06 Study Questions: Biology of Mind

What are neurons and how do they transmit information?

• Neurons are specialized nerve cells that send and receive information.

• They communicate through:

  • Electrical signals within the neuron (action potentials)

  • Chemical signals between neurons (neurotransmitters at synapses)

How does our nervous system allow us to experience the difference between a slap and a tap on the back?

The difference is due to signal strength and number of neurons activated:

• A slap activates more neurons and fires signals more rapidly.

• A tap activates fewer neurons with weaker signals.

What happens in the synaptic gap?

• The sending neuron releases neurotransmitters into the synaptic gap.

• These chemicals bind to receptors on the receiving neuron.

• This either excites or inhibits the next neuron.

What is reuptake? What two other things can happen to excess neurotransmitters after a neuron reacts?

Reuptake: Neurotransmitters are reabsorbed by the sending neuron.

Other outcomes:

• Enzymatic breakdown (they are broken down by enzymes)

• Diffusion (they drift away from the synapse)

Serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins are all chemical messengers called _________.

Neurotransmitters

What are the functions of the nervous system’s main divisions, and what are the three main types of neurons?

Main divisions:

• Central Nervous System (CNS): Brain and spinal cord (processes information)

• Peripheral Nervous System (PNS):

  • Somatic: voluntary movement

  • Autonomic: involuntary functions

    • Sympathetic: arouses (fight-or-flight)

    • Parasympathetic: calms (rest-and-digest)

Three neuron types:

• Sensory neurons: carry info → brain

• Motor neurons: carry commands → muscles

• Interneurons: connect neurons within CNS

How are the nervous and endocrine systems alike, and how do they differ?

Similarities:

• Both use chemical messengers

• Both help regulate body functions

Differences:

• Nervous system: fast, short-lasting, uses electrical signals + neurotransmitters

• Endocrine system: slower, longer-lasting, uses hormones in bloodstream

Match the scanning techniques with the correct description.

1. fMRI scan

2. PET scan

3. MRI scan

a) Tracks radioactive glucose to reveal brain activity

b) Tracks successive images of brain tissue to show brain functions

c) Uses magnetic fields and radio waves to show brain anatomy

1. fMRI → b) Tracks successive images to show brain function

2. PET → a) Tracks radioactive glucose

3. MRI → c) Shows brain anatomy

What are the functions of the motor cortex, somatosensory cortex and associated areas?

• Motor cortex: controls voluntary movement

• Somatosensory cortex: processes touch, pain, and body sensations

• Association areas: involved in thinking, memory, learning, language

What do split brains reveal about the functions of our two brain hemispheres?

• The two hemispheres have specialized functions:

  • Left: language, logic

  • Right: spatial skills, creativity

• When disconnected, they can act independently

If a neurosurgeon stimulated your right motor cortex, you would most likely:

• See light

• Hear a sound

• Feel a touch on the right arm

• Move your left leg

→ Move your left leg

(Because each hemisphere controls the opposite side of the body.)