intro.pdf Flashcards
(111 cards)
1
Q
What do circadian rhythms relate to?
A
Brain circuits for information
2
Q
What do learning and reward systems illustrate?
A
Inference, emotion, memory, predictions
3
Q
Do we use all neurons in our brains?
A
Yes, all are used
4
Q
What do neurons exchange?
A
Electrical signals
5
Q
Which animals share similarities with human nervous systems?
A
Roundworms, fruit flies, etc.
6
Q
What does the nervous system do?
A
Communicates with body systems
7
Q
How many people will face a neurological or psychiatric condition?
A
One in four
8
Q
What types of conditions are mentioned?
A
Alzheimer’s disease, depression
9
Q
What is the role of neurons?
A
Communicate and relay messages
10
Q
How do neurons communicate?
A
Electrical and chemical signals
11
Q
What happens when you stub your toe?
A
Sensory neurons create action potentials
12
Q
What bridges the gap between two neurons?
A
Chemical message
13
Q
What is the gap between neurons called?
A
Synapse
14
Q
What can chemical messengers trigger in the receiving neuron?
A
Second action potential
15
Q
What can happen to a signal when a chemical messenger blunts transmission?
A
Quelling the message
16
Q
What happens with repeated activity in synapses?
A
Synapse grows stronger
17
Q
What do neurons learn to do?
A
Pass on important messages
18
Q
How do our brains learn?
A
Adapt to changing world
19
Q
What are neurons responsible for?
A
Thoughts, actions, feelings
20
Q
What do sensory circuits do?
A
Carry signals to brain
21
Q
What do motor circuits send?
A
Commands to muscles
22
Q
What do simple circuits carry out?
A
Automatic reflexes
23
Q
What do complex circuits handle?
A
Memory and decision-making
24
Q
When do the circuits in the brain arise?
A
Before birth
25
What is the process of the brain changing called?
Plasticity
26
When do most brain changes occur?
Childhood
27
How does learning a new skill or language affect the brain?
Strengthens/weakens connections
28
What happens to the brain after injury or disease?
Rerouting connections
29
Can the brain create new neurons?
Yes, but slowly
30
What process eliminates extra neurons in the brain?
Synaptic pruning
31
How many neurons does the human brain have?
86 billion
32
What helps preserve unused neurons?
Physical and mental exercise
33
What does the brain combine to paint a picture of the world?
All available information
34
How does the brain make sense of the assembled picture?
Inference and instinct
35
What are emotions in the context of the brain's functions?
Value judgments
36
What is the brain's role in consciousness?
Integrates sensory inputs, stores memories, and plans for the future.
37
How does the brain process memories?
Associates pictures with feelings.
38
What abilities does the brain gain from combining different functions?
Predicts future events, calculates next moves, and devises plans.
39
What makes humans special in communication?
Talent for talking
40
Which brain structure is key for human language?
Cerebral cortex
41
What brain lobes are involved in language circuits?
Temporal, parietal, frontal
42
What do circuits in the brain help us do?
Generate words and sounds
43
When are our brains primed to learn language?
From birth
44
What does language enable us to do?
Trade ideas and information
45
What has language contributed to?
Human culture and inventions
46
How much electricity does the brain run on?
25 watts
47
How many different types of neurons are in the brain?
Nearly 10,000
48
What drives us to understand our world?
Curiosity
49
What has the study of neuroscience allowed us to learn?
Neurons and their functions
50
What insights have come from neuroscience?
Helped solve human problems
51
What treatments have been developed from neuroscience?
Pain and Parkinson's disease
52
What do depression and Alzheimer’s disease have in common?
Both reveal brain secrets
53
How many people are affected by neurological and psychiatric conditions worldwide?
One in four people
54
What do neurological and psychiatric conditions cause more of than other diseases?
More total disability
55
What do neuroscientists study?
Biology of nerves and brain
56
How much is estimated leached from the U.S. economy?
$1.5 trillion
57
What is the goal of neuroscientists?
Find treatment or cure
58
What is the process used to approve new medicines?
Testing for safety and effectiveness
59
How long have researchers been using this process to fight neurological disorders?
Decades
60
What was the result in the 1950s and '60s?
L-dopa for Parkinson's disease
61
What is a neural rosette?
Model of developing brain
62
What do precursor cells do?
Create new neurons and glia
63
What do the red rings represent?
Connections between precursor cells
64
How do newborn cells move?
Radiate out using scaffolding
65
What can scientists observe with this model?
Developing human brain processes
66
What does the brain contain?
Billions of neurons
67
What functions does the brain perform?
Processes movements, thoughts, emotions, memories
68
Can the brain perform multiple tasks simultaneously?
Yes
69
What is the largest part of the human brain?
Cerebrum
70
How many hemispheres is the cerebrum divided into?
Two
71
What connects the two cerebral hemispheres?
Corpus callosum
72
What is the surface layer of the cerebrum called?
Cerebral cortex
73
What do the deep folds of the cerebral cortex increase?
Area for neurons
74
What do neuroscientists use to identify regions of the cerebrum?
Deepest divisions
75
Where are the frontal lobes located?
At the front above the eyes
76
Functions of frontal lobes?
Movement, speech, memory
77
What are higher cognitive skills?
Planning, problem-solving
78
Where are the parietal lobes located?
Top, behind frontal lobes
79
What do the occipital lobes process?
Visual information
80
What are the occipital lobes responsible for?
Recognizing colors and shapes
81
Where are the temporal lobes located?
Sides of the brain
82
What type of information do the temporal lobes interpret?
Auditory information
83
What is the function of the hippocampus?
Encodes new memories
84
What does the amygdala integrate?
Memory and emotion
85
What system are the hippocampus and amygdala part of?
Limbic system
86
What does the thalamus do?
Integrates sensory information
87
What does the hypothalamus send through the pituitary gland?
Hormonal signals
88
What makes up the forebrain?
Structures + cerebral cortex
89
Where is the midbrain located?
Beneath the thalamus
90
What does the midbrain coordinate?
Eye movements and reflexes
91
What triggers the startled jump?
Loud noise
92
What types of movements does the midbrain help inhibit?
Unwanted body movements
93
What types of control does the midbrain manage?
Fine motor control
94
What do the basal ganglia help regulate?
Complex body movements
95
What roles does the hindbrain play?
Glucose regulation and sleep
96
Where is the cerebellum located?
Underneath occipital lobe
97
What is the cerebellum's significance in brain volume?
Second-largest part
98
What percentage of the brain's neurons are in the cerebellum?
Over half
99
What is one function of the cerebellum?
Coordinates voluntary movements
100
What is another role of the cerebellum?
Learns new motor skills
101
What type of perception does the cerebellum help with?
Spatial and temporal perception
102
What can a patient with cerebellar damage exhibit?
Jerky, arrhythmic gait
103
What might a patient struggle to do with cerebellar damage?
Touch finger to nose
104
What part of the brain influences breathing and posture?
Pons
105
Which part of the hindbrain connects the brain to the spinal cord?
Medulla
106
What functions does the medulla help control?
Swallowing, heart rate, breathing
107
What three parts make up the brainstem?
Midbrain, pons, medulla
108
What is the frontal lobe responsible for?
Attention, planning, decision-making
109
What is the temporal lobe associated with?
Language, memory, emotion
110
What does the parietal lobe integrate?
Senses information
111
What is the occipital lobe responsible for?
Vision
