Chapter 04: The Brain & The Nervous System

Introduction to Psychology

Excess receptor activity from this neurotransmitter is linked to schizophrenia

Dopamine

Action potential electrical signal traveling down the axon

Neural Impulse

Transmits sensory signals and motor signals between the central nervous system and the body’s glands and internal organs

Autonomic Nervous System

Support cells of the nervous system by protecting neurons

Glial cells

Why are glial cells so important?

Without them, we would cease to exist.

Covers the axon of some neurons and helps speed neural impulses

Myelin Sheath

Found between the sensory input and motor output neurons in the central nervous system

Interneurons

A junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite (or cell body) of the receiving neuron

Synapse

Agonists __________ and antagonists ______________ with neural signals.

facilitate; interfere

What is the resting membrane potential?

-70mv

The ventricles in the brain is a cave-like system that contains ______________.

cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)

Neurotransmitter that influences movement, learning, attention, and reward pathway

Dopamine

The body’s speedy electro-chemical communication system that is responsible for all aspects of what we feel, think, and do

Nervous System

Occurs when the neuron is more negative than resting membrane potential, making it less likely to firing an action potential

Hyperpolarization

What is responsible for the strength of a neural signal?

It is the rate (frequency) of the firing action potentials, which means the more action potentials produced, the stronger the signal.

Name some bodily changes that occur when the parasympathetic system is active.

*Eyes: Pupils contract

*Mouth: Saliva production starts back up

*Heart: Heartbeat slows

*Lungs: Airways constrict

*Stomach: Stimulates digestion

*Liver: Stimulates gallbladder

*Bladder: Contracts

*Genitals: Allows blood flow to reproductive organs

Branching fibers extending out from the cell body to receive information from other neurons

Dendrites

Parkinson’s Disease is caused by a reduction in _____________.

dopamine levels in the brain.

Committee that reviews proposed research to ensure that it meets the accepted standards of science and provides for the physical and emotional well-being of research participants

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

The division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body’s skeletal muscles

Somatic Nervous System

Cerebrospinal fluid is crucial because _____________.

it allows the brain to float.

An increase in _____________ in the synapse is treatment for depression.

serotonin levels

Carries information from the sense receptors to the central nervous system and brain

Sensory Neurons

View the image and name each part of the neuron

A: Dendrites

B: Soma (Cell Body)

C: Axon Hillock

D: Axon

E: Nodes of Ranvier

F: Myelin Sheath

G: Terminal Buttons

A major inhibitory neurotransmitter

Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA)

A neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon and is generated by the movement of charged atoms in and out of channels in the axon’s membrane

Action Potential

The _________ nervous system arouses the body. (Think fight or flight)

sympathetic

Botox and curare are both examples of an __________.

antagonist.

An antagonist that blocks certain receptor sites from opioids

Narcan

If a researcher was denied permission to conduct a study because participants might suffer harm, that decision would have been made by _______________.

The Institutional Review Board (IRB).

Alzheimer’s Disease is caused when the neurons produced by this neurotransmitter deteriorate

Acetylcholine (ACh)

Chemicals released from the sending neuron that travel across the synapse and bind to receptor sites on the receiving neuron

Neurotransmitters

The cell’s life support center

Soma (Cell Body)

The sympathetic and parasympathetic systems make up the ____________ nervous system.

autonomic

The neuron releases neurotransmitters from the ______________.

terminal button

Neurotransmitter associated with drug addiction

Dopamine

The _____________ nervous system calms the body. (Think rest and digest)

parasympathetic

A major excitatory neurotransmitter involved in memory

Glutamate

The physiological characteristic that distinguishes the central nervous system from the peripheral nervous system

The bones

Name some bodily changes that occur when the sympathetic system is active

Eyes: Pupils dilate

Mouth: Saliva production decreases

Heart: Accelerated heartbeat

Lungs: Relaxes airways

Sweat Glands: Stimulates secretion

Stomach/Pancreas: Inhibits digestion

Liver: Stimulates glucose release by liver

Kidney, Adrenal Gland: Stimulates secretion of epinephrine, norepinephrine

Bladder: Relaxes bladder

Genitals: Stimulates release in males, contraction in females

Contains the brain and spinal cord

The central nervous system

A low supply of this neurotransmitter is linked to seizures, tremors, and insomnia

GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)

An oversupply of this neurotransmitter can overstimulate the brain, producing migraines or seizures

Glutamate

What does SSRI stand for?

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor

Sends out instructions to muscles and glands

Motor Neurons

Passes messages away from the cell body to other neurons, muscles, or glands

Axon

Morphine and black widow venom are both examples of an ______________________.

agonist that affects neurotransmitter activity

Neurotransmitter that helps control alertness and arousal

Norepinephrine

Occurs when the neuron’s membrane potential becomes more positive, making it more likely to fire an action potential

Depolarization

Neurotransmitter that enables muscle action, learning, and memory

Acetylcholine

An action potential is fired down the axon when the threshold of excitation is met at the ___________.

axon hillock.

Neurotransmitter that affects mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal

Serotonin

The only sensory information that the thalamus does not receive first is __________.

olfactory information, or smell.

Regions of the cerebral cortex that integrate and process information from all four areas of the brain, facilitating complex cognitive processes such as learning, attention, language, memory, and decision-making

Association Areas

Relays messages between lower brain centers and cerebral cortex

Thalamus

Located below the thalamus, and is involved with hunger, thirst, temperature regulation, and reproduction

Hypothalamus

Linked to emotion

Amygdala

Name the 4 F’s of the hypothalamus

Fight, Flight, Feeding, Fornication

The hindbrain contains the _____________ and ___________.

brainstem, cerebellum

The frontal lobe includes the ______________ and _____________.

primary motor cortex, prefrontal cortex

Part of the tegmentum, and important for making voluntary movements and initiating movement

substantia nigra

The limbic system includes the _________, ___________, and ___________.

amygdala, hippocampus, hypothalamus

What word is associated with the function of the amygdala?

Fear

The pituitary gland is located in _____________ and is controlled by _____________.

the brain and the hypothalamus.

The subcortical structures of the forebrain contain ______________, ______________, _____________, ____________, and _____________.

the thalamus, basal ganglia, hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus

The occipital lobe includes the _____________, and its main function is _____________.

primary visual cortex; vision

Pathway for neural fibers traveling to and from brain, controls simple reflexes

Spinal cord

Damage to the left side of the parietal lobe results in _____________.

Acalculia (difficulties with mathematics)

The function of the ______________ lobe includes hearing and language comprehension.

temporal lobe

The function of the ____________ lobe includes complex thought, planning, and movement.

frontal lobe

Latin for “little man”; depicts what humans would look like if each part grew in proportion to how much we sensed with them

homunculus

In charge of the vital functions — it regulates breathing, heartbeat, and other vitals

Medulla Oblongata

Adrenal glands are located ___________, and they release ___________.

on top of the kidneys; adrenaline (epinephrine)

______________ is on the left hemisphere, and is the language area in the frontal lobe that helps control speech production.

Broca's area

The temporal lobe includes the _____________ and ______________.

primary auditory cortex, fusiform face area

How is the endocrine system different from the nervous system?

The endocrine system primarily uses hormones to send messages through the bloodstream, while the nervous system transmits signals rapidly through neurons for quick responses.

Located in the parietal lobe, receives sensory input, and is responsible for touch, temperature, and pain

Primary Somatosensory Cortex

Another word for cell death

Lesion

It means “bridge” because it relays information from the cerebral cortex to the cerebellum. Also involved in sleeping, waking, and dreaming.

Pons

The endocrine system is ________________ as the nervous system is with sending information. The effects of the endocrine system sometimes ____________ than the effects of the nervous system.

slower in delivering signals; last longer

The parietal lobe includes _____________.

Primary Somatosensory Cortex

The cortical structures of the forebrain contain the ___________, _____________, ___________, and ___________.

frontal lobe, parietal lobe, temporal lobe, occipital lobe

Name this part of the brain.

Temporal Lobe

Damage to the right side of the parietal lobe results in __________________.

Hemi-spatial neglect (produces a complete lack of attention to the left half of the body and visual field)

The ___________ is the emotional center of the brain, and is associated with emotions such as fear, aggression, and drives for food and fornication.

Limbic System

The primary functions of the _________ lobe are touch and spatial relations.

parietal

What is another name for the pituitary gland?

Master Gland

Name this part of the brain.

Cerebellum

The thalamus is also known as the body’s ______________.

airport hub

The main functions of the ___________ lobe are hearing and memory.

temporal

The midbrain contains the ___________.

substantia nigra

Name this part of the brain.

Parietal Lobe

Axon fibers connecting the two cerebral hemispheres

corpus callosum

A patient that washes or shaves only half of their face may be experiencing _____________.

hemispatial neglect

Comes from the Greek word for sea horse, and plays an important role with the formation of new memories

hippocampus

Name this part of the brain.

Occipital Lobe

The ultimate control and information-processing center

Cerebral Cortex

The function of the _____________ lobe is involved with the perception of space, object shape and orientation, actions of others, and numbers

parietal

An injury to the Broca’s area results in _____________.

Broca’s Aphasia (loss of the ability to produce speech)

The ______________ is responsible for voluntary movement.

Basal Ganglia