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Psych 102 > Chapter 3 > Flashcards

Chapter 3 Flashcards

1
Q

What are neurons?

A

Brain cells, specialized in communication with each other

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2
Q

What is the cell body?

A

Center of neuron; builds new cell components

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3
Q

What are dendrites?

A

Branchlike extension that receive information from other neurons

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4
Q

What are the axons?

A

“Tails” of the neuron that spread out from the cell body and transmit information

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5
Q

What is the axon terminal?

A

Knob at the end of the axon containing synaptic vesicles filled with neurotransmitters

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6
Q

What are neurotransmitters (NTs)?

A

Chemical messengers that allow neuron to neuron communication

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7
Q

What is the synapse?

A

Space between neurons through which NTs travel

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8
Q

What is the synaptic vesicles?

A

Spherical sac containing neurotransmitters; travel the length of the axon to get to the axon terminal

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9
Q

What is the synaptic cleft?

A

Specific area of the gap in which neurotransmitters are released from the axon terminal

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10
Q

What are Glial cells?

A

Cells that are plentiful in the brain(Glue). 2 main types: Astrocytes and Oligodendrocytes

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11
Q

What are Astrocytes?

A

star shaped, abundant; increase reliability of neuronal transmission (communication); control blood flow to brain; development of embryos; found in blood-brain barrier (brains protective shield)

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12
Q

What are Oligodendrocytes?

A

Promotes new connections, healing, and produce the myelin sheath around axons

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13
Q

What is resting potential?

A

When there are not NTs acting on a neuron; more negative particles inside than outside the neuron

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14
Q

What is the threshold?

A

The membrane potential necessary to trigger an action potential

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15
Q

What is action potential?

A

Occurs when there is enough of a charge inside the neuron (threshold)

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16
Q

What is the absolute refractory period?

A

Time during which another action potential is impossible; limits maximal firing rate

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17
Q

What is graded potentials?

A

Postsynaptic potentials that can be excitatory or inhibitory depending on whether positively or negatively charged particles flow across the neutral membrane and in which direction they flow

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18
Q

What is excitatory postsynaptic potential? (EPSP)

A

Graded potential in a dendrite that is caused by excitatory synaptic transmission

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19
Q

What is inhibitory postsynaptic potential? (IPSP)

A

Graded potential in a dendrite that is caused by inhibitory synaptic transmission

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20
Q

What is electrical neurotransmission?

A

Communication inside neurons

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21
Q

What is chemical neurotransmission?

A

Communication between neurons

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22
Q

What are receptor sites?

A

Location that uniquely recognizes a neurotransmitter

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23
Q

What is reuptake?

A

Means of recycling neurotransmitters

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24
Q

What is Glutamate?

A

Associated with learning and memory;
An excitatory NTs and inreases the chance neurons will communicate;
Toxic in high doses, may contribute to schizophrenia and other mental disorders

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25
Q

What is GABA?

A

Associated with learning and memory;

An inhibitory NTs and dampers neural activity

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26
Q

What is Acetylcholine?

A

Influences arousal, selective attention, sleep and memory;

Neurons that connect to muscles release acetylcholine to trigger movement

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27
Q

What are Monamines?

A

Norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin and only contain one amino acid

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28
Q

What is Norepinephrine?

A

Controls brain arousal, mood, hunger and sleep

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29
Q

What is Dopamine?

A

Controls motor function and reward system

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30
Q

What is Serotonin

A

Controls mood, temp regulation, aggression and sleep cycles

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31
Q

What are Anandamides?

A

Influences eating, motivation, memory and sleep;

Binds to same receptors as THC

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32
Q

What are Neuropeptides?

A

Human made opioids act on the endorphin system;

Some neuropeptides regulate hunger, others learning and memory

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33
Q

What are psychoactive drugs?

A

Target the production or inhibition of certain NTs and impact mood, arousal, or behavior

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34
Q

What are opiates?

A

Mimic endorphins and increase activity

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35
Q

What are Antagonists?

A

Decrease activity, like dopamine blockers for schizophrenia

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36
Q

What are neural plasticity?

A

Plasticity describes the nervous systems ability to change

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37
Q

What is neurogenesis?

A

Creation of new neurons in the adult brain

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38
Q

What is the central nervous system (CNS)?

A

Sensory information comes into and decisions come out of

39
Q

What is the peripheral nervous system (PNS)?

A

The nerves outside the CNS

40
Q

What is cerebral ventricles?

A

Fluid-filled pockets, also serve to protect the CNS

41
Q

What is cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)?

A

A clear liquid, running through ventricles

42
Q

What is the cerebral cortex?

A

The forebrain is the most developed area of the human brain, giving us our advanced intellectual abilities

43
Q

What is the frontal lobe?

A

Performs executive functioning such as motor function, language, memory

44
Q

What is the prefrontal cortex?

A

Responsible for thinking, planning, and language

45
Q

What is the Broca’s area?

A

Language area in the prefrontal cortex that helps to control speech production

46
Q

What is the parietal lobe?

A

Upper middle part of the cerebral cortex specialized for touch and perception

47
Q

What is the temporal lobe?

A

Lower part of the cerebral cortex, plays a role in hearing, understanding language, and storing autobiographical memories

48
Q

What is the Wernicke’s area?

A

Responsible for understanding speech

49
Q

What is the occipital lobe?

A

Back part of cerebral cortex specialized for vision

50
Q

What are cortical hierarchies?

A

When sensory information enters the brain, it first goes to that sense’s primary sensory cortex, then to the association cortex; processing becomes increasingly complex as information is passed up the network

51
Q

What is the Basal Ganglia?

A

Forebrain structure that helps control movement;
Allows us to perform movements to obtain rewards and reinforcement;
Damage can contribute to Parkinson’s disease

52
Q

What is the Limbic system?

A

The emotional centre of the brain that also has a role in smell, motivation, and memory

53
Q

What is the hypothalamus?

A

Regulates and controls internal bodily states; controls the pituitary gland

54
Q

What is the thalamus?

A

Relays information from the sense organs to primary sensory cortex

55
Q

What is the amygdala?

A

Plays key role in fear, excitement and arousal

56
Q

What is the hippocampus?

A

Plays a role in spatial memory; damage causes inability to form new memories

57
Q

What is the brain stem?

A

Located at the back of the brain, connecting the cerebral cortex and spinal cord and performs some basic bodily functions

58
Q

What is the reticular activating system?

A

Connects the forebrain and cerebral cortex and plays key role in arousal;
Damage can result in a coma

59
Q

What is the midbrain?

A

Contributes to movement, tracking of visual stimuli, and reflexes triggered by sound

60
Q

What is the hindbrain?

A

Below the midbrain, contains cerebellum, pons, and medulla

61
Q

What is the cerebellum?

A

Plays a predominant role in our sense of balance and enables us to coordinate movement and learn motor skills

62
Q

What is the pons?

A

Connects cortex to cerebellum and triggers dreams

63
Q

What is the medulla?

A

Regulates breathing, heartbeat, and other vital functions;

Damage to Medulla can result in brain death

64
Q

What is the spinal cord?

A

The thick bundle of nerves that conveys signals between the brain and the body

65
Q

What are interneurons?

A

Neuron that sends messages to other neurons

66
Q

What is the somatic nervous system?

A

Conveys information from the CNS to the muscles in the body, controlling and coordinating voluntary movement

67
Q

What is the automatic nervous system?

A

Controls the involuntary actions of our internal organs and glands; has two divisions

68
Q

What is the sympathetic nervous system?

A

Division is engaged during a crisis or after actions requiring fight or flight

69
Q

What is the parasympathetic nervous system?

A

Division controls rest and digestion

70
Q

What is the endocrine system?

A

Is a system of glands and hormones controlling the secretion of blood-borne chemical messengers (Hormones)

71
Q

What are hormones?

A

Molecules that influence particular organs and also help regulate emotions

72
Q

What is the pituitary gland?

A

Releases hormones that influence growth, blood pressure, and other functions

73
Q

What is oxytocin?

A

Released by pituitary gland, responsible for number of reproductive functions and plays role in maternal and romantic love

74
Q

What are the adrenal glands?

A

Releases adrenaline and cortisol during states of emotional arousal; located on top of kidneys

75
Q

What is cortisol?

A

Regulates blood pressure and cardiovascular function, as well as the use of proteins, carbohydrates and fats

76
Q

What is adrenaline?

A

Boosts energy production in muscle cells, restricts it in others

77
Q

What are the sexual reproductive glands?

A

Testes in males and ovaries in females;

Both sexes manufacture testosterone and estrogen

78
Q

What is phrenology?

A

Study of skull size, weight and shape of cranium

79
Q

What is electroencephalograph?

A

Measures electrical activity via electrodes placed on the skull;
Can tell which regions of the brain are active during specific tasks

80
Q

What is neuroimaging?

A

Techniques which allow us to see brain structure, function or both

81
Q

What is computed tomography (CT)?

A

Uses multiple X-rays to construct three-dimensional images

82
Q

What is magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)?

A

Uses magnetic fields to indirectly visualize brain structure

83
Q

What is positron emission tomography (PET)?

A

Measures consumption of glucose-like molecules to give a picture of neural activity

84
Q

What is functional MRI (fMRI)?

A

Uses magnetic fields to visualize brain activity

85
Q

What is transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)?

A

Applies strong and quickly changing magnetic fields to the surface of the skull that can either enhance or interrupt brain function

86
Q

What is magnetoencephalography (MEG)?

A

Measures tiny magnetic fields generated by the brain

87
Q

What is behavioral adaption?

A

Some organisms have adaptations that make them better suited to their environment

88
Q

What is fitness?

A

Survive and reproduce at higher rates than other organisms

89
Q

What is natural selection?

A

Adaptations then have a higher frequency in the population

90
Q

What is the corpus callosum?

A

Connects the 2 hemispheres, allowing communication between them

91
Q

What are chromosomes?

A

Inside each cell’s nucleus that carry genes; humans have 46, 23 from each parents

92
Q

What is genotype?

A

Set of genes we have; can be dominant or recessive

93
Q

What is phenotype?

A

Observable traits

94
Q

What is heritability?

A

Percentage of the variability in a trait across individuals that due to genes

Psych 102 (7 decks)

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