health Test 2

What are the components of fitness?

• Cardiovascular endurance

• Muscular strength

• Muscular endurance

• Flexibility

• Body composition

There are more than ___ kinds of neurotransmitters

100

Neurotransmitters are released from _____

Nerve terminals

Neurons

Interconnected nerve cells that communicate using both electrical and chemical signals to transmit information throughout the body.

Action Potential

The electrical signal that travels down an axon in a neuron.

Synapse

The microscopic gap between two neurons across which signals transition from electrical to chemical.

Neurotransmitters

The brain's chemical messengers (over 100 kinds) released from the pre-synaptic terminal across the synapse to receptors on the post-synaptic neuron.

Neurotransmission Mechanism

The process where chemical messengers cross the synaptic cleft to either excite (pass on) or inhibit (stop) an action potential in the post-synaptic neuron.

Adrenaline

Neurotransmitter primarily associated with the body's fight-or-flight response.

Noradrenaline

Neurotransmitter that primarily aids in focus and concentration.

Dopamine

Neurotransmitter responsible for pleasure, motivation, satisfaction, and reward anticipation.

Serotonin

Neurotransmitter that regulates mood and feelings of well-being.

GABA

The primary inhibitory neurotransmitter that acts as a calming agent in the brain.

Acetylcholine

Neurotransmitter primarily involved in learning, memory, and muscle activation.

Glutamate

The major excitatory neurotransmitter involved in memory formation and neural communication.

Endorphins

Neurotransmitters released to alleviate pain and induce feelings of euphoria.

Reward Circuit (Reward Triad)

A survival-driven brain circuit consisting of the cortex, amygdala, and nucleus accumbens that reinforces essential behaviors such as eating and socializing.

Cortex (in the Reward Triad)

The brain region responsible for reasoning, executive control, prioritization, and deliberate decision-making.

Amygdala (in the Reward Triad)

The limbic structure responsible for evaluating emotional significance, threat levels, and fear.

Nucleus Accumbens

The brain's reward center that evaluates rewards and releases dopamine to drive action.

Teen Reward Triad Imbalance

Adolescent neurodevelopmental state where the amygdala and nucleus accumbens mature earlier than the prefrontal cortex, leading teens to weigh rewards over risks.

Natural Rewards

Healthy, non-chemical activities (e.g., sports, music, cooking, time with pets) that trigger dopamine release and boost motivation without drugs or alcohol.

Ghosting

Abruptly cutting off all communication with someone without explanation or closure.

Primary Causes of Ghosting

Conflict avoidance, fear of confrontation, and a lack of effective communication skills.

Empathy

The ability to understand, share, and connect with the feelings and perspectives of another person.

"You" Statements

Accusatory or blaming statements (e.g., "You're acting like a baby") that evoke defensiveness, guilt, and interpersonal resistance.

"I" Statements

Non-attacking communication statements that build trust by taking personal ownership of feelings and reactions.

"I" Statement Formula

"When you [insert behavior], then [insert result], and I feel [insert feeling word]."

De-escalation Strategies

Techniques to reduce conflict, including maintaining an open physical stance, keeping non-confrontational eye contact, active listening, and avoiding power commands like "calm down."

Affiliation

A biological and psychological drive to belong to a group and maintain social connectivity for safety, survival, and stress regulation.

Oxytocin

A peptide hormone and neurotransmitter produced in the hypothalamus that facilitates social bonding, maternal behavior, lactation, and in-group defense.

Aggression

A biological protective/defense mechanism (influenced by testosterone, trauma, or TBI) that can serve to protect oneself or offspring.

Violence

The intentional use of physical force or power against oneself or others resulting in injury, psychological harm, or death.

Neural Pathway of Aggression

Perceived threat activates the amygdala, which signals the hypothalamus to trigger physiological changes, followed by cortical evaluation to prioritize action.

Sensory Receptors

Specialized neurons that convert external environmental stimuli into electrical neural impulses.

Frontal Lobe Function

Cerebral lobe responsible for executive decision-making, planning, problem-solving, and reasoning.

Parietal Lobe Function

Cerebral lobe responsible for processing somatic sensations, specifically touch and taste.

Occipital Lobe Function

Cerebral lobe dedicated to receiving and processing visual information.

Temporal Lobe Function

Cerebral lobe primarily involved in processing auditory information and hearing.

Reflex Arc

An automatic, involuntary motor response that bypasses conscious brain processing by routing directly through the spinal cord for rapid protection.

Congenital Insensitivity to Pain

A genetic condition in which an individual is unable to perceive or experience physical pain.

Synesthesia

A neurological condition where stimulation of one sensory pathway leads to involuntary experiences in a second, unrelated sensory pathway.

Olfaction and Memory Connection

Smell bypasses typical thalamic sensory relays and connects directly to the limbic system (hippocampus and amygdala), evoking vivid emotional memories.

Memory Encoding

The initial step of memory processing involving the perception and organization of sensory information into neural signals.

Memory Storage

The retention and maintenance of encoded information across neural networks over time.

Memory Retrieval

The process of accessing stored neural information by re-activating the specific patterns of neurons that fired during the original event.

Synaptic Plasticity (Long-Term Potentiation)

The "use it or lose it" principle where frequently activated neural synapses strengthen while inactive synapses weaken and prune away.

Sleep Memory Consolidation

The stabilization of memory traces moving from short-term/working memory into long-term cortical storage during deep sleep.

Explicit (Conscious) Memory Storage Sites

The hippocampus, cerebral cortex, and amygdala.

Implicit (Procedural) Memory Storage Sites

The basal ganglia and cerebellum.

Henry Molaison (HM) Case Study Significance

Demonstrated that the hippocampus is essential for consolidating new explicit episodic memories, but is not the long-term storage site nor needed for procedural motor skills.

Neural Basis of Addiction

Substances flood the nucleus accumbens with abnormal dopamine surges, rewiring synaptic circuits, blunting natural dopamine baselines, and triggering intense cravings.

North Carolina GDL: Level 1 (Limited Learner Permit)

Minimum 9 months duration; requires a supervising driver; driving prohibited between 9:00 PM and 5:00 AM for the first 6 months.

North Carolina GDL: Level 2 (Limited Provisional License)

Minimum 6 months duration; unsupervised driving allowed 5:00 AM to 9:00 PM; restricted to 1 passenger under 21 outside household; mobile phones strictly banned.

North Carolina GDL: Level 3 (Full Provisional License)

Unrestricted driving times and passengers, with mobile electronic device usage remaining strictly prohibited for minors.

Passenger Risk Multipliers for Teen Drivers

Fatal crash risk increases to $1.4\times$ with 1 teen passenger, $2.4\times$ with 2 teen passengers, and $3\times$ with 3 or more teen passengers.

Cardiovascular Endurance

The capacity of the cardiorespiratory system (heart, lungs, blood vessels) to deliver oxygen to working muscles during prolonged exercise.

Muscular Strength

The maximal amount of force a muscle or muscle group can exert in a single maximal effort.

Muscular Endurance

The capacity of a muscle group to exert submaximal force repeatedly over an extended period without fatiguing.

Flexibility

The complete functional range of motion available around a specific joint or set of joints.

Body Composition

The ratio of lean body mass (bone, muscle, water, vital tissue) relative to adipose (fat) tissue mass.

Aerobic Exercise

Continuous, rhythmic physical activity powered by sustained oxygen consumption (e.g., long-distance jogging or swimming).

Anaerobic Exercise

Short-duration, high-intensity exertion where muscular oxygen demand exceeds the body's immediate supply (e.g., sprinting or heavy weightlifting).

Dynamic Stretching

Active movements that take joints through their full range of motion; recommended for warm-ups prior to physical activity.

Static Stretching

Holding a passive stretch at the end of range of motion for 15–60 seconds; best performed during post-workout cool-downs.

Repetition (Rep)

A single complete cycle of an exercise movement from start to finish.

Set

A prescribed group of consecutive repetitions performed without rest.

Warm-Up

Gradual low-intensity preparation that elevates body core temperature, heart rate, and blood flow to prepare tissues for intense activity.

Cool-Down

Gradual post-exercise recovery work that safely lowers heart rate and aids in metabolic waste clearance.

F.I.T.T. Principle

Exercise prescription framework: Frequency (how often), Intensity (how hard), Time (duration), and Type (activity mode).