Psychobiology Exam 1

action potential

a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon
Starts at the axon hilloks
is all of nothing

Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP)

compound used by cells to store and release energy

Anion

A negatively charged ion

anterograde transport

movement down the axon Away from soma (new proteins)
*A and A (away and anterograde)

Astrocyte

a glial cell that provides physical support, transports nutrients, increases blood flow, helps form synapses

Autonomic Nervous System

A part of the peripheral nervous system that provides the main neural connections to the internal organs.
consist of the Parasympathetic and Sympathetic nervous system

autoreceptors

signal the presynaptic neuron to stop releasing the neurotransmitter

Axon

A single extension from the nerve cell that carries the electrical signal from the cell body toward axon terminals.
Is in the conduction zone

Axon Hillock

the cone-shaped area on the cell body from which the axon originates

Axon Terminal

the end of an axon or axon collateral, which forms a synapse on a neuron or other target cell

behavioral intervention

-manipulating the behavior may affect the body and/or the brain
-Independent variable: Behavior
-Dependent variable: body/brain changes

brain

The mass of nerve tissue that is the main control center of the nervous system

Calcium

-Ca2+
-equilibrium potential= +120 mV
-is Cations

Cations

positively charged ions

cell body (soma)

-is part of the Integration Zone

Central Nervous System (CNS)

consists of the brain and spinal cord

c-fos

help visualize neuronal activity of cells

Chloride (Cl)

-equilibrium potential is -60 mV
-is an Anions

Concentration gradient

Movement from areas of high to low concentration

correlational studies

a research method that examines how variables are naturally related in the real world, without any attempt by the researcher to alter them or assign causation between them

Dendrite

an extension of the cell body that receives information from other neurons
part of the input zone

Diffusion

transmitter substance floats away from the synapse

Dualism

mind and body are separate
* dual = two

Dynactin protein

transports back to soma in retrograde transport

electrostatic pressure

-Movement towards oppositely charged areas
-like charges repel and opposites attract

enzymatic degradation

the transmitter action is deactivated by an enzyme

equilibrium potential

The point at which the movement of ions across the cell membrane Is Balanced

EPSP (excitatory postsynaptic potential)

generated by depolarization
-Some ionotropic receptors allow Sodium to pass thru.

Exocytosis

Ca2+ entry causes the synaptic vesicles to fuse with the presynaptic membrane and release the neurotransmitter molecules into the synaptic cleft

falling phase

-Is a refractory period
-Potassium rushes out of the cell via voltage-gated potassium channels causing the membrane potential to become more negative

free nerve endings

respond to pain and temperature

glial cells

provide support and nutrients to neurons.

Golgi body

Packaging proteins in soma

Golgi stain

- cell body stain
-Only highlights certain cells

G protein

a protein coupled to a metabotropic receptor; activates a "second messenger" then communicates to areas within the cell to:
-open or close an ion channel in the membrane
-alter the production of proteins
-activate a gene in the nucleus via activation of transcription factors.

graded potential

A stimulus will cause small changes in the membrane potential.
The greater the stimulus, the greater the response (can vary in size)

Hyperpolarized phase

- from -60mV to-70mV
- Relative Refractory Period
-potassium leaves the cell making it more negative

Immunocytochemistry

helps identify structure/proteins

IPSP (inhibitory postsynaptic potential)

-post synaptic hyperpolarizations because they decrease the likelihood that the neuron will fire
-Some ionotropic receptors allow Potassium or Chloride to pass thru.

Intracellular electrode

placed into an intracellular fluid to measure voltage

Ion

atoms or molecules with a (+) or (-) charge

Ion Channels

channel proteins that transport ions

Ion distribution

Determined by membrane pores (selective, open, closed), and types of ions (K ions pass-through more easily than Na or Ca)

Kinesin protein

moves vesicle across the microtubule in anterograde transport

levels of analysis

include somatic, behavior, and correlational intervention

Lysosome

degrades proteins
found in cell body

Merkel's disks

respond to isolated points

metabotropic receptors

receptors that act through a second messenger system

Microfilaments

"bones" of the neuron

Mitochondira

provides stored energy in the form of Adenosine triphosphate (ATP)

Monism

The mind is what your brain does

Motor Neuron

A neuron that transmits neural messages to muscles or glands.

Myelination

The fatty insulation around an axon, formed by glial cells. This sheath boosts the speed at which nerve impulses are conducted.

Neurotransmitter

chemical released by neurons that may, upon binding to receptors of neurons or effector cells, stimulate or inhibit them

Neurofilaments

"bones" of the neuron

Neuron

transmit an electrochemical signal

Neuron doctrine

Nervous system is made up of individual cells that are structurally, metabolically and functionally independent.

Oligodendrocyte

A type of glial cell that forms myelin in the CNS
-myelinate multiple axon

Nissil stain

stains organelles

parasympathetic nervous system

the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy
Activated during non stressful conditions
Rest and restore

Pacinian corpuscles

respond to deep pressure and vibration

Postsynaptic Membrane

The specialized membrane on the surface of the cell that receives information by responding to neurotransmitter from a presynaptic neuron.

Passive ion channels

-Are Ion channels that are always open
-They do not require energy (no ATP is needed)

periphernal nervous system (PNS)

Made up of nerve tissue located outside the brain and spinal cord
consist of Somatic and autonomic nervous system

Presynaptic Membrane

the specialized membrane of the axon terminal of the neuron that transmits information by releasing neurotransmitter

Postsynaptic neuron

the neuron on the receiving end of the synapse

Potassium (K+)

-is Cation
- equilibrium potential is -90 mV

Presynaptic neuron

neuron that sends the signal

Protein synthesis

-is an important function in SOMA
-Endoplasmic reticulum and Ribosome are protein synthesis

Proteins

are made up of one or more polypeptide that is twisted and folded into a unique shape

Reductionism

the reduction of complex systems to simpler components that are more manageable to study

Reference electrode

the electrode placed in extracellular fluid to measure voltage

Relative refractory period

whena neuron can generate another action potential but only by a stronger than normal stimulus

Resting membrane potential

The neuron is more negative inside relative to the outside of the cell (-60 mV)

Reuptake

a neurotransmitter's reabsorption by the sending neuron

ribosomes

translate genetic instructions from nucleus into specialized proteins needed for operation of a neuron

Ruffini corpuscles

detect stretch

Santiago Ramon Y Cajal

A pioneer in neuroscience that first demonstrated that the cells in the nervous system are Seperate and that they did not merge into each other as previously believed.

Schwann cells

a type of glial cell that forms myelin in the peripheral nervous system
-myelinate one axon
-Schw-ONE

Sodium (Na+)

-equilibrium potential is 55 mV
-is Cations

Sodium/Potassium pump

-an active mechanism which excludes 3 Na+ ions for every 2 K+ ions taken into the cell
-Requires energy supplied by adenosine triphosphate (ATP)

Somatic intervention

-manipulating the body and/or the brain may affect behavior
-Alteration of a structure or function to see how behavior is altered
-Independent variable: the structure or function that is being altered
-Dependent variable: the response that is measured, such as a behavior

Somatic nervous system

the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's skeletal muscles

spatial summation

Integration by a postsynaptic neuron of inputs (EPSPs and IPSPs) from multiple sources.
-multiple signals go off creating an action potential

Sympathetic nervous system

-"Fight or flee
-Activated during arousal and stressful periods

Synapse

the cellular location at which information is transmitted from a neuron to another cell

Synaptic cleft

a gap into which neurotransmitters are released from the axon terminal

Acetylcholine

A neurotransmitter of the parasympathetic nervous system

temporal summation

Summation by a postsynaptic cell of input (EPSPs or IPSPs) from a single source over time.
-a single signal repreats one after the other creating an action potential

Terminal button

referred to as the output zone

transcription

DNA being copied to RNA in the nucleus

translation

Process by which mRNA is decoded and a protein is produced

Transmitter-gated ion channels

-is Ionotropic
-are composed of four or five subunits that have a pore in the middle that open quickly by the direct action of a neurotransmitter.
-Allow the passage of ions between the inside and outside of the cell.
-There are multiple subtypes that can either have an excitatory or inhibitory effect on the postsynaptic neuron.

unmyelinated axons

Sodium rushing in via voltage-gated sodium channels and depolarizes the membrane, which triggers the opening ofadjacent voltage-gated s odium channels.
-This process continues until the action potential reaches the terminal button.

Voltage -gated calcium channels

A membrane protein forming a pore that is permeable to Ca2+ ions and gated by depolarization of the membrane.

Voltage-gated potassium channels

Allow K+ to flow out of the cell, moving the potential back towards the negative equilibrium potential of potassium.

Voltage-gated sodium channels

-are present at the axon hillock
-At resting membrane potential (RMP, -60 mV), they are closed

Norepinephrine

A neurotransmitter of the sympathetic nervous system, involved in arousal.

retrograde transport

movement up the axon toward the soma (communicates metabolic needs and waste material)
*R and R (Return and Retrograde)