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Neuron Quest
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| CNS structure | made of brain and spinal cord |
| PNS structure | consists of sensory and motor neurons |
| PNS function | connects the CNS to the rest of the body, made up of SNS and ANS |
| CNS structure | made of brain and spinal cord |
| PNS structure | consists of sensory and motor neurons |
| PNS function | connects the CNS to the rest of the body, made up of SNS and ANS |
| somatic nervous system | controls voluntary muscles, includes muscles and sensory/motor neurons, part of PNS |
| autonomic nervous system | controls involuntary muscles, includes internal organs like heart and lungs, part of PNS |
| sympathetic nervous system | prepares the body for emergencies or strenuous activity, arouses the body, "fight or flight" (sweating, dilated pupils, etc.), includes internal organs, part of ANS |
| parasympathetic nervous system | conserves energy, helps body recover, calms the body down, reduces heart rate and blood pressure, "rest and digest" |
| endocrine system | made up of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream, responsible for growth, sexual development, energy levels, moods, and metabolism |
| hormones | chemical messages produced by glands that travel through the bloodstream to regulate and coordinate activities in the body |
| pituitary gland | controlled by hypothalamus, monitors hormone levels and sends messages to correct imbalances, helps control growth, located in brain |
| adrenal glands | located above kidneys, activated when frightened or angry, sends out epinephrine and norepinephrine to increase energy, heart rate, and breathing, helps you handle strenuous activity |
| testes | male sex gland, produces sperm and testosterone, important for muscle and bone growth during adolescence |
| ovaries | female sex gland, produce eggs, estrogen, and progesterone, helps regulate menstrual cycle |
| neurotransmitters | chemical messages that can excite (cause the neuron to react) or inhibit (stop a neuron from firing), sent between neurons across the synapse, has a specific chemical makeup/3-D shape that fits into a receptor site (lock and key) |
| dendrites | branch-like fibers that extend off the soma, receives messages from other neurons (inbox), collects and directs information to soma, multiple dendrites on each neuron |
| neuron | nerves that make up the basic building blocks of the nervous system (neurons = nerves) |
| how many neurons are in the average human brain? | 100 billion |
| soma | cell body of the neuron that contains the nucleus, powerhouse of the neuron, produces energy for neutral activity, contains DNA, has energy waiting to be released (generator), carries out metabolic functions |
| axon | every neuron only has 1 axon, thin nerve fiber that carries neural impulses from the soma to the terminal buttons, sends the messages to other terminal buttons to be released to other neurons, muscles, or glands (highway) |
| axon terminals/synaptic terminal button | swelling that extends from the end of the axon, stores message before it is released, releases NTs to the dendrites of a waiting neuron, contain synaptic vesicles that contain NTs |
| myelin sheath | layer of white, fatty cells that protects the axon (skin), speeds up neural impulses as they move along the axon, creates axon gates, if deteriorated it leads to paralysis |
| sensory/afferent neurons | sends information from sensory organs (eyes, ears, nose, skin), muscles, and inner organs to the spinal cord then into the brain (ex. when you touch something hot, the receptors in your skin send a message to your brain) |
| motor/efferent neurons | neurons that send information from the brain to muscles and glands to tell your body to do something (ex. neurons telling you to pull your hand away from the hot stove) |
| acetylcholine | type of NT, activates muscles, influences memory, learning, and muscle contraction, low levels are linked to Alzheimer's, when transmission from motor neurons to muscle fibers is blocked it causes paralysis |
| mirror neurons | special type of motor neuron that allows us to imitate behaviors we see |
| interneurons | neurons in the CNS that process information from other neurons, communicates between sensory and motor neurons (connects one to the other) |
| neurons in the spinal cord control | automatic reflexes |
| ion | electrically charged particle that has a positive or negative charge |
| resting potential | stage 1 of neural impulse, ion is polarized at (-70 mV) giving the neuron a slightly negative charge inside (more - K inside than + Na outside), neuron is waiting to be stimulated, has potential energy |
| selective permeability | when the axon gates are closed during resting potential, only allows certain materials out and keeps + Na ions out (in this case + K ions to polarize the neuron) |
| polarization | when the neuron has a negative charge on the inside and a positive charge on the outside (the difference in charges) |
| depolarization | stage 2, when there is a positive shift in the electrical charge in a neuron's resting potential making it less negatively charged, initiates action potential, switch is flipped & message is ready to be sent, sodium gates open, time it takes -70 --> + 40 |
| action potential | stage 3, ions are moving between the outside and inside of neuron through the axon gates, electric signal is sent to neighboring neurons (+40 mV), abrupt change from - K to + Na inside neuron, occurs at axon hillock, 200 mph |
| axon hillock | juncture between Soma and axon |
| neural impulse = ripple effect | 1. sodium gates open down the length of axon like dominoes 2. allows action potential to shoot down the axon 3. neuron fires and electrical charge inside increases to +40 mV 4. neurotransmitter reaches the terminal buttons and is released |
| repolarization | stage 4, occurs once neuron reaches +40 mV, tries to get it back to resting potential (-70 mV), neuron pumps out + K ions (selective permeability), prepares to fire again, Na gates close so ions can't enter |
| refractory period | time it takes for a neuron to be repolarized |
| all or nothing principle | a neuron will fire completely if sufficiently stimulated or won't fire at all, information only flows one way, no halfway point (ex. flushing a toilet) |
| presynaptic neuron | neuron that sends a message to the post-synaptic neuron |
| post-synaptic neuron | neuron that receives the message from the presynaptic neuron |
| synapse | space over which NTs are sent |
| inhibitory signals | makes action potential less likely to occur (ex. pushing the brakes) |
| excitatory signals | makes action potential more likely to occur (ex. pushing the gas), when 2 neurons send the same NT |
| reuptake | unused NTs get reabsorbed by the sending neuron from the synapse and are recycled to be used again, NT did not get received by the post-synaptic neuron |
| NT gets broken down | enzymes in the synapse break down NT and unused NTs are removed from the body through urine, NT is not sent, both neurons don't send the same NT |
| neuromodulation | when chemical substances are released that influence the sensitivity of a receiving neuron to neurotransmitters (neuromodulators), message is received, both neurons send the same NT |
| when the body produces too little or too much of an NT | anxiety, mood disorders, eating disorders, or schizophrenia may occur |
| agonists | fit the receptor well and mimic NT, increases NT's availability or effectiveness (ex. meth and cocaine increase dopamine by preventing reuptake, anxiety meds, anti-depressants) |
| antagonists | fits the receptor poorly, blocks natural NTs by occupying the receptor site (ex. Antipsychotic drugs |
| adrenaline | hormone released by the adrenal glands in response to stress and excitement, prepares the body for fight or flight, increases heart rate and energy |
| melatonin | hormone that regulates the sleep cycle |
| oxytocin | when released is a key factor in love, bonding, trust, empathy, and social connection, helps people feel close to others and happy, physical touch releases oxytocin |
| leptin | hormone produced by fat cells that signals the brain about energy storage and fullness, manages hunger |
| ghrelin | hormone produced in the stomach that stimulates hunger, tells the brain when it's time to eat, regulates energy balance and metabolism |
| norepinephrine | hormone that regulates the body's stress response, triggers fight or flight, controls alertness and arousal |
| endorphins | a natural painkiller that is released by the pituitary gland, temporarily causes you to not feel pain during exercise or excitement, makes you feel happy |
| serotonin | a hormone synthesized by the gut, comes from protein-rich foods like eggs and turkey, makes you feel happy, depression meds mimic natural serotonin |
| dopamine | hormone made in the adrenal glands, influences movement, learning, emotion (happiness), and attention, mood booster, stimulates feelings of reward |
| glutamate | primary excitatory NT in the CNS, increases neuron signal firing, involved in memory |
| GABA | calms the nervous activity in the CNS and blocks excessive signals (inhibitory) |
| substance P | regulates pain, inflammation, and stress, notifies that there is pain and needs to be taken care of so it doesn't get worse |
Created by:
ts2819