Unit 1: Part 1: The Nervous and Endocrine Systems

evolutionary psychology

natural selection causes the best mental processes to continue while others disappear over generations

nature

genetics

nurture

experiences/environment

genetic predisposition

some people are more likely to have certain diseases because of their genetics

twin/adoption/family studies

studies done to study nature/nurture

central nervous system

the brain and spinal cord

peripheral nervous system

the nerves that come off your spinal cord

what are the 2 parts of the peripheral nervous system?

somatic and autonomic

somatic nervous system

controls voluntary actions

autonomic

controls automatic actions

what are the 2 parts of the autonomic nervous system

sympathetic and parasympathetic

sympathetic nervous system

controls fight or flight response

parasympathetic nervous system

controls rest and digest functions (when you are calm)

glial cells

cells that support and provide nourishment to neurons

multiple sclerosis

a condition where the myelin sheath deteriorates, causing nerves to fire much slower than they should

neurons

nerve cells

interneurons

neurons int he brain that process and transmit information

motor neurons

neurons that control movements

sensory neurons

neurons that pick up on stimuli and send that to the brain

neural transmission

the transfer of information between neurons

myelin sheath

layer of fatty tissue that surrounds the axon of neurons and help the signal fire faster

axon

the neuron extension that passes messages through its branches to other neurons

dendrites

a neuron’s bushy, branching extensions off the cell body that receive messages

synaptic gap`

the gap between the axon terminal and the dendrites of the next neuron that the neurotransmitters travel across

resting potential

when the positive ions are outside the axon and the negative ions are inside the axon and the neuron is ready to fire

depolarization

when the positive ions flood into the axon and the negative ions flood out

threshold

when the amount of neurotransmitters needed for the nerve to fire is reached, which triggers action potential

action potential

a neural impulse, a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon

refractory period

the period of time needed for the positive ions to leave and the negative ions to re-enter the axon

all-or-nothing principle

the nerve either fires or it doesn’t, there is no in between

inhibitory neurotransmitters

signals that slow down a neuron

excitatory neurotransmitters

signals that speed up a neuron

norepinephrine

fight or flight neurotransmitter that makes you aroused and aware

glutamate

involved in memory (like GLUe it keeps things stuck in your brain)

GABA

inhibitory neurotransmitters that blocks others and calms you down

dopamine

controls mood, learning, and attention

acetylcholine

helps with movement, learning, and memory

seratonin

controls mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal

endorphins

‘morphine within’ natural morphine that acts as a pain killer and improves your mood

agonists

bind to receptor sites and stimulate a response

antagonist

bind to receptor sites and block neurotransmitters

reuptake

when neurotransmitters are reabsorbed to be reused

endocrine system

controls the release of hormones, slower than neural impulses

glands

organs that produce and release a chemical

exocrine glands

glands on the outside of your body that release things like sweat, tears, and saliva

endocrine glands

glands on the inside of your body that release hormones

thyroid gland

releases hormones that regulate metabolism, located in your throat

adrenal glands

release adrenaline/epinephrine, located above the kidneys

pituitary gland

master gland that controls all the other glands, located in the brain

pineal gland

releases melatonin which regulates sleep, located in the brain

pancreas

releases insulin and glutamate which regulate blood sugar, located behind the stomach

ovaries

release estrogen and egg cells, ONLY in females

testes

release testosterone and sperm cells, ONLY in males

hypothalamus

brain region controlling the pituitary gland

parathyroids

help regulate the level of calcium in the blood

hormones

chemical messengers that communicate information from one cell to another

ghrelin

hormone that makes you hungry

leptin

hormone that makes you feel full

melatonin

hormone that makes you feel tired

oxytocin

‘love hormone’ regulates feelings of attraction, empathy, and trust

adrenaline

fight or flight response

cortisol

stress hormone

target cells

cells with receptor sites that match certain hormones so they know where to go

negative feedback loop

when the response created because of the stimuli decreases the stimuli

tolerance

building up resistance to a drug, so it takes more and more of that drug to feel the effects of it

withdrawl

feelings of discomfort and distress when you stop using a drug

hallucinogens

psychedelic drugs that makes you see things that aren’t there (LSD, PCP, MDMA/ecstasy, marijuana)

marijuana

a hallucinogen drug that causes impaired memory, dizziness, nausea, etc

depressants

drug that calms neural activity and slows bodily functions (alcohol, opiates, barbiturates, tranquilizers)

barbiturates

calming, sedative effect, reduces inhibitions, anxiety, memory, and judgement

opiates vs opioids

Opiates are derived from plants and opioids are synthetic drugs that have the same actions as opiates

opioids

depress neural activity, used as a pain killer

stimulants

temporarily excite neural activity, arouse body functions (cocaine, caffeine, nicotine)

methamphetamine (meth)

releases excess dopamine, causing accelerated body functions

LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide)

powerful hallucinogen that is similar to serotonin (derived from fungus)

THC (tetrahydrocannabinol)

major active ingredient in marijuana

CT scan (computed tomography)

takes many x-ray pictures of your brain to see brain structure (brain anatomy, not activity)

EEG (electroencephalogram)

an amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity sweeping across the brain’s surface (brain activity, not anatomy)

fMRI (functional MRI)

multiple successive MRI scans that show brain activity (brain activity and anatomy)

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)

a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images of soft tissue (brain anatomy- not activity)

PET scan (positron emission tomography)

a visual display of brain activity

brain stem

at the base of your brain, connects the brain to the spinal cord, contains the medulla, reticular formation, and pons

cerebellum

at the back of your brain, controls your balance and coordination and makes your movements smoother

temporal lobe

deals with audotory and memory

occipital lobe

deals with vision

parietal lobe

balance, spatial awareness, processes sensory information

frontal lobe

deals with reasoning, planning, and logic

motor cortex

in the frontal lobe, controls skeletal motor movements

corpus callosum

a bundle of nerve fibers tha5 allow your brain’s left and right hemispheres to communicate

hippocampus

responsible for your memory and thinking

hypothalamus

controls your endocrine system

limbic system

processes and regulates emotion, memory, and learning

medulla

connects brain and spinal cord, regulates heartbeat, breathing, etc

Wernicke’s area

assigns meaning to words

Broca’s area

speech production

reward center

controls pleasure

somatosensory cortex

area in the front of the parietal lobe that registers and processes body touch and sensations

thalamus

relay station of incoming sensory information

amygdala

linked to aggression and fear

lesioning

an abnormal change in structure of an organ or part due to injury or disease