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Psychunit3A
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| neurons | a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system |
| sensory neurons | neurons that carry incoming information from the sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord |
| motor neurons | neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands |
| interneurons | neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs |
| dendrite | the bushy, branching extensions of a neuron that receive messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body |
| axon | the extension of a neuron that receive ending in branching terminal fibers, through which messages pass to other neurons or to muscles or glands |
| myelin sheath | a layer of fatty tissue segmentally encasing fibers of many neurons; enables vastly greater transmission speed of neural impulses as the impulse hops from one node to the next |
| action potential | a neural impulsel a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon |
| threshold | the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse |
| synapse | the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron. The tiny gap at this junction is called the synaptic gap or synaptic cleft. |
| neurotransmitters | chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons. When released by a sending neuron, neurotransmitters move across the synapse and bind to receptor sites on the receiving neurons, influencing whether the neuron will make a neural impulse. |
| reuptake | a neurotransmitter's reabsorption by the sending neuron |
| endorphins | "morphine within"-- natural, opiatelike neurotransmitters linked to pain control and pleasure |
| peripheral nervous system | the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body |
| somatic nervous system | the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's skeletal muscles. Also called the skeletal nervous system |
| autonomic nervous system | part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs (like the heart). Its sympathetic division arouses (mobilizes its energy in stressful situations); its parasympathetic division calms (conserves energy) |
| endocrine system | body's slow chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream |
| hormones | chemical messengers that are manufactured to the endocrine glands, travel through the bloodstream and affect other tissues |
| adrenal glands | a pair of endocrine glands that sit just above the kidneys and secrete hormones (epinephrine and norepinephrine) that help arouse the body in times of stress |
| pituitary gland | the endocrine system's most influential gland. Under the influence of the hypothalamus, the pituitary regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands |
| acetylcholine (ACh) | enables muscle action, learning and memory. With Alzheimer's disease, ACh-producing neurons deteriorate |
| Dopamine | influences movement, learning, attention, and emotion. Excess dopamine receptor activity is linked to schizophrenia. Starved of dopamine, the brain produces the tremors and decreased mobility of parkinson's disease. |
| Serotonin | affects mood, hunger, sleep and arousal. Undersupply linked to depression. Prozac and other antidepressant drugs raise serotonin levels |
| norepinephrine | helps control alertness and arousal. undersupply can depress mood |
| Gaba (gamma-aminobutyric acid) | a major inhibitory neurotransmitter undersupply linked to seizures, tremors and insomnia |
| Glutamate | a major excitatory neurotransmitter; involved in memory Oversupply can overstimulate brain, producing migraines or seizures 9which is why some people avoid MSG in food |
Created by:
mes95
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