.
The resting potential is approximately…
-70mV, meaning that the inside of the cell is 70mV more negative than the outside of the cell (although it can be anywhere from -65 to -95).
Depolarization to the neuron’s threshold (around -55mV) level results in …
an action potential.
depolarize means
make more positive
hyperpolarize means
make more negative
neurons receive messages via their
axons
neurons send messages via their
dendrites (or sometimes cell body)
dorsal is to vetral as
top is to bottom
What is a gyrus?
a protuberance on the surface of the brain (plural = gyri)
What is a sulcus?
fold or groove separating gyri (plural = sulci)
What is a fissure?
a long, deep sulcus
what is proximal and distal?
proximal is close to, distal is far from
Ipsilateral means…
same hemisphere
Contralateral means…
opposite hemisphere
What are the nervous systems?
Central (brain and spinal cord),
Peripheral (Somatic nervous system (voluntary muscles and sense) and autonomic nervous system (involuntary muscles)).
What are the two groups within the autonomic nervous system?
sympathetic (fight or flight) and parasympathetic (rest and digest).
What do neurons do?
receive and transmit information.
what do gila do?
many varied functions like insulation and support.
What is a synapse?
The gap between two (or more) neurons where messages are chemically transmitted.
What are the three major divisions of the brain?
Hindbrain, midbrain, forebrain.
What is the hindbrain?
Posterior portion of the brain including the pons, medulla, and cerebellum.
What is the medulla?
enlarged extension of the spinal cord into the skull, controls vital reflexes – breathing, heartrate, vomiting, salivating, coughing, sneezing – through the cranial nerves.
What is the pons?
lie interior to the Medulla. In the pons, axons from each half of the brain cross to the opposite side of the spinal cord, so that the left hemisphere controls the muscles of the right side of the body and vice versa.
What is the cerebellum?
a large hindbrain structure with many deep folds. It is mainly known for its role in movement and coordination but also has cognitive functions.
What does the midbrain consist of?
tectum, superior colliculus(vision), and inferior colliculus(hearing).
What does the forebrain consist of?
Limbic System, Diencephalon, Basal Ganglia, & Cerebral Cortex.
What is the limbic system?
The Limbic System forms a border around the midbrain and consists of the: Cingulate Gyrus, Thalamus, Hypothalamus, Mamillary body, Hippocampus, Amygdala, Olfactory bulb.
Limbic structures carry out a very wide variety of functions, including emotion, motivation (including feeding/sleeping), and cognition.
The thalamus and hypothalamus together form the…
Diencephalon.
What does the thalamus do?`
Many important functions, one of which is a sensory relay. Information from all sensory receptors (except olfactory) goes to the thalamus for processing before traveling on to specific areas of the cortex.
what is the hypothalamus?
Tiny area below the thalamus, vital for homeostatic functions, regulation of the autonomic nervous system
What is the basal ganglia?
A group of subcortical structures lateral to the Thalamus includes the: Caudate nucleus, Putamen, and Globus Pallidus. Functions include movement and memory.
What is the cerebral cortex?
The outer layer of the brain.
What are the primary sensory/motor areas of the cerebral cortex?
Frontal- primary visual cortex
Parietal- primary somatosensory cortex
Occipital- primary vison cortex
Temporal- primary motor cortex
What is the pre-frontal cortex?
Area in the frontal lobe where a lot of “higher” information processing occurs.
What is white matter?
bundles of axons connecting different areas of the brain, very important to brain function, as it allows for neural communication.
What are the major white matter tracts?
Corpus Callosum: connects left and right hemisphere
Anterior commissure: connects left and right hemisphere
Fronto-Occipital Fasciculus: connects frontal and occipital lobes
