Introduction to Neurotransmitters and Brain Anatomy

Vocabulary flashcards covering key neurotransmitters, nervous system divisions, and brain anatomy from the lecture text.

Neurotransmitters

Molecules that move from one neuron to the next and carry messages about mood, pain, pleasure, sadness, joy, stress, and relaxation.

Serotonin

A major brain neurotransmitter that acts as a mood regulator, plays a role in inhibiting violent tendencies, and is targeted by most antidepressants.

Noradrenaline

A neurotransmitter that sounds the alarm about external threats, prepares the body for fight or flight, and is associated with extreme moods like mania.

Substance P

A neurotransmitter molecule that carries messages about pain.

Endorphins

Endogenous morphines produced by the brain that function as natural painkillers and are involved in pain and pleasure.

Acetylcholine

A neurotransmitter abbreviated as ACH that is involved in muscle action and memory, low levels of which are linked to Alzheimer's disease.

Dopamine

A major neurotransmitter where low levels cause Parkinson's disease and high levels cause schizophrenia.

L-dopa

A synthetic form of dopamine used as the primary prescription medication to treat Parkinson's disease.

GABA

A strictly inhibitory neurotransmitter that acts like a policeman in the brain to keep other neurons from overdoing it, and is linked to anxiety.

Glutamate

A neurotransmitter that helps bind to other neurotransmitters to assist them in performing their jobs better.

Central Nervous System

The core division of the nervous system consisting of the brain and the spinal cord.

Peripheral Nervous System

The division of the nervous system that branches off from the central nervous system, subdivided into the somatic and autonomic systems.

Somatic Nervous System

A subsystem of the peripheral nervous system responsible for processing all voluntary movements.

Autonomic Nervous System

A subsystem of the peripheral nervous system responsible for automatic operations of internal organs.

Sympathetic Nervous System

The branch of the autonomic nervous system that initiates the fight-or-flight response during emergencies.

Parasympathetic Nervous System

The branch of the autonomic nervous system that returns the body to homeostasis after a fight-or-flight response.

Corpus Callosum

A collection of nerve fibers that connects the left and right hemispheres of the brain to allow constant communication between them.

Thalamus

The sensory relay center in the forebrain for all senses except smell.

Hypothalamus

A brain structure that maintains homeostasis, regulating hunger, thirst, heart rate, blood pressure, and sex drive.

Pituitary Gland

The master gland located next to the hypothalamus that sends chemical signals to other glands to release hormones.

Frontal Lobe

The lobe located at the front of the brain housing the motor cortex and Broca's area.

Occipital Lobe

The lobe located at the back of the brain responsible for processing visual information.

Temporal Lobe

The lobe located over the ears that houses the auditory cortex and Wernicke's area.

Parietal Lobe

The lobe sandwiched between the frontal and occipital lobes that contains the somatosensory cortex and controls spatial orientation.

Broca's Area

A specialized region in the left hemisphere of the frontal lobe responsible for speech production.

Wernicke's Area

A specialized region in the left hemisphere of the temporal lobe responsible for language comprehension.

Amygdala

A brain structure involved primarily in the processing and regulation of emotion.

Hippocampus

A brain structure involved primarily in memory formation.

Medulla

A hindbrain structure located at the base of the brain responsible for controlling life-sustaining functions.

Pons

A hindbrain structure whose primary function is involved in sleep.

Cerebellum

A hindbrain structure responsible for balance and motor coordination, which is directly affected by alcohol.