Neuroscience

myelin sheath

myelin sheath

A layer of fatty tissue encasing the fibers of many neurons; enables vastly greater transmission speed of neural impulses as the impulse hops from one node to the next.

cell body (soma)

the part of a neuron that coordinates information-processing tasks and keeps the cell alive

Dendrites

Branchlike parts of a neuron that are specialized to receive information.

axon terminal (synaptic knob)

the end of an axon

Serotonin

Affects mood, hunger, sleep and arousal. Loss linked to depression.

Dopamine

control of movement and sensations of pleasure, loss leads to schizophrenia and Parkinson's

Acetylcholine

Arousal, attention, memory, controls voluntary and involuntary muscle contractions

Endorphins

involved in pain relief

Norepinephrine

Arousal and mood

GABA

Involved in sleep and inhibits movement, high amounts are released in alcohol consumption

Glutamate

Learning, memory formation, nervous system development, synaptic plasticity

central nervous system

brain and spinal cord

peripheral nervous system

transmits information to and from the central nervous system

autonomic nervous system

automatically regulates glands, internal organs and blood vessels, pupil dilation, digestion, and blood pressure

somatic nervous system

carries sensory information and controls movement of the skeletal muscles

parasympathetic nervous system

Calms the body down in ordinary conditions

sympathetic nervous system

Arouses the body (fight or flight) in times of stress

motor system (efferent)

Carry messages from CNS to muscles and glands

sensory system (afferent)

carries messages from senses to CNS

amyloid beta

Protein responsible for unconscious and sleep, aggregates to more than normal in Alzheimer's

Pituary Gland (Master Gland)

regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands, controls salt and water levels

pineal gland

Keeps you awake

thyroid gland

produces thyroxine, helps maintain homeostasis

pancreas

Regulates the level of sugar in the blood

Adrenal glands

a pair of endocrine glands just above the kidneys. the adrenals secrete the hormones epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (noradrenaline), which help to arouse the body in times of stress.

Gonads

Regulate sexual growth and reproduction

CT scan (mapping structure)

a series of x-ray photographs taken from different angles and combined by computer into a composite representation of a slice through the body

MRI scan (mapping structure)

uses radio waves and a very strong magnetic field to produce images of the soft tissue

EEG scan (mapping function)

records electrical activity in the brain

PET scan (mapping function)

Uses positron emissions to reveal brain activity

fMRI scan

tracks blood flow to reveal brain activity