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General Psychology > Chapter 2 part 3 > Flashcards

Chapter 2 part 3 Flashcards

nerve cells and their messages

1
Q

how is the neuron different from other cells in the body?

A

it is specialized for communication

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2
Q

what is a neuron?

A

a specialized cell of the nervous system

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3
Q

what is a neuron used for?

A

detecting information, transmitting information, and affecting muscles and glands

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4
Q

what is the soma of the neuron?

A

the round part that contains everything a regular human cell would (nucleus, mitochondria, etc.)

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5
Q

what is the name for the cell body of the neuron?

A

the soma

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6
Q

what do dendrites look like?

A

tree branches at the beginning of the neuron

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7
Q

what does the axon look like?

A

the long tube in the middle of the neuron

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8
Q

what do terminal buttons look like?

A

the little balls at the end of the neuron

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9
Q

what do dendrites do?

A

receive messages from neighboring neurons or the outside world

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10
Q

if a dendrite receives a message from a neuron, what does it usually consist of?

A

neurotransmitters (chemicals)

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11
Q

in what situation is there more dendrites than normal?

A

in a part of the brain where no chemical messages can be missed

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12
Q

in what situation is there less dendrites than normal?

A

in a part of the brain that doesn’t receive many messages

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13
Q

what happens to the neurons in a part of the brain that is being used more often

A

they can grow new spines

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14
Q

use it or lose it

A

use the pathway and grow neurons or don’t and the brain gets rid of the pathway and sometimes the neurons (like pruning trees, we need to prune the smaller branches so the big healthy ones can keep growing)

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15
Q

axon

A

conducts nerve impulse from the cell body to distant location -> carries the electrical impulse

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16
Q

myelin sheath

A

increases speed and efficiency of nerve impulse

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17
Q

how do axons look?

A

they can be short or as long as your body, some are wide tubes and others are skinny

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18
Q

what does myelin sheath look like?

A

pellet covering that wraps around sections of axon, looks white

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19
Q

what is myelin sheath made out of?

A

lipids (fat)

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20
Q

how does myelin sheath increase speed and efficiency?

A

it wraps around sections of the axon to insulate it and protect the axon from interference (like the plastic covering on a wire)

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21
Q

terminal buttons

A

release chemical messages (neurotransmitters) onto neighboring dendrites

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22
Q

when are neurons active?

A

all the time

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23
Q

electrochemical transmission

A

communication from nerve cell to nerve cell

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24
Q

how does a neuron generate electricity?

A

using charged particles called ions

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25
what is cerebral spinal fluid?
the liquid our brains float it, it has ions and tastes salty
26
where do electrical signals ALWAYS start?
the cell body
27
where do electrical signals ALWAYS end?
terminal buttons
28
the inside of a neuron is more _________ than cerebral spinal fluid
negatively charged
29
the cerebral spinal fluid is more ________ than the inside of a neuron
positively charged
30
iNside
negative
31
outside
positive
32
what happens when the axon membrane won't let sodium (Na) in?
Na lines up on the outside of the membrane
33
why does Na want in the axon?
because the inside of the neuron is more negatively charged than the cerebral spinal fluid, and Na is a positive ion
34
what is already inside the axon when it is at rest?
potassium (K)
35
what are the holes in the membrane for?
they sometimes allow ions to go in and out of the axon
36
when are the channels closed?
when the neuron is at rest and the inside is more negative than the outside
37
membrane potential
difference in charge (voltage) across a cell membrane
38
resting membrane potential
-70 millivolts (more negative than outside the membrane)
39
threshold
minimum amount of stimulation necessary to open channels and trigger the neural impulse
40
after stimulation and a channel opens ->
sodium (Na) rushes in the cell and potassium (K) is also positive so it rushes out, this is enough stimulation to open the next channel (and so on for all the other channels in the membrane)
41
what really is the electrical signal?
the exchange of Na and K along the axon
42
action potential
brief wave of positive electrical charge that sweeps down the axon
43
action potential is defined by what?
sodium
44
during the refractory period, the inside of the cell is __________
more negative than when it is at rest for a short period of time (milliseconds)
45
refractory period
after a neuron fires, there is a period of time where it cannot fire again
46
what happens during the refractory period?
pumps in the membrane work to pump K in and Na out to bring the neuron back to resting potential (basically resetting the neuron)
47
can a neuron fire during the refractory period?
no
48
all-or-none law
if threshold is reached, a full action potential occurs. if threshold is not attained, then no action potential will occur
49
what is the basic definition of the all-or-none law?
a neuron either fires or doesn't fire. like a gun, it can't half go off, it can only go off or not
50
when a neuron is fired, is it fired exactly the same everytime?
yes, because it can only fire or not
51
do neurons typically touch?
no, there is always a gap between them
52
synapse
the gap between neurons
53
are terminal buttons specialized?
yes, they only can squirt out one type of neurotransmitter
54
what happens when the action potential reaches the end of the axon?
it triggers a reaction in the terminal buttons that makes them squirt out neurotransmitters into the synapse
55
synaptic vesicles
store neurotransmitters in sacs (package them in bags)
56
where are receptors located?
on the dendrites
57
neurotransmitters
chemical messages
58
what do receptors do?
receive neurotransmitters
59
can a neurotransmitter open more than one receptor?
yes, because they are reusable
60
does every neurotransmitter have a different shaped molecule?
yes, and their receptors are shaped specifically for them (like locks and keys)
61
can a dopamine molecule go in a serotonin receptor?
no, because they aren't the same shape (the key doesn't fit into the lock)
62
chain reaction process
dendrites --> cell body --> axon --> terminal buttons --> neurotransmitter release --> dendrites --> cell body --> axon --> etc.
63
excitatory synapse
when neuron A releases neurotransmitters onto neuron B, neuron B will be more likely to fire
64
inhibitory synapse
when neuron A releases neurotransmitters onto neuron B, neuron B will stop firing or is less likely to fire
65
what happens when neurons fire out of control?
a seizure, this is why we need inhibitory and excitatory synapses
66
how do we eliminate the neurotransmitter from the synapse after is has done its job?
enzymatic degradation and reuptake
67
enzymatic degradation
enzymes in cerebral spinal fluid that destroy neurotransmitters. every neurotransmitter has a specific enzyme that destroys it
68
reuptake
neurotransmitters are pulled back into terminal buttons and get repackaged and reused (like putting your key in back in your pocket and pulling it out the next time you need it)
69
endogenous
made inside your body
70
exogenous
made outside of your body from plants in labs to mimic endogenous chemicals
71
7 most popular neurotransmitters
acetylcholine, dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine, glutamate, GABA, endorphins
72
very 1st neurochemical ever discovered
acetylcholine
73
acetylcholine
involved in movement, learning, and memory
74
MUST have to move any muscle in your body
acetylcholine
75
how snake and spider venoms paralyze prey
they block acetylcholine
76
how does botox work?
it blocks acetylcholine in injection areas so you can't move the muscles and create wrinkles
77
abbreviation for acetylcholine
ACh
78
dopamine
involved in movement, attention, short-term memory, planning, and reward
79
how does Parkinson's work?
it is a disruption in dopamine pathways that won't let sufferers from the disease move
80
what happens when you get a squirt of dopamine
you feel compelled to do that behavior again
81
when do we get a squirt of dopamine?
when we do something good for our species (eating, drinking, sex, etc.)
82
how does dopamine create a pathway to addiction
when we do specific drugs, we get a hit of dopamine and we feel compelled to use those drugs again
83
abbreviation for dopamine
DA
84
what does cocaine do to our brains involving neurotransmitters
it makes more dopamine available than our brains are used to
85
why is meth so addictive?
because it makes more dopamine available than any other drug
86
serotonin
involved in sleep, mood, and eating
87
abbreviation for serotonin
5-HT
88
how do antidepressants work?
they block reuptake so serotonin stays in the synapse longer so it can open more locks --> enhances the serotonin level in the synapse
89
how does MDMA (ecstasy) work?
it enhances serotonin and elevates mood
90
why is MDMA (ecstasy) not used as an antidepressant?
it can kill neurons
91
norepinephrine
involved in attention and arousal
92
epinephrine
adrenalin and is only in peripheral nervous system)
93
abbreviation for norepinephrine
NE
94
what does norepinephrine do?
when we are scared / excited, the brain releases NE and we become more vigilant (similar to adrenalin)
95
when do we have the base level of NE?
when we are awake
96
when do we have lower levels of norepinephrine?
when we are asleep
97
what neurotransmitters are also amino acids?
glutamate and GABA
98
glutamate
primary excitatory neurotransmitter
99
what happens when glutamate is released?
neurons start firing
100
what happens when glutamate is released in the amygdala?
we feel very anxious
101
GABA
primary inhibitory neurotransmitter
102
there is more of these two neurotransmitters than any other in the brain
GABA and glutamate
103
what happens when GABA is released?
neurons go silent
104
what happens when GABA is released in the amygdala?
we become very relaxed
105
anxiety meds (benzos) enhance which neurotransmitter?
GABA
106
we take drugs that enhance ________ and inhibit _________
GABA ; glutamate
107
endorphins
involved in pain inhibition and pleasure
108
endogenous opiods
modulates pain
109
do endorphins enhance or inhibit pain?
inhibit
110
why are endorphin drugs so addictive?
they open pathways to dopamine, which then compels us to continue the behavior
111
how do opiates (narcotics) work?
they mimic endorphins for when we're in pain by inhibiting pain and the medulla
112
does our brain constantly release endorphins?
yes, because we experience everyday wear and tear

General Psychology (23 decks)

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