Module 3 Neuroscience Vocabulary

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phrenology

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*theory that claimed bumps on the skull could reveal mental abilities and character traits
*correctly est. that parts of the brain are responsilbe for certain aspects of behavior

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biological psychology

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a branch of psychology concerned with the links between biology and behavior (neuroscience, neuropsychology, behavior genetics)

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neuron

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a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system

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dendrite

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busy, branching extensions of a neuron that receive messages and conduct impulses toward cell body

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axon

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extension of neuron, ending in branching terminal fibers through which messages pass to other neurons or to muscles or glands. LONG

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myelin sheath

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layer of fatty tissue segmentally encasing the fibers of many neurons; enables vastly greater transmission speed of neural impulses as the impulse hops from one node to the next

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action potential

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neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down the axon. The action potential is generated by the movement of positively charged atoms in and out of channels in the axon's membrane

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threshold

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level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse

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synapse

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junction b/w the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron. The tiny gap at this junction is called synaptic gap or cleft

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neurotransmitters

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chemical messengers that traverse the synaptic gaps b/w neurons. When released by the sending neuron, neurotransmitters travel across the synapse and bind to receptor sites on the receiving neuron, thereby influencing whether that neuron will generate a neural impulse

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Acetylcholine

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neurotransmitter. enables muscle action, learning, and memory
*undersupply- Alzheimer's

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Dopamine

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neurotransmitter. influences movement, learning, attention, and emotion
*excess- schizophrenia
*starved- Parkinson's

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Serotonin

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neurotransmitter. affects mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal
*undersupply- depression

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Norepinephrine

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neurotransmitter. Helps control alertness and arousal
*undersupply- depress mood

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GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)

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major inhibitory neurotransmitter.
*undersupply- seizures, tremors, and insomnia

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Glutamate

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major excitatory neurotransmitter; involved in memory
*oversupply- overstimulate brain, producing migraines or seizures

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endorphins

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"morephine within" - natural, opiatelike neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure

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nervous system

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the boyd's speedy, electrochemical communication system, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems

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central nervous system (CNS)

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the brain and spinal cord

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peripheral nervous system (PNS)

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sensory and motor nerons that connect the central nervous system (CNS) to the rest of the body

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nerves

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neural "cables" containing many axons. These bundled axons, which are part of the peripheral nervous system, connect the central nervous system with muscles, glands, and sense organs

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sensory neurons

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neurons that carry incoming info from the sense receptors to the central nervous system.

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interneurons

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CNS neurons that internally communicate and intervene b/w the sensory inputs and motor outputs

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motor neurons

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neurons that carry outgoing info from the CNS to the muscles and glands

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somatic nervous system

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the division of PNS that controls the body's skeletal muscles. also known as skeletal nervous system

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autonomic nervous system

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part of the PNS that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs (such as heart). It's sympathetic division arouses; it's parasympathetic division calms

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sympathetic nervous system

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the division of autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations

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parasympathetic nervous system

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the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy

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reflex

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simple, automatic, inborn response to a sensory stimulus, such as the knee jerk response

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neural networks

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interconnected neural cells. with experience, networks can learn, as feedback strengthens 0or inhibits connections that produce certain results. Computer simulations of neural networks show analogous learning

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endocrine sysytem

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the body's "slow" chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream

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hormones

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chemical messengers, mostly those manufactured by the endocrine glands, that are produced in one tissue and affect another

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adrenal glands

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pair of endocrine glands just above kidneys. secrete the hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine which help to arouse the body in times of stress

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pituitary gland

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endocrine system's most influential gland. under influence of hypothalamus, the pituitary regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands.