psychology and the brain - 9/22

Question 1

neurons

Answer 1

nerve cells

Question 2

glia

Answer 2

support neurons by insulating them, synchronizing activity, and removing waste product

Question 3

cell body

Answer 3

contains the nucleus of the cell

Question 4

dendrites

Answer 4

“tree”
widely branching structures that receive transmissions from other neurons

Question 5

axon

Answer 5

single, long, thin , straight fibers with branches near its tip
sends transmits information

Question 6

action potential

Answer 6

an excitation that travels along an axon at a constant strength no matter how far it must travel

Question 7

action potential in a nutshell

Answer 7

sodium enters the cell (excitation) and potassium leaves (return to resting potential)

Question 8

synapses

Answer 8

gaps between one neuron and another

Question 9

terminal bouton

Answer 9

presynaptic ending little bulge on the brances of an axon

Question 10

when an action potential reaches the terminal bouton…

Answer 10

it releases a neurotransmitter

Question 11

neurotransmitter

Answer 11

chemical that can activate receptors on other neurons

Question 12

agonist

Answer 12

a drug that boosts the effect of a neurotransmitter

Question 13

antagonist

Answer 13

a drug that block the effect of a neurotransmitter

Question 14

acetylcholine

Answer 14

• movement, attention, learning, emotion
• alzheimers disease
  -partial agonist

Question 15

serotonin

Answer 15

• mood, hunger, sleep, arousal
• low amounts are linked to depression
• antagonist

Question 16

norepinephrine

Answer 16

• controls alertness and arousal
• low amounts can depress mood

Question 17

central nervous system

Answer 17

brain and spinal cord

Question 18

peripheral nervous system

Answer 18

everything but brain and spinal cord

Question 19

autonomic

Answer 19

involuntary behaviors
breathing, digestion, heartbeat

Question 20

somatic

Answer 20

voluntary behaviors
muscle movements, waving hello

Question 21

parasympathetic

Answer 21

“activated” when you are calm

Question 22

sympathetic

Answer 22

activated when you are scared
“fight or flight”

Question 23

EEG

Answer 23

electroencephalogram
measures brainwave activity and level of consciousness

Question 24

MRI

Answer 24

magnetic resonance imaging
shows structure of the brain

Question 25

CAT scan

Answer 25

computerized axial tomography shows structure of the brain more detailed than an MRI beause it shows the cross section

Question 26

PET scan

Answer 26

positive emission tomography shows function of the brain for TBI patients to show if the brain is still "lighting up"

Question 27

fMRI

Answer 27

functional MRI combines MRI and PET scan shows structure AND function of the brain it is the only one that does this

Question 28

cerebellum

Answer 28

-movements - lets you move smoothly and rapidly - controls timing - affected by alcohol - contains olfactory bulb (links smell to memories)

Question 29

medulla

Answer 29

- receives sensory input from 5 senses and sends impulses for motor control of the head - contains reticular formation (regulates the arousal of the brain including if your sleepy or awake)

Question 30

thalamus

Answer 30

recieves sensory information from everythig but smell and sends it to appropriate areas of forebrain

Question 31

cerebral cortex

Answer 31

left and right hemispheres - left hemisphere controls right side of body - has four lobes

Question 32

occipetal lobe

Answer 32

- in charge of vision - in the back of your head

Question 33

parietal lobe

Answer 33

- specialized for touch sense (pain, temp, awareness of body parts)

Question 34

temporal lobe

Answer 34

- located on the left ad right side of head in charge of hearing - helps with complex vision cues - contains wernickes area and brocas area - amygdala

Question 35

wernickes area

Answer 35

comprehension of a language

Question 36

brocas area

Answer 36

production of a language

Question 37

frontal lobe

Answer 37

- decision making, understanding of consequences - primary motor cortex and fie movements

Question 38

hypothalmus

Answer 38

- eating, drinking, sexual behaviors - part of limbic system

Question 39

hippocampus

Answer 39

- memory storage - part of limbic system

Question 40

limbic system

Answer 40

- emotional control center