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The Brain
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Gilia | Support neurons |
| Neuron | Individual cells and the smallest unit of the nervous system |
| Cell body (soma) | Contains neuron's nucleus where metabolism takes place |
| Dendrites | Short fibers that extend from the soma and pick up incoming messages |
| Axon | Long fiber extending out from the soma. Carries out long messages. |
| Myelin Sheath | White fatty covering found on some axons that act as insulation |
| Terminal buttons | Small knobs that secrete neurotransmitters located on the axon terminal |
| Nerves | Group of axons bundled together - neurons that send messages to the brain |
| Afferent / sensory neurons | Neurons that send messages to the brain |
| Efferent or motor neurons | Neurons that send messages from the brain or spinal chord to muscles or glands |
| Interneurons | Neurons that carry messages from one neuron to another (99% of neurons) |
| Mirror neurons | Observation of an action that automatically triggers simulation of that action |
| 2 ways neurons terminated | Broken down by other chemicals or recycled / reabsorbed into axon chemicals to be reused |
| Slowing / stop of release of neurotransmitter into synaptic space | Curare causing botulism prevents release of ACh and causes paralysis and death |
| Speeding up of release of neurotransmitter into synaptic space | Black widow toxin rises levels of ACh and causes spasms and tremors |
| Prevent reabsorption of neurotransmitters | Cocaine blocks the reusing of dopamine |
| Pre-synaptic | Sending neurotransmitters |
| Post-synaptic | Receiving neurotransmitters |
| ACh (Acetylcholine) | Enables muscle action (Excitatory). Alzheimer's disease (undersupply) |
| Dopamine | Influences movement, attention, emotion, pleasure (Inhibitory) Schizophrenia (Excess), Parkinson's and tremors (limited) |
| Serotonin | Affects mood, hunger, sleep onset, arousal (Inhibitory) Depression (undersupply) - Prozac / antidepressant drugs raise serotonin levels |
| Norepinephrine | Controls alertness and arousal (Excitatory) Depression and mood change (undersupply) |
| GABA | Decreases anxiety (Inhibitory) Seizures, tremors, insomnia (undersupply) |
| Glutamate | Involved in memory (Excitatory) Migraines - overstimulates brain (oversupply) |
| Endorphins | Inhibits transmissions of pain messages (can help lower pain if too much) |
| Peripheral | Nervous system - relating to rest of body (not brain / spinal chord) |
| Brain and spinal chord | Nervous system - its core |
| Somatic | Nervous system - voluntary movement, controls skeletal (striped or striated) muscles |
| Autonomic | Nervous system - involuntary movement |
| Sympathetic | Nervous system - threat - fight or flight response |
| Parasympathetic | Nervous system - no threat - calming |
| All or not law | Rule that says either neuron fires fully or it doesn't at all |
| Resting potential | Cell's negative charge when neuron is inactive (more Cl- ions than K+ / Na+) - cell is polarized |
| Action potential | A brief change in the neuron's electrical charge (depolarization) when cell reaches the threshold of excitation. Minimum # of impulses from neighboring neurons that cause cell to fire |
| Absolute refractory period | Minimum length of time after action potential before another can begin - takes 1/2 milliseconds before sodium gates can be reopened |
| Agonist | Binds directly on receptor site |
| Antagonist | Blocks the receptor site |
| Curare | Toxin used by South American natives to tip spears - blocks ACh receptors - causes paralysis / death |
| Resting potential | Cell's negative charge when neuron is inactive (more Cl- ions than K+ / Na+) - cell is polarized |
| Action potential | A brief change in the neuron's electrical charge (depolarization) when cell reaches the threshold of excitation. Minimum # of impulses from neighboring neurons that cause cell to fire |
| Absolute refractory period | Minimum length of time after action potential before another can begin - takes 1/2 milliseconds before sodium gates can be reopened |
| Agonist | Binds directly on receptor site |
| Antagonist | Blocks the receptor site |
| Curare | Toxin used by South American natives to tip spears - blocks ACh receptors - causes paralysis / death |
| Clinical observation | Oldest method of studying brain-mind connections is to observe effects of brain diseases and injuries |
| Lesioning | Destroys a piece of the brain with a stereotaxic instrument - device used to implant electrodes at precise areas in brain to determine brain-behavior relationships |
| Electrical stimulation | Involves sending weak current into brain structure to activate it, and can determine brain-behavior relationships |
| Electroencephalograph (EEG) | Monitors electrical activity of brain over time - records electrodes attached to surface of scalp, and can be used in clinical diagnosis of brain damage / neurological disorders and used in research |
| Computerized tomography (CAT) | Computer-enhanced X ray of brain that can be used to look for abnormalities in brain structure among people suffering specific types of mental illness |
| Positron Emission Topography (PET) | Monitors brain’s activity over time through radioactively labeled glucose that can pinpoint areas of brain that handle various activities, and study effect of specific neurotransmitters |
| Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) | Magnetic fields, radio waves, computer enhancement to view brain structure (best detail of soft tissues and fluid filled areas) |
| Functional MRI | Monitors blood and oxygen flow to brain to identify high activity - shows both structural and functional info in same image, monitors changes of brain in real time |
| Medulla | Used for unconscious functions - breathing, maintaining muscle tone, heartbeat and circulation |
| Reticular formation | Fibers carrying stimulation (sleep / arousal) through brainstem. Used for muscle reflex, breathing, and pain perception, and sleep/wakefulness - damage causes coma |
| Thalamus | Relays sensory information except smell |
| Cerebellum | Coordinates muscle movement, balance, sense of equilibrium |
| Limbic system | Regulates memory, emotion, and motivation |
| Amygdala | Used for emotions, especially fear and aggression |
| Hippocampus | Used for learning and memory |
| Hypothalamus | Regulates biological needs like hunger, thirst, and temp control. Controls the endocrine system by activating pituitary gland |
| Cerebrum | Used for thinking, learning, sensing, consciousness, and voluntary movement (newest in evolution) |
| Cerebral cortex | Convoluted outer layer of cerebrum |
| Corpus callosum | Used to pass information between two cerebral hemispheres through fibers |
| Pituitary gland | Regulates other endocrine glands by sending hormones stimulating actions in other glands, called master gland - controlled by hypothalamus |
| Pons | Regulates sleep and arousal |
| Spinal cord | Used to transmit information between brain and rest of body - handles reflexes |
| Frontal lobe | Lobe used as motor area, for reasoning, planning, organizing, and language (HIGHER THOUGHT) |
| Temporal lobe | Lobe used as auditory cortex (hearing, understanding language) |
| Parietal lobe | Lobe used as somatosensory (sense of touch) cortex |
| Occipital | Lobe used as visual cortex - sent and processed |
| Right side of brain | Hemisphere of brain used for visual and spatial tasks (controls left side of brain) |
| Left side of brain | Hemisphere of brain used for language process (controls right side of body) |
| Broca's area | Area of brain (left hemisphere) used for production of speech |
| Wernicke's area | Area of brain (left hemisphere) used for understanding language |
| Split brain studies | Procedure when corpus callosum is severed (object on left field of view sends signal to right side, not able to be described in words) |
| Endocrine system | Body system consisting of glands that send chemicals to bloodstream to control bodily functions |
| Hormones | Chemicals often released by endocrine glands (Ex: adrenaline, estrogen, testosterone) |
| Chromosomes | Consist of DNA and protein, regular humans have 23 |
| Turner's syndrome | Disability formed by having no Y chromosome - sterile women with no ovaries, little development of sex characteristics |
| Klinefelter's syndrome | Disability formed by having a Y chromosome, and 2 or more X chromosomes - sterile men with female characteristics |
| Homozygous | When two genes in a pair are the same |
| Heterozygous | When two genes in a pair are different |
| Genotype | Consists of organism's genes, which never change |
| Phenotype | Consists of organism's characteristics, which can change as one ages |
| Plasticity | Idea that structure and function of brain are more malleable than we thought |
| Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation | Procedure where magnetic coil sends magnetic field 2 cm deep which allows for virtual temporary lesions |
Created by:
uriel_magana
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