Neurobiology & Neuro-Methods Review

These flashcards cover essential vocabulary and concepts from the neurobiology lectures, focusing on behavioral methods, sensory systems, and motor control.

Ethogram

A catalog of observed behaviors over time.

Kinematics

The study of motion that quantifies timing, velocity, acceleration, and joint angles.

Electrophysiology

The study of electrical properties of biological cells and tissues.

Psychophysics

The branch of psychology dealing with the relationships between physical stimuli and perceived sensations.

August Krogh Principle

For every biological problem, there exists an ideal model organism to study it.

Central Pattern Generators (CPG)

Neural circuits that generate rhythmic outputs without sensory input.

Reciprocal Innervation

The activation of one muscle leads to the inhibition of its antagonist.

Transduction

The conversion of physical stimuli into neural signals.

Taxis

Directed movement in response to a stimulus.

Kinesis

Random movement that is influenced by stimulus intensity.

Labeled Line Organization

A model of sensory processing in which specific receptors correspond to specific sensations.

Phototransduction

The process by which light is converted into electrical signals in the retina.

Olfactory receptors

Specialized receptors in the nasal cavity that detect odor molecules.

Adaptation

A decrease in response to a constant stimulus over time.

Basal Ganglia

A group of nuclei involved in the modulation of movement initiation and execution.

Cerebellum

A brain structure that coordinates voluntary movements and motor learning.

Sound Localization

The ability to determine the location of a sound source.

Dark Current

The steady depolarization of photoreceptors in the absence of light.

Tonotopic Organization

An arrangement in the auditory system where different frequencies are processed in specific locations.