Psych

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Blood brain barrier:

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A system of astrocytes (glial cell) and capillaries in the brain that prevents the passage of specific substances.

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Glial cells:

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Glial cells (aka Glia or Neuroglia) are non-neurons that provide structural and nutritional support for the neurons.

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Hypothalamus:

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The major link between the endocrine and nervous systems. The hypothalamus is a small brain structure below the thalamus that regulates emotions, body temperature, and basic drives, such as hunger, thirst, sex, and aggression. The hypothalamus is composed of several different areas and is located at the base of the brain, it also controls the pituitary.

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Cerebral Cortex:

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Above the lower-level brain structures, lies the cerebral cortex, which is divided into two hemispheres that control opposite sides of the body and specialize in different tasks. These hemispheres regulate the most complex behavior of the brain, including receiving senses, motor control, and higher mental processes.

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Left Cortex:

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Specializes in verbal and analytical functions

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Right Cortex:

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Specializes in nonverbal abilities, such as spatio-manipulative skills, art and musical abilities, and visual recognition tasks.

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Frontal Lobes:

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Control voluntary movement and speech and are involved with self-awareness, the ability to plan, and working memory. Working memory is located in the very front of the frontal lobes.

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Broca’s Area:

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The speech area, which is found most often in the left frontal lobe

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Parietal Lobes:

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Function as the receiving areas for sensory information from the limbs and skin.

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Occipital Lobes:

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Most entirely involved with visual sensation and information processing.

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Temporal Lobes:

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Major functions include hearing and language.

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Wernicke’s Area:

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The language area found most often in the left temporal lobe

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Motor cortex:

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A region of the cerebral cortex that sends impulses to motor neurons; involved in coordination of movement; found in the frontal lobe.

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Neocortex:

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Recently evolved six-layered portions of the cerebral cortex (found in mammals); sometimes referred to as the "isocortex"; the neocortex occupies the bulk of the cerebral hemispheres

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Prefrontal cortex:

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The most anterior region of the frontal cortex; involved in problem solving, emotion, and complex thought

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Primary motor cortex:

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Region for initiation of voluntary movement

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Primary visual cortex:

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The region of the occipital cortex where most visual information first arrives

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Somatosensory cortex:

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Sense of touch

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Visual cortex:

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Located in the occipital lobe; involved in detection of simple visual stimuli

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Cingulate Cortex:

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Part of the limbic system. Located directly above the corpus callosum. Important for emotional behavior.

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Dendrite:

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The dendrites are small branching structures attached to the soma that receive information from other neurons and transmit the information received TO the soma.

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Action Potential:

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An electro-chemical impulse. This action potential is used by Dendrites and cell body, who receive messages passed along the axon in the form of the impluses. (the action potential either fires completely or not at all).

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Soma:

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Extensions of the cell body, determines whether to transmit information to the axon.

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Endocrine System:

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The Endocrine system works with the nervous system to maintain homeostasis within the body as well as effecting changes in behavior.

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Soma:

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Extensions of the cell body, determines whether to transmit information to the axon.

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Endocrine System:

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The Endocrine system works with the nervous system to maintain homeostasis within the body as well as effecting changes in behavior.

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Major Glands of the Endocrine System:

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pituitary, thyroid, adrenals, and the pancreas.

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Hormones:

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Hormones play the role of chemical messengers within the endocrine system, but the system itself also secretes hormones into the bloodstream to regulate the reproductive system.

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Homeostasis:

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Maintaining regularity/ “Status quo of the body”

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Endorphins:

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Endorphins are chemical messengers that produce effects similar to those of natural opiates by reducing pain and promoting pleasure.

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Limbic system:

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Interconnected group of lower-level brain structures which affect arousal and the regulation of emotion, motivation, and memory.

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Amygdala:

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Strong emotions

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Hippocampus:

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Memory

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Central Nervous System (CNS):

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Consists of the brain and spinal cord. The spinal cord is responsible for reflex actions that control all involuntary and reflex responses of the body below the neck.

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Peripheral Nervous System (PNS):

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Includes all nerves going to and from the brain and spinal cord and is comprised of the somatic nervous system and autonomic nervous system.

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Somatic Nervous System (SNS):

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Subset of the PNS which includes all nerves carrying afferent (incoming) sensory information and efferent (outgoing) motor information to and from the sense organs and skeletal muscles.

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Autonomic Nervous System (ANS):

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Second subset of the PNS which includes nerves outside the brain and spinal cord that help the body maintain homeostasis (normal functioning of organs/parts).

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Parasympathetic Nervous System:

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Main function is to slow heart rate, lower blood pressure, and increase digestion and elimination (normally dominant when relaxed)

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Sympathetic Nervous System:

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Functions to mobilize the body for fight or flight by increasing heart rate and blood pressure and slowing digestive processes (normally dominant when under stress).

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Neuron-“basic building blocks of the brain”:

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Neurons are special cells that communicate information by sending and receiving signals to other neurons.

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Steps of Communication:

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1.The dendrites are small branching structures attached to the soma that receive information from other neurons and transmit the information received to the soma (cell body).
2.The soma determines whether to transmit information to the axon.
3.The axon is a part of the neuron that is specialized for carrying information away from the cell body either to other neurons or to muscles and glands. Axons may be covered with an insulating substance called myelin.

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Axon:

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Axons can be covered with myelin for insulational purposes. They are a part of the neuron used for carrying information away from the cell body either to other neurons or to muscles and glands.

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Neurotransmitters:

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Neurotransmitters are chemicals manufactured and released by neurons that alter activity in other neurons to regulate glands and muscles, promote sleep, affect learning, memory, motivation, emotions, and psychological disorders (ex. Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, depression, etc.)The only direct effect of a neurotransmitter is to activate one or more types of receptors which depends on the properties of those receptors. It happens that for some neurotransmitters the most important receptors all have excitatory effects ( increase the probability that the target cell will fire an action potential.) For other neurotransmitters, the most important receptors have inhibitory effects.

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Neurotransmitter Catagorization:

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Can be categorized as Amino Acids, Monoamines, Peptides, and others, as well as being described as “excitatory” or “inhibitory.”

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Pituitary gland:

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“Master endocrine gland” that is attached to the base of the brain and secretes hormones.

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Thalamus:

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The thalamus lies at the top of the brain stem (diencephalon of the brain) and is composed of a group of nuclei. The different nuclei have sensory and motor functions and serve as the major sensory relay center for the cerebral cortex (and brain). The cerebral cortex also sends information to the thalamus which then transmits this information to other areas of the brain and spinal cord. Sense of smell does NOT get routed through the Thalamus.

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Thyroid gland:

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The thyroid controls how quickly the body burns energy, makes proteins, and how sensitive the body should be to other hormones

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Wilder Penfield:

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Penfield treated patients with severe epilepsy by destroying nerve cells in the brain where the seizures originated. This allowed him to create maps of the sensory and motor cortices of the brain. Before operating, he stimulated the brain with electrical probes while the patients were conscious on the operating table and observed responses (enabled him to more accurately target areas of the brain connected and decrease surgery side-effects.)