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73 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Neurons |
cells in the nervous system that communicate with one another to perform information-processing tasks |
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Cell Body |
largest component of the neuron that coordinates the information-processing tasks and keeps the cell alive |
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Dendrites |
receive info from other neurons and relay it to the cell body |
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axon |
carries info to other neurons, muscles, or glands |
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myelin sheath |
insulator; allows for a faster transmission of signals |
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glial cells |
support cells found in the nervous system |
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Synapse |
the junction or region between the axon of one neuron and the dendrites or cell body of another |
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Sensory Neurons |
receive information from the external world |
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Motor Neurons |
carry signals from the spinal cord to the muscles to produce movement |
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Interneurons |
connect sensory, motor, or other neurons |
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Resting Potential |
the difference in electric charge between the inside and outside of a neuron's cell membrane |
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Action Potential |
an electric signal that is conducted along the length of a neuron's axon to a synapse |
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Refractory Period |
the time following an action potential during which a new action potential cannot be initiated |
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nodes of Ranvier |
breakpoints of the myelin sheath on the axon |
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Terminal Buttons |
knoblike structures that branch out from an axon |
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Neurotransmitters |
chemicals that transmit info across the synapse to a receiving neuron's dendrites |
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Receptors |
parts of the cell membrane that receive neurotransmitters and either initiate or prevent a new electric signal |
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Reuptake |
when neurotransmitters are reabsorbed by the terminal buttons of the presynaptic neuron's axon |
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Enzyme Deactivation |
specific enzymes break down specific neurotransmitters |
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autoreceptors |
detect how much of a neurotransmitter has been released into a synapse and signal the neuron to stop releasing them when an excess is present |
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Acetylcholine |
a neurotransmitter involved in a number of functions including voluntary motor control (initiate motor behavior) |
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Dopamine |
regulates motor behavior, motivation, pleasure, and emotional arousal; plays a role in drug addiction |
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Glutamate |
the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain (enhances the transmission of info between neurons) |
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GABA |
primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain (tends to stop the firing of neurons) |
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Norepinephrine |
awareness of dangers in environment |
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Serotonin |
regulation of sleep and wakefulness, eating, and aggressive behavior |
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Endorphins |
act within the pain pathways and emotion centers of the brain (runner's high) |
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Agonists |
drugs that increase the action of a neurotransmitter |
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Antagonists |
drugs that block function of a neurotransmitter |
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Nervous System |
an interacting network of neurons that conveys electrochemical info throughout the body |
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Central Nervous System |
composed of the brain and spinal cord |
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Peripheral Nervous System |
connects the central nervous system to the body's organs and muscles |
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Somatic Nervous System |
a set of nerves that conveys info between voluntary muscles and the central nervous system (conscious control) |
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Autonomic Nervous System |
a set of nerves that carries involuntary and automatic commands that control blood vessels, body organs, and glands (outside of conscious control) |
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Sympathetic Nervous System |
a set of nerves that prepares the body for action in challenging or threatening situations |
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Parasympathetic Nervous System |
helps the body return to a normal resting state |
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Spinal Reflexes |
simple pathways in the nervous system that rapidly generate muscle contractions |
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Hindbrain |
an area of the brain that coordinates info coming into and out of the spinal cord (medulla, reticular formation, cerebellum, and the pons) |
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Medulla |
an extension of the spinal cord into the skull that coordinates heart rate, circulation, and respiration |
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Reticular Formation |
regulates sleep, wakefulness, and levels of arousal |
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Cerebellum |
large structure that controls fine motor skills |
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Pons |
relays info from the cerebellum to the rest of the brain |
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Tectum |
orients an organism in the environment (finds where a tick is coming from) (midbrain) |
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Tegmentum |
involved in movement and arousal (midbrain) |
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Cerebral Cortex |
the outermost layer of the brain, visible to the naked eye, and divided into two hemispheres |
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Subcortical Structures |
areas of the forebrain housed under the cerebral cortex near the center of the brain |
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Thalamus |
relays and filters information from the senses and transmits the information to the cerebral cortex |
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Hypothalamus |
regulates body temperature, hunger, thirst, and sexual behavior |
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Pituitary Gland |
the master gland of the body's hormone-producing system, which releases hormones that direct the functions of many other glands in the body |
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Limbic System |
a group of forebrain structures including the hypothalamus, the hippocampus, and the amygdala, which are involved in motivation, emotion, learning, and memory (where the subcortical structures meet the cerebral cortex) |
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hippocampus |
critical for creating new memories and integrating them into a network of knowledge so that they can be stored indefinitely in other parts of the cerebral cortex |
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amygdala |
located at the tip of each horn of the hippocampus, plays a central role in many emotional processes, particularly the formation of emotional memories |
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basal ganglia |
a set of subcortical structures that directs intentional movements |
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Contralateral Control |
right hemisphere controls left side; left hemisphere controls right side of body |
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corpus callosum |
connects large areas of the cerebral cortex on each side of the brain and supports communication of info across the hemispheres |
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Occipital Lobe |
processes visual info |
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Parietal Lobe |
processing info about touch |
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Somatosensory cortex |
a strip of brain tissue running from the top of the brain down to the sides (can be illustrated as a distorted figure-homunculus) |
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Temporal Lobe |
responsible for hearing and language |
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Frontal Lobe |
specialized areas for movement, abstract thinking, planning, memory, and judgement |
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Association Areas |
composed of neurons that help provide sense and meaning to info registered in the cortex |
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Mirror neurons |
active when an animal performs a behavior, such as reaching for or manipulating an object, and are also activated when another animal observes that animal performing the same behavior |
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Brain Plasticity |
functions for certain parts of the brain may be capable of being reassigned to other areas of the brain |
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Neural Tube |
forms the basis of the spinal cord |
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Gene |
the major unit of hereditary transmission |
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chromosomes |
strands of DNA wound around each other in a double-helix configuration |
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Epigenetics |
environmental influences that determine whether or not genes are expressed or the degree to which they are expressed without altering the basic DNA sequences that constitute the genes themselves |
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Epigenetic Marks |
chemical modifications to DNA that can turn genes on or off |
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DNA methylation |
adding a methyl group to DNA |
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Histone modification |
adding chemical modifications to proteins called histones that are involved in packaging DNA |
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Heritability |
a measure of the variability of behavioral traits among individuals that can be accounted for by genetic factors |
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Studying people with brain damage |
correlate loss of functions with specific areas of the brain |
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Electroencephalograph |
a device used to record electrical activity in the brain |
