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PSYCH 3 - Neurobiolo

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Term
Definition
neuroanatomy   the study of the parts and functions of neurons  
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neuron   individual nerve cell  
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dendrites   rootlike parts that stretch out from the cell body that make synaptic connections with other neurons  
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soma   also known as the cell body; contains the nucleus and has a -70 charge.  
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axon   wirelike structure that extends from the soma and ends at the terminal buttons  
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myelin sheath   a fatty covering around the axon that speeds neural impulses.  
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terminal buttons   the branched end of an axon that contains neurotransmitters inside the vesicles.  
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neurotransmitters   chemicals located in vesicles that enable neurons to communicate.  
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synapse   the space between the terminal buttons of one neuron and the dendrites of another neuron  
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receptor sites   puzzle like pieces located on the ends of dendrites that neurotransmitters fit into to cause a change in the membrane of the neuron.  
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threshold   when enough neurotransmitters are received to open the selectively permeable membrane of a neuron.  
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action potential   a change in charge that causes the electric message to fire  
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all or none principle   a neuron either fires completely or it does not fire at all.  
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neural firing   when a nerve impulse is sent out from a cell body and reaches a certain threshold, the action potential will fire and send the signal down the axon.  
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excitatory neurotransmitters   neurotransmitters that excite the next cell into firing  
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inhibitory neurotransmitters   neurotransmitters that inhibit or stop the next cell from firing  
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acetylcholine   neurotransmitter that serves the function of muscle memory and memory. deficit results in Alzheimer's  
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dopamine   neurotransmitter that serves the function of mood and muscle memory. deficit results in Parkinson's and excess results in schizophrenia  
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endorphins   neurotransmitter that serves the function of alleviating pain. really addictive.  
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serotonin   neurotransmitter that serves the function of mood control, deficit results in clinical depression.  
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GABA   neurotransmitter that serves the function of sleep control. deficit results in sleep problems. this neurotransmitter begins to inhibit after 5 hours of not being exposed to light.  
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Glutamate   neurotransmitter that serves the functions of being excitatory and learning. deficits can result in migraines and seizures.  
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Oxytocin   neurotransmitter that serves the function of nurturing a newborn, and mother's love. deficit can result in post-partum depression when the levels of this are low or nonexistent.  
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Norepinephrine   neurotransmitter that serves the function of energy and alertness. deficit can result in depression.  
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afferent (sensory) neurons   neurons that receive information from the senses and deliver information to the brain.  
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efferent (motor) neurons   neurons that take information from the brain to other parts of the body to make the body move.  
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central nervous system   system consists of all the nerves housed in bone including the skull and vertebrae.  
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spinal cord   long bundle of nerves that extend from the brain through the spinal column of bone.  
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peripheral nervous system   system consists of all the nerves in the rest of the body excluding those contained in bones.  
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somatic nervous system   system that controls all voluntary muscle movements and receives impulses from the motor cortex.  
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autonomic nervous system   system that controls all automatic functions such as the heart, lungs, organs, glands and reflects these functions in times of fight or flight  
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sympathetic nervous system   system that mobilizes our body to respond to stress, is the alert system of the body and can accelerate some automatic functions and reserve others.  
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parasympathetic nervous system   system that slows down the sympathetic n.s. and the body after a stress response.  
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accidents   events that weren't meant to reveal information about how the brain works. example: Phineas Gage's event.  
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lesions   removal or destruction of the brain when necessary. example: frontal lobotomies.  
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EEG   scan that detects brain waves in different stages of consciousness mostly used in sleep research to learn more about the stages of sleeping and dreaming.  
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CAT   a sophisticated X-ray that creates a 3D image of the brain to get more insight on only the structure of the brain. example: look for a tumor  
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MRI   similar to a CAT scan but develops more detailed images of the brain with magnetic fields to determine things such as density and location of brain material.  
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PET   scan that lets people see what areas of the brain are active during certain tasks and measures how much of a chemical (neurotransmitter) is being used in a specific part of brain.  
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fMRI   a scan that combines elements of a MRI and a PET scan and can tie brain structure and brain activity together.  
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Hindbrain   part of the brain located on the top of the spinal cord and controls the basic biological functions and is the life support system  
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Medulla   part of hindbrain that controls blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing.  
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Pons   part of the hindbrain that connects the hindbrain with the mid and forebrain and controls facial expressions.  
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Cerebellum   part of the hindbrain that means "little brain" and coordinates habitual muscle movements.  
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Midbrain   the smallest of the parts of brain that coordinates simple movements with sensory information.  
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Reticular formation   part of the midbrain that controls body arousal and ability to focus. without it functioning we would fall into a deep coma  
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Forebrain   the part of the brain that controls thought and reason and makes humans "human"  
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Thalamus   part of the forebrain responsible for receiving sensory information and sending it to the appropriate areas of the brain.  
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Hypothalamus   part of the forebrain responsible for controlling body temp, libido, hunger, thirst, and the endocrine system.  
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Amygdala   part of the forebrain connected to the hippocampus. responsible for experiences of emotion  
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Hippocampus   part of the forebrain connected with the amygdala that is vital to our memory system by processing memories first before they enter the cerebral cortex  
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Limbic system   part of the brain involved with our behavioral and emotional responses, most are needed for survival such as feeding, reproduction, caring for young, and fight or flight responses.  
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Cerebral cortex   the gray wrinkled surface that is super thin and made up of densely packed neurons.  
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Hemispheres   the two divisions of the cerebral cortex containing the left and right.  
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Left hemisphere   hemisphere of the cerebral cortex responsible for controlling motor functions of the right side of the body and believed to be used for logic and sequential thinking.  
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Right hemisphere   hemisphere of the cerebral cortex responsible for controlling motor functions of the left side of body and believed to be for spacial and creative tasks.  
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Hemispheric specialization   specialization in the functions of each hemisphere.  
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corpus callosum   the bundle of nerve fibers that connects the two hemispheres of the cerebral cortex and allows each hemisphere to send signals and communicate with the other.  
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lobes   a collection of different areas and specific cortices.  
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association area   any area of the cerebral cortex that is not associated with receiving sensory information and controlling motor movements  
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frontal lobes   consists of the prefrontal cortex that directs thought processes such as emotional control, and contains Broca's area.  
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broca's area   part of the frontal lobe that controls the muscles involved in producing language or speech  
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wernicke's area   part of the temporal lobe that interprets written and spoken speech. problems with this area can affect the ability to understand language and syntax.  
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motor cortex   located in the frontal lobe and sends signals to muscles by controlling voluntary movements.  
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parietal lobes   lobe located on top of brain behind the frontal lobe that contains the sensory cortex  
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sensory cortex   cortex that receives sensations from the rest of the body.  
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occipital lobes   lobe located at the back of the brain which is responsible for interpreting messages from the retinas of our eyes. contains the visual cortex.  
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temporal lobes   lobe located on the sides of the brain that receive impulses that are interpreted by the auditory cortices. contains the wernicke's area.  
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brain plasticity   the ability of neurons to adapt and take over other functions if another area is damaged. younger brains are more likely to compensate damage.  
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endocrine system   system of glands that secrete hormones and is controlled by the hypothalamus.  
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adrenal glands   glands that secrete adrenaline.  
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monozygotic twins   identical twins that developed from one fertilized egg and have the same genetic DNA  
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