Biopsych Final

Front 1

Membrane Potential

Back 1

the difference in electrical charge between the inside and the outside of a cell

Front 2

Inhibitory Postsynaptic Potentials (IPSPs)

Back 2

graded postsynaptic hyperpolarizations, which decrease the likelihood that an action potential will be generated

Front 3

Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials (EPSP's)

Back 3

graded postsynaptic depolarizations, which increase the likelihood that an action potential wil be generated

Front 4

Absolute refractory period

Back 4

a brief period after the initiation of an action potential during which it is impossible to elicit another action potential in the same neuron

Front 5

Reuptake

Back 5

the more common of the two mechanisms for deactivating a released neurotransmitter

Front 6

enzymatic degradation

Back 6

the breakdown of chemicals by enzymesone of the two mechanisms for deactivating released neurotransmitters

Front 7

exocytosis

Back 7

the process of releasing a neurotransmitter

Front 8

second messanger

Back 8

a chemical synthesized in a neuron in response to the binding of a neurotransmitter to a metabotropic receptor in its cell membrane

Front 9

all or none responses

Back 9

responses that are not graded, that occur full-blown or not at all

Front 10

graded responses

Back 10

responses whose magnitude is indicative of the magnitude of the stimuli that induce them