Nervous System and Brain

Question 1

Ablation

Answer 1

the surgical removal, destruction or cutting of tissue

Question 2

Autonomic nervous system (ANS)

Answer 2

Sub-Division of the PNS responsible for connecting the CNS and the body’s visceral (non-skeletal) organs, muscles and glands

Question 3

Axon

Answer 3

Long strand-like part of a neuron that conducts electrical impulses away from the cell body to the axon terminals of a neuron

Question 4

Axon terminals

Answer 4

the ends of a neuron that release a message into the synapse

Question 5

Brain

Answer 5

an organ contained in the skull that coordinates thought, behaviour and nervous system activity

Question 6

Brain versus heart debate

Answer 6

a historical debate surrounding whether the heart or the brain was responsible for thoughts, feelings, and behaviour

Question 7

Broca’s area

Answer 7

the area of the frontal lobe responsible for the production of speech

Question 8

Central nervous system (CNS)

Answer 8

the brain and spinal cord

Question 9

Cerebellum

Answer 9

the ball-like structure at the lower back of the brain behind the brain stem (HINDBRAIN), primarily involved in skeletal muscle movement, balance, and coordination

Question 10

Neocortex

Answer 10

the thin outer layer of the cerebrum

Question 11

Cerebrum

Answer 11

the outer cerebral cortex and inner tissue of the forebrain, responsible for a range of sophisticated functions (split into four lobes and two hemispheres)

Question 12

Computerised tomography (CT)

Answer 12

a STRUCTURAL neuroimaging technique that involves taking continuous two-dimensional x-ray images of a person’s brain or body in order to provide both two and three-dimensional images

Question 13

Contralateral functions

Answer 13

the role of each cerebral hemisphere to receive sensory information from, and control the movement of, the opposite side of the body

Question 14

Dendrites

Answer 14

the bushy spines of a neuron that receive a message

Question 15

Dualism

Answer 15

in the mind-body problem, the view that the mind and the body are separate and distinguishable things

Question 16

Electrical brain stimulation (EBS)

Answer 16

a research or therapeutic technique that involves electrically stimulating parts of the brain to then observe the relevant behavioural response

Question 17

Enteric Nervous System (ENS)

Answer 17

the ENS controls the digestive system and is directly connected to the CNS. The ENS consists of nerve cells (neurons) lining the gastrointestinal tract.

Question 18

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

Answer 18

a FUNCTIONAL neuroimaging technique that uses magnetic and radio fields to take two and three-dimensional images of the brain and its activity levels. Detects changes in oxygen levels and blood to show brain function (higher uptake of oxygen indicates greater brain activity)

Question 19

GABA (Gamma amino-butyric acid)

Answer 19

Inhibitory neurotransmitter: means it makes the post synaptic neuron less likely to fire an action potential. It slows neural transmission e.g reduces stress response

Question 20

Glutamate

Answer 20

Glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain. Makes post-synaptic neuron more likely to fire an action potential. Glutamate is therefore associated with Cognition, Memory, Learning, Behaviour, Movement

Question 21

Hemispheric specialisation

Answer 21

the idea that each of the brain’s cerebral hemispheres has its own specialisations

Question 22

Localisation of function

Answer 22

the psychological principle that suggests that different areas of the brain are responsible for different behaviours and mental processes

Question 23

Lock and Key process

Answer 23

The distinct molecular structure of the neurotransmitter being matched by the receptor site means that the receptor site will only respond to specific neurotransmitters and ignore others.

Question 24

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

Answer 24

a neuroimaging technique that uses magnetic and radio fields to take two and three-dimensional images of the brain

Question 25

Mind-body problem

Answer 25

a debate that questions whether our mind and body are separate and distinguishable things or whether they are the same thing

Question 26

Monism

Answer 26

in the mind-body problem, the view that the mind and the body are one and the same thing

Question 27

Motor messages

Answer 27

information about voluntary movement transmitted from the CNS to the skeletal muscles

Question 28

Myelin

Answer 28

the fat and protein substance that surrounds and insulates the axon of a neuron

Question 29

Myelination

Answer 29

the formation of myelin around the axons of neurons

Question 30

Nervous system

Answer 30

the complex network of specialised cells in the body that allows the communication of information around the body about the internal and external environment

Question 31

Neuroimaging

Answer 31

a range of techniques used to capture images of the brain’s structure, function and activities

Question 32

Neuron

Answer 32

a nerve cell responsible for transmitting, receiving, and processing information

Question 33

Neurotransmission

Answer 33

the process in which a neuron sends a message

Question 34

Parasympathetic nervous system

Answer 34

a branch of the ANS responsible for returning and maintaining the body’s visceral organs, muscles and glands at optimal and balanced functioning

Question 35

Peripheral nervous system (PNS)

Answer 35

all nerves outside the CNS, responsible for carrying information to and from the CNS

Question 36

Phrenology

Answer 36

the study of the shape and size of the human skull to determine personality and mental functioning

Question 37

Plasticity

Answer 37

the ability of the brain to physically change in response to experience and learning

Question 38

Positron emission tomography (PET)

Answer 38

a neuroimaging technique that uses a scanning device to take coloured images of the brain, showing its functional activity and structure by tracing the levels of a radioactive substance in the brain

Question 39

Postsynaptic neuron

Answer 39

the neuron that receives a message from the synapse

Question 40

Presynaptic neuron

Answer 40

the neuron that releases a message into the synapse

Question 41

Sensory messages

Answer 41

information about the body’s sensations transmitted from the PNS to the CNS

Question 42

Sensory receptors

Answer 42

the receptors on a neuron that specialise in receiving information about specific kinds of sensory stimuli

Question 43

Skeletal muscles

Answer 43

muscles connected to the skeleton that are involved in conscious, voluntary movement- utilised in the Somatic NS

Question 44

Somatic nervous system (SNS)

Answer 44

the branch of the PNS responsible for sending motor information from the CNS to the body’s skeletal muscles, and bringing sensory information from the body to the CNS in order to formulate voluntary responses

Question 45

Spinal cord

Answer 45

a long cable of nerve tissue connecting the brain to the peripheral nervous system, responsible for carrying motor information from the brain, and sensory information from the body

Question 46

Sympathetic nervous system

Answer 46

a branch of the ANS responsible for activating the body’s visceral organs, muscles, and glands for increased activity or when under threat

Question 47

Synapse

Answer 47

the area in which neurotransmission occurs between two neurons, **including the sending end of the presynaptic neuron, the gap between two neurons, and the receiving end of the postsynaptic neuron **

Question 48

Synaptic gap

Answer 48

the space between two neurons into which a neuronal message is transmitted