CHAPTER 9; MECHANISM OF MEMORY FORMATION Flashcards
What are neurons generally comprised of?
Dendrites, the soma and the axon.
What are Dendrites?
Tree-like looking part of the neuron. Its function is to receive information from other neurons.
What is the Soma?
The cell body. The Soma controls the metabolism and maintenance of the cell.
What is the Axon?
A nerve fibre that carries information away from the some toward cells that communicate with the neuron.
What us a synapse?
The junction between two neurons where the end of the axon of the presynaptic neuron comes into close proximity with the receptor sites on the dendrites of a postsynaptic neuron.
What are neurotransmitters?
a chemical that is produced by the end of each axons terminal buttons.
What are the effects of serotonin? (neurotransmitter)
regulates mood. Eating, sleep, arousal, pain.
What are the effects of Acetylcholine? (neurotransmitter)
Memory and memory loss, leaning Muscle movement Activates cerebral cortex REM sleep Hippocampus
What are the effects of Dopamine? (neurotransmitter)
Facilitates movement, attention, learning, reinforcement.
What are the effects of Glutamate? (neurotransmitter)
Necessary for the changes in synapses that occur with memory formation
What are the effects of Adrenalin? (hormone)
triggers physiological arousal
What are the effects of Cortisol? (hormone)
Repairs the body
What is consolidation?
the permanent storage of a memory
What is retrograde amnesia?
difficulty in recalling previously stored memories. Usually involves the loss of memories from a period before the time when the persons brain was damaged.
What is anterograde amnesia?
inability to encode and store new memories. Typically people can retrieve memories they had prior to the trauma but cannot learn anything new.
