Neuroscience Flashcards
(51 cards)
brainstem
part of the brain that contains the medulla, pons, and midbrain
pons
relays information from cerebellum to the rest of the brain
axon terminal (synaptic terminal)
contains synaptic vesicles that contain neurotransmitters
resting potential
the measure of the electrical charge across a neural membrane when the neuron is not processing information (nothing is flowing in or out of the cell)
action potential
when he electrical charge inside the neuron reaches a high enough level relative to the outside
cerebellum
participates in skilled movement and complex cognitive processing
midbrain
lies between the pons and the cerebral hemispheres
reticular formation
a collection of structures located along the midline of the brainstem
basal ganglia
involved with voluntary movements
nucleus accumbent
involved with addiction and reward
broca’s area
area of the brain involved in speech production
prefrontal cortex
involved with the planning of behavior, attention, and judgment
obitofrontal cortex
impulse control
parietal lobe
- primary somatosensory cortex
- touch
- pain
- skin temperature
peripheral nervous system (pns)
nerves exciting the cns that carry sensory and motor information to and from the rest of the body
somatic nervous system
voluntary and conscious control
sympathetic nervous system
- fight or flight
biological psychology
the scientific study of the reciprocal connections between the structure and activity of the nervous system and behavior and mental process
cell body
the large, central mass of a neuron, containing the nucleus
dendrites
a branch from the neural cell body that usually receives input from other neurons
axon
the branch of a neuron that is usually responsible for carrying information to other neurons
myelin sheath
- insulating material coverage of some actions
- speeds of the process of electrical messages
nodes of ranvier
- breaks in the myelin sheath
- electrical impulses jump from node to node, speeding the conduction of information down the axon
glial cells
nervous system cells that perform a variety of support functions, including formation of the blood-brain barrier and myelin