COGS 17A

Ipsilateral

connecting to the same side

Lateral

positioned toward the sides

Superior

positioned above

Medial

positioned towards the middle

Inferior

positioned below

Contra-lateral

connecting to the opposite side

Ventral

the stomach side of the spinal cord

Dorsal

the top side of the brain

Dorsal

the back side of the spinal cord

Ventral

the underside of the brain

Sagittal Plane

vertical plane, extends front to back, can shift from medial to lateral

Coronal Plane

vertical plane, extends right to left, can shift from anterior to posterior

Horizontal Plane

plane parallel to ground, can shift from dorsal to ventral

Ventricles

chambers that are the source of and filled with CSF

Meninges

Three-layered protective covering surrounding CNS

Cerebral Spinal Fluid

circulates form brain through Central Canal and up through Arachnoid Space

Blood/Brain Barrier

controls what chemicals enter brain by closing & blocking gaps in capillaries

Central Nervous System

consists of the brain and spinal cord

Autonomic Nervous System

concerned with assessing & maintaining the body’s internal environment

Peripheral Nervous System

consists of nerves that enter/exit the CNS

Somatic Nervous System

concerned with interacting with the environment

Medulla

controls vital reflexes

Pons

passes motor information to/from higher brain centers

Cerebellum

motor programs with real-time sensory feedback

Tectum

Sensory coordination

Superior Colliculus

localizing & tracking visual motion

Tegmentum

motor processes & cranial nerves

Inferior Colliculus

localizing & tracking moving auditory stimuli

Superior Colliculus

Associated with “blindsight”

Thalamus

distributes sensory, motor and arousal info to/from the rest of the brain

Hypothalamus

the neuro/endrocrine interface

Pituitary Gland

receives commands to release hormones into the bloodstream

Hypothalamus

works as kind of a “thermostat” to control homeostasis

Thalamus

projects to “Primary Projection Ares” of cortex

Hypothalamus

associated with the “4 Fs”

Hippocampus

forming new memories

Amygdala

emotional expression and interpretation

Olfactory Blub

receives smell information

Cingulate Gyrus

evaluates go/no go

Hippocampus

spatial mapping

Basal Ganglia

implicated in Parkinson’s Disease

Basal Forebrain

arouses and de-arouses the cortex

Basal Forebrain

releases GABA to promote sleep

Basal Ganglia

organizes activity in terms of tasks and sub-tasks

Temporal Lobe

higher visual, auditory and speech recognition

Occipital Lobe

visual processing, including V1

Parietal Lobe

higher visual and somatosensory (touch)

Frontal Lobe

motor cortex and planning

Temporal Lobe

emotional expression and interpretation

Parietal Lobe

“how” pathway, including canonical and mirror cells

Frontal Lobe

language production

Corpus Callosum

connects the 2 hemispheres

Vagus Nerve

connects to multiple organs

White Matter

constitutes 66% of brain

Sympathetic

dilate pupils, inhibit tears

Parasympathetic

facilitate sexual arousal

Sympathetic

constricts blood vessels

Sympathetic

inhibit salivation

Parasympathetic

increase intestinal motility and secretion

Parasympathetic

slow heart rate

Sympathetic

activate adrenal and sweat glands

Parasympathetic

constrict bronchi of lungs

Soma

the cell body

Mitochondria

source of energy to power metabolic activity

Membrane

built of bilayer of phospholipid molecules

Ribosomes

use RNA instructions to build proteins

Nucleus

site of DNA

Astrocytes

provide nutrients to and recycles from neurons

Radial Glia

guide the migration of neurons during fetal development

Schwann Cells

myelinate cells in the PNS

Microglia

remove toxins

Oligodendrocyte

arms insulate neurons in the CNS

Ependymal Cells

line the ventricles, oozing CSF

Glioma

runaway regeneration (brain tumor)

Axon

single branch, carrying signal that leads to release of NT (neurotransmitters)

Terminal

where exocytosis occurs

Dendrites

multiple branches, for receiving input from other cells

Ion Gates

pores in the cell membrane, that control the out/influx of ions

Concentration Gradient

a difference in the number ions, of a given type, inside vs. outside the cell

Diffusion

random motion of molecules, that results in their spreading to equally fill a space

Electrical Gradient

a difference in the net(summed) charge, inside vs. outside the cell

Electrostatic Pressure

the repulsion between like charges: e.g. positive repels positive

Polarized

when there is a significant difference in charge, across the membrane

Na+

greater concentration outside of the cell

K+

greater concentration inside of the cell

-70mV

difference in charge across the membrane

K+

Sodium-Potassium Pump collects 2 of these ions, for each 3 of the other type that it ejects

Action Potential

all of nothing release of NT

Action Potential

also called a “spike”

Both Graded and Action Potential

is often the result of the summation of both excitatory and inhibitory inputs

Graded Potential

Greater or lesser release of NT

Both Graded and Action Potential

can result in the release of either excitatory or inhibitory NT

Myelination

when an axon is wrapped by glia cells, speeding up its signal

Electrical Conduction

when excited electrons “instantaneously” jump from atom to atom, within a insulated medium

Ionic Conduction

when whole, charged atoms flow through pores in the cell membrane

Nodes of Ranvier

sustain ionic conduction between myelin sheaths, boosting nerve impulse for subsequent electrical conduction

Saltatory Conduction

in a myelinated cell, nerve impulse “jumps” from node to node

Multiple Sclerosis

degeneration of myelin prevents action potential, since exposed membrane has no ion channels

EPSP

Excitatory Post-Synaptic Potential

IPSP

Inhibitory Post-Synaptic Potential