Neuroscience Flashcards

Flashcards on Introduction to Neuroscience

Neuroscience

A branch of life science that deals with the structure and function of the brain, spinal cord, and associated nerves at the molecular, cellular, and system levels.

Central Nervous System (CNS)

Consists of the brain and spinal cord.

Peripheral Nervous System

Includes all parts of the nervous system outside the brain and spinal cord.

Nervous System

Specialized cells and numerous nerves capable of generating and transmitting information within the brain as well as between the brain and the rest of the body.

Neurons

Functional units of the nervous system.

Nissl Stain

Uses basic dyes to stain mostly cell bodies, distinguishing between neurons and glia.

Golgi Stain

Uses a silver chromate solution to stain only a few entire neurons, including dendrites.

Soma (Cell Body)

Houses most of the organelles and is the site of most cellular activity.

Axon

Conducts nerve impulses away from the soma.

Dendrites

Receive synaptic input from other axon terminals.

Nucleus

Contains the nucleolus and the cells’ DNA; site of transcription.

Cytoplasm

Location of most of the organelles; site of translation.

Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum (rER)

Site of protein synthesis.

Golgi Apparatus

Site of posttranslational modifications, protein sorting, and protein packaging.

Mitochondrion

Site of cellular respiration and ATP production.

Microtubules

Composed of tubulin; involved in axoplasmic transport.

Molecular Neuroscience

Looks at how molecules function within the neuron and how they enable neurons to communicate with each other

Cellular Neuroscience

Looks at how the neuron itself functions within the nervous system

Systems Neuroscience

Looks at the complex circuits that are formed from a particular set of neurons that serve to perform a common function

Behavioral Neuroscience

Looks at how neural systems work together to produce integrated behaviors

Cognitive Neuroscience

Looks at higher order mental processes such as perception and the processing of information.

Alzheimer's disease

A progressive degenerative disease of the brain, characterized by dementia and always fatal

Autism

A disorder emerging in early childhood characterized by impairments in communication and social interactions, and restricted and repetitive behaviors

Depression

A serious disorder of mood, characterized by insomnia, loss of appetite, and feelings of dejection

Stroke

A loss of brain function caused by disruption of the blood supply, usually leading to permanent sensory, motor, or cognitive deficit