Neuroscience
Chapter 2
Terms
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- Neurons
- Cells that transmit information within the nervous system.
- Glial Cells
- Cells in the nervous system that comprise the support system for the neurons.
- Dendrites
- Fibers projecting out of the cell body of a neuron whose function is to receive information from other neurons.
- Cell Body
- The part of the neuron that contains its nucleus and the stuff that keeps the nucleus alive and decides whether to generate a neural impulse in order to pass incoming info to other neurons.
- Myelin Sheath
- An insulating layer covering an axon that allows for faster neural impulses. Looks like sausage linked.
- Neurotransmitter
- A naturally occuring chemical in the nervous system that specializes in transmitting information between neurons.
- Synaptic Gap
- The micro-scopic gap between neurons across which neurotransmitters travel to carry their messages to other neurons.
- Positron Emission Tomography Scan
- A visual display of the activity levels in various areas in the brain generated by detecting the amount of positron emission created by metabolization of radioactive glucose in each area.
- Functoinal Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- A computerized image of the activity levels of various areas in the brain generated by detecting the amount of oxygen brought to each area.
- Agonist
- A drug or poison that increases the activity of one or more neurotransmitters.
- Antagonist
- A drug or poison that decreases the activity of one or more neurotransmitters.
- Acetylcholine
- A neurotransmitter involved in learning, memory, and muscle movement. (an agonist) (Alzheimer's have less of this)
- Dopamine
- A neurotransmitter involved in arousal and mood states, thought processes, and physical movement. (people with schitzo have too much)
- Parkinson's Disease
- A disease in which the person has movement problems such as muscle tremors, difficulty initiating movements, and rigidity of movement. Stem from a lack of dopamine.
- Blood-Brain Barrier
- A mechanism that impedes the passage of many toxic substances from the blood into the brain.
- L-Dopa
- A drug for Parkinson's Disease that contains precursors to dopamine so that it will be converted to Dopamine in the brain.
- Serotonin and Norepinephrine
- Neurotransmitters involved in levels of arousal and mood, sleep, and eating.
- Selective Serotonin Reuptake inhibitors
- Drugs that achieve their agnostic effect on serotonin by selectively blocking its reuptake.
- GABA
- The main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the nervous system. It is involved in lowering arousal and anxiety and regulating movement.
- Glutamate
- The main excitatory neurotransmitter in the nervous system. It is involved in memory storage, pain perception, strokes, and shitzophrenia.
- Endorphins
- A group of neurotransmitters that are involved in pain relief and feelings of pleasure. Produced in the brain by stress.
- Central Nervous System
- The brain and spinal cord.
- PNS
- The part of the nervous system that links the CNS with the body's sensory receptors, muscles, and glands.
- Interneurons
- Neurons that integrate info within the CNS through their communication with each other and between sensory and motor neurons in the spinal cord.
- Sensory Neurons
- Neurons in the PNS that carry info to the CNS from sensory receptors, muscles, and glands.
- Spinal Cord
- The conduit between the brain and the pns for incoming sensory data and outgoing movement commands to the muscles.
- Spinal Reflex
- A simple automatic action of the spinal cord not requiring involvement of the brain, such as the knee-jerk reflex.
- Somatic Nervous System
- The part of the pns that carries sensory input from receptors to the cns ro skeletal muscles to control their movement.
- Autonomic Nervous System
- The part of the pns that regulates the functioning of our internal environment.
- Sympathetic Nervous System
- The part of the autonomic nervous system that is in control when we are highly aroused, as in an emergency, and need to prepare for defensive action.
- Parasypathetic Nervous System
- The part of the autonomic nervous system that returns the body to its normal resting state after having been highly aroused, as in an emergency.
- Endocrine Glandular System
- The body's other major communication system. Communication is achieved through hormones that are secreted by the endocrine glands and travel through the bloodstream to their target sites.
- Hormone
- A chemical messenger that is produced by an endocrine gland and carried by the bloodstream to target tissues throughout the body.
- Pituitary Gland
- The most influential gland in the endocrine glandular system. It releases hormones for human growth and hormones that direct other endocrine glands to release their hormones.
- Medulla
- A brain stem structure involved in many essential body functions, such as heartbeat, breathing, blood pressure, digestion, and swallowing.
- Pons
- A brain stem structure that serves as a bridge between the cerebellum and the rest of the brain and is involved in sleep and dreaming.
- Reticular Formation
- A network of neurons running up the center of the brain stem that is responsible for our different levels of arousal and consciousness.
- Cerebellum
- A part of the brain involved in the coordination of our movements, sense of balance, and motor learning.
- Thalamus
- A part of the brain that serves as a relay station for incoming sensory information.
- Basal Ganglia
- A part of the brain that is involved in the initiation and execution of movements.
- Limbic System
- A group of brain structures that play an important role in our survival, memory, and emotions.
- 3 Parts of Limbic System
- Hypothalamus, hippocampus, and amygdala.
- Hypothalamus
- Regulates basic drives (eating, drinking, sex) and directs the endocrine glandular system to maintain the body's internal environment.
- Hippocampus
- Involved in the formation of memories.
- Amygdala
- Involved in emotions by influencing aggression, anger, and fear and by providing the emotional element of our memories and the interpretation of emotional expressions in others.
- Cerebral Cortex
- The layers of interconnected cells covering the brain's two hemispheres. This is the control and information-processing center for the nervous system. Where perception, memory, language, and decision making occurs.
- Corpus Callosum
- The bridge of neurons that connects the two cerebral hemispheres.
- Frontal Lobe
- The area in each cerebral hemisphere in front of the central fissure and above the lateral fissure. The motor cortex is in this lobe.
- Parietal Lobe
- In each hemisphere, in back of the central fissure and above the lateral fissure. The somatosensory cortex is in this lobe.
- Temporal Lobe
- The area in each cerebral hemisphere located beneath the lateral fissure. The primary auditory cortex is in this lobe.
- Occipital Lobe
- Area in the lower back of each cerebral hemisphere. The primary visual cortex is in this lobe.
- Motor Cortex
- The strip of cortex in each cerebral hemisphere in the frontal lobe directly in front of the central fissure, which allows us to move different parts of our body.
- Somatosensory Cortex
- The strip of cortex in each cerebral hemisphere in the parietal lobe directly in back of the central fissure, which allows us to sense pressure, temperature, and pain in different parts of our body as well as the position of our body parts.
- Association Cortex
- All of the cerebral cortex except those areas devoted to primary sensory processing or motor processing. This is where all the higher-level cognitive processing that requires the association of information, such as perception and language, occurs.
- Broca's Area
- An area in the cerebral cortex responsible for fluent speech production. It is in the left frontal love of the majority of people, regardless of handedness.
- Wernicke's Area
- In the cerebral cortex, responsible for comprehension of speech and text. It is in the left temporal lobe of the majority of people.
- Endocrine System
- Hormones
- Nervous System
- Nerves. The principal way the parts of the body communicate.
- Hormones control...
- metabolism
- Neuron
- Basic building block of the nervous system. It is a cell.
- Criteria for being alive
- Ingest nutrients, produce energy, expell waste.
- Mitochondria
- Where energy is made
- Neural Impulse
- the electricity that runs through an axon
- Two states a neuron can be in
- On (Action Potential) Off (Resting Potential)
- How many millivolts are at resting potential?
- -70
- All or nothing principle
- either -70mv or nothing
- Amphetamines
- Drugs to stay awake. Addictive. Agonist for dopamine.
- Barbiturates
- Drugs to go to bed.
- Cocaine
- agonist for dopamine
- Serotonin
- Decreased in people with depression
- Placebo
- Inner-substance that has no chemical effect on the body
- Brain
- Control center for entire nervous system
- Spinal Cord
- Connects brain and PNS and it enables spinal reflexes.
- Symptoms of Sympathetic nervous system
- dilates pupils, contracts blood vessels, speeds heart rate, speeds breathing
- Symptoms of parasympathetic nervous system
- contracts pupils, slows heart rate, slows breathing
- The connection between...
- hormones and behavior is not one way.
- Norman Cousins
- cured himself at a hotel
- Lobe
- Area
- Grand Mal
- Big bad seizure
- Motor information goes...
- down (descendent)
- Sensory information goes...
- up only
- Dominant hemisphere controls
- body movement, speech center, logical thought, math
- Minor hemisphere controls
- Aesthetics, spacial perception, dreams, emotions.