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PSU: Psychology Classnotes 3

Final review flashcards for Psych 100 (Penn State)

Terms

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Dopamine
A common neurotransmitter involved with learning, memory, attention, and emotion; Pleasure and elation neurotransmitters, too much leads to Schizophrenic symptoms (delusions, hallucinations); Drug Addiction Theory
Motor Neuron
It relays information from the brain to muscles and glands (Phantom pains - in the absence of sensory information the brain percieves pain)
Sympathetic
A branch of the autonomic nervous system responsible for mobilizing the body's energy and resources during times of stress and arousal
Drug Addiction Theory
Drug users naturally lack dopamine, which sets craving for drugs because drugs raise dopamine levels in body and brain by hijacking body's natural reward center, releasing dopamine
Agonists
Excite neurons by mimicking neuron but blocks reuptake (Prozac, Cocaine, Valium)
Acetycholine
A common neurotransmitter found in all motor neurons (needed for movement); Allows muscles to contract when released in blood stream, when not released your muscles relax (Ex: Botulin, CURARE (indigenous tribes use to stun prey), "Botox," Nerve Gas (agonist which causes constant muscle contraction - can't relax muscles to get air in lungs))
Neuron
Communication throughout our entire nervous system takes place via these; They recieve and transmit information to and from all over the body; There are 3 types: Motor, Sensory, and Interneurons
Norepinephrine
A common neurotransmitter that helps control alertness and arousal (more physical)
Threshold
The 'all-or-none' response, it is the firing impulse of the cell; Works like dominoes, not like jump-rope
Parasympathetic
A branch of the autonomic nervous system concerned with the conservation of the body's energy and resources during relaxed states
Interneurons
Communicate between neurons, they make up most of the neurons in our body; Two actions: (1) Reflex Arc - uses reflex action from spine (directly from spine back to hand); (2) Perception - relays information to the brain
Glial Cells (Glue Cells)
Provide structural and repair support to the neurons; Provide nutrition, enhance the speed, and remove waste
Serotonin
A neurotransmitter that helps regulate sleep and appetite, mediate moods, and inhibit pain
Somatic
Any type of cell that doesn't make egg or sperm
Dendrites
One of the main parts of a neuron, they are the parts that recieve chemical information from other cells; Short and bushy (dendron = Greek for tree), which increases SA therefore increasing the amount of information they can recieve
Reuptake Blockers
Medicines, drugs, etc. that make neurotransmitters more available to the other neurons (SSRIs - Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors); Make serotonin more available to body and raises overall arousal and mood level (Prozac, Zoloft, Xanex)
Inhibitory
A collective signal recieved by neuron to make it less likely to fire an impulse
Reflex Arc
The basic conduction pathway through the nervous system, consisting of a sensory neuron, an association neuron, and a motor neuron
Neurons
Communication throughout our entire nervous system takes place via these; They recieve and transmit information to and from all over the body
Axon
One of the main parts of a neuron, it passes on info to other cells, muscles, or glands; Can be really long or short, and are covered in a Myelin sheathing
Peripheral Nervous System
The nerves that branch out from the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body; Two subdivisions: Somatic and Autonomic
Reuptake
Neurotransmitters that are reabsorbed by the releasing neuron
Drugs and Other Chemicals
A common neurotransmitter that involves some kind of agonists or antagonists
Action Potentials
Chemical messages are gathered by dendrites and moved along axon in form of neural impulses (electrical)
Endorphin
A common neurotransmitter linked to pain control and pleasure; "within or internal morphines;" Affects visceral organs and smoothes muscles (sweating, kills pain); Used to react to get self to safety; Pain is necessary to warn, but too much with kill us (shark attack, runner's high)
Autonomic
The part of the nervous system responsible for the control of automatic bodily functions; Two types: Sympathetic and Parasympathetic
Antagonists
Inhibit by blocking neurotransmitters by diminishing their release (Curare, Botulin)
Cell Body
One of the main parts of a neuron, contains nucleus and creates energy for the cell
Myelin Sheathing
A layer of fatty tissue that insulates the axons of some neurons (marshmallow-like); Acts as an electrical conductor; Made and maintained by the glial cells
Excitatory
A collective signal more likely to fire an impulse, if overall signal is excitatory it will hit threshold and fire
Neurotransmitters
Action potentials that reach the end of the axon trigger that release chemical messengers; Act as inhibitors or excitors of neighboring axon
Synapse
The junction between two nerve cells across which a nerve impulse is transmitted
Central Nervous System
Includes the brain and the spinal cord and is the control network for the entire body
Sensory Neuron
It relays information from your senses and conveys information about the environment to the brain

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