Study Guide for Quiz 3 - Brain and Neurons

neuron

nerve cells, building block of the nervous system

neurogenesis

process of growing new neurons

cell body

egg shaped structure that provides fuel & maintains the neuron working

dendrite

branch like structure that arise from the cell body, receives neurotransmitters released from other neurons, passes to cell body

axon

single thread that carries signals away from the cell body

myelin sheath

fatty tissue tube insulating a axon, formed by glial cells acts like glue to hold neurons together

terminal buttons end bulbs

located at the end of a axons branches, container that stores & releases chemicals called neurotransmitters

synaspe

small fluid filled gap, located between a terminal button

neurotransmitters

chemical substance that communicate from one neuron to another, everything depends on this

endorphins

opiate like neurotransmitters linked to pain, control and pleasure

medulla

part of hindbrain, controls blood pressure, heart rate & respiration

cerebellum

controls balance and coordination, processes sensory input and coordinates movement output balance

thalamus

involved in receiving sensory information from all the senses except for smell

amygdala

almond shaped neural clustersat the tip of the temporal lobe that influences fear & agression and processing of emotional memories

hippocampus

involved in holding memories & putting them in permanent storage in various parts of the brain

corpus callosum

connects cerebral hemispheres & share information

frontal lobe

functions many things and is called the executive centers for its many functions like thinking, decision making & more

motor cortex

back of the frontal lobe and function of voluntary movements, right side controls left and left side controls right,

parietal lobe

process information from body parts, where touch is sensed & distinguished, also processes spatial information

somatosenory cortex

behind the motor cortex and processes information about touch, location of limbs, pain & temperature basically everything

occiptal lobe

processes visual information, located in the back or brain

temporal lobe

sits below the parietal lobe, receives & processes sensory information from the ears

cortex

areas of the cerebral cortex that piece together sensory information to form meaningful perceptions of the world and perform higher mental functions

nucleus

the structure in a cell that contains the chromosomes