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Neuroscience of Learning
Field of research focusing on how the brain acquires, remembers, and uses information to drive behavior.
Neuron
A specialized cell designed to receive and transmit information, characterized by a soma, dendrites, axon, and synapse.
Synapse
The connection between two neurons, where neurotransmitters are released to facilitate communication.
Action Potential
An electrical impulse that travels down the axon of a neuron, triggered when the membrane potential exceeds a certain threshold.
Dendrites
Branch-like structures of a neuron that receive signals from other neurons.
Long-term Potentiation (LTP)
A long-lasting enhancement in signal transmission between two neurons that results from their repeated stimulation.
Excitatory Neurotransmitter
A type of neurotransmitter that increases the likelihood of the postsynaptic neuron firing, e.g., glutamate.
Inhibitory Neurotransmitter
A type of neurotransmitter that decreases the likelihood of the postsynaptic neuron firing, e.g., GABA.
Hebbian Learning
A theory of synaptic plasticity stating that neurons that fire together, wire together.
Reflex Arc
A neural pathway that controls a reflex action, typically involving a sensory neuron, motor neuron, and an interneuron.
Glutamate
The main excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain, important for synaptic plasticity and LTP.
NMDA Receptor
A type of glutamate receptor that acts as a coincidence detector for synaptic plasticity.
AMPA Receptor
A receptor for glutamate that mediates fast synaptic transmission in the brain.
Synaptic Cleft
The tiny gap between two neurons at a synapse, across which neurotransmitters travel.
Action Potential Threshold
The critical level to which a membrane potential must be depolarized to initiate an action potential.
