IBN Exam one orange words

Behavioral neuroscience

The application of biology to the study of physiological, genetic, and developmental mechanisms of behavior.

Reductionism

Explains complex things by reducing them to interactions among more fundamental parts.

Emergentism

The idea that a property of a system can be more than the sum of the properties of its individual parts.

Dualism

The belief that different kinds of substance exist independently, including consciousness/feelings and bodily functioning.

Monism

The belief that the universe is comprised of only one type of substance.

Materialism

The monist view that everything that exists is physical by nature.

Mentalism

The monist view that physical and psychological phenomena are mentally constructed and explained in terms of the mind.

Identity position

The view that mental processes and brain processes are the same but described in different terms.

Localization theory

The idea that different parts of the brain serve different functions.

Holism

The idea that brain function is distributed rather than localized to specific brain regions.

Bell-Magendie law

Dorsal spinal roots contain sensory fibers and ventral spinal roots contain motor fibers.

Phrenology

The discredited idea that skull features reveal development of specific brain faculties.

Broca's area

A region of the inferior frontal gyrus associated with language production, typically in the left hemisphere.

Neuron doctrine

The idea that the nervous system is made of individual, distinct cells rather than one continuous network.

Golgi staining

A silver staining technique that allowed occasional neurons to be visualized.

Santiago Ramón y Cajal

Improved Golgi's staining method and provided strong evidence that neurons are autonomous units rather than one continuous network.

Connectionism

The idea that mental phenomena and behavior depend on interconnected brain regions that perform different subfunctions.

Dendrites

Neuron structures that receive information from synapses.

Axon

The neuron structure that sends information toward presynaptic terminals.

Synapse

A junctional point between neurons where electrical or chemical impulses are transmitted/received.

Resting potential

The electrical gradient across the neuronal membrane; in the lecture it is approximately -65 mV.

Hyperpolarization

The cell becomes more negative, such as changing from -65 mV to -70 mV.

Depolarization

The cell becomes more positive or less negative, such as changing from -65 mV to -50 mV.

Excitation threshold

The level above which stimulation produces a massive depolarization and triggers an action potential.

Action potential

A rapid electrical depolarization propagated down the axon toward the axon terminals.

Absolute refractory period

The period when another action potential cannot be produced because voltage-sensitive Na+ channels are open/inactivated and unable to reopen.

Relative refractory period

The period when a stronger-than-usual stimulus is required because Na+ channels are recovering while K+ channels remain open.

All-or-none law

The amplitude and velocity of an action potential are independent of the intensity of the stimulus that initiated it.

Nodes of Ranvier

Short unmyelinated sections that interrupt the myelin sheath of an axon; the action potential is regenerated at each node.

Saltatory conduction

The action potential appears to jump from node to node, allowing faster conduction.

Spatial summation

Several weak stimuli at different locations can combine to produce a stronger response.

Temporal summation

Several weak stimuli presented at slightly different times can combine to produce a stronger response.

EPSP

Excitatory postsynaptic potential; a graded depolarization that makes the neuron more likely to fire.

IPSP

Inhibitory postsynaptic potential; a temporary hyperpolarization that suppresses excitation.

Synaptic integration

The process by which a neuron integrates excitatory and inhibitory inputs.

Henry Dale

First isolated the neurotransmitter acetylcholine from the peripheral nervous system in 1914.

Otto Loewi

Provided convincing evidence that synapses use chemical transmitters.

Chemical neurotransmission

Nearly all neurotransmission in the mammalian brain is chemical rather than electrical.

Coexistence principle

Many neurons/synapses have one major neurotransmitter plus one or several cotransmitters, often neuropeptides.

Ionotropic receptor

A receptor that directly controls an ion channel and produces fast EPSPs or IPSPs.

Metabotropic receptor

A slower receptor that activates G proteins/GPCR signaling and often produces longer-lasting effects.

GPCR

G protein-coupled receptor; a metabotropic receptor that activates intracellular signaling pathways.

SERT

Serotonin reuptake transporter.

Glutamate

The primary fast excitatory neurotransmitter in the CNS.

AMPA receptor

An ionotropic glutamate receptor containing a Na+ channel.

NMDA receptor

An ionotropic glutamate receptor that allows Na+ and Ca2+ entry.

GABA

Gamma-aminobutyric acid; the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the CNS.

GABAA receptor

An ionotropic receptor that opens a Cl- channel and produces a fast IPSP.

GABAB receptor

A metabotropic/GPCR receptor that produces a slow IPSP by opening a K+ channel.

Acetylcholine

A neuromodulatory neurotransmitter important for learning, memory, and attention.

Nicotinic ACh receptor

An ionotropic, excitatory ACh receptor found in skeletal muscle and the brain.

Muscarinic ACh receptor

A GPCR that may be excitatory or inhibitory and is found throughout the CNS and PNS.

Dopamine receptor subtypes

D1 through D5; all are GPCRs.

D1 and D5 receptors

Part of an excitatory class and stimulate production of cAMP.

D2, D3, and D4 receptors

Part of an inhibitory class and inhibit production of cAMP.

Ventral tegmental area (VTA)

A major dopaminergic cell group involved in reward, emotion, pleasure, reinforcement, and drug addiction.

Substantia nigra

A dopaminergic cell group that innervates regions important for movement, especially the basal ganglia.

Norepinephrine

A monoamine involved in emotional arousal, mood, attention, and learning.

Locus coeruleus

A key norepinephrine-producing cell group with widespread projections throughout the forebrain.

Serotonin

A monoamine involved in mood, anxiety, sleep, and many other functions.

Raphe nuclei

Serotonin-producing cell groups; the dorsal raphe nucleus has the most forebrain projections.

Ligand

A compound, such as a neurotransmitter or drug, that binds to a receptor.

Agonist

A ligand or drug that activates a receptor.

Antagonist

A ligand or drug that blocks receptor activity.

Affinity

How well a drug binds to a receptor.

Efficacy

How well a drug activates a receptor.

Competitive effect

A ligand binds to the same receptor site as another ligand and competes for binding.

Non-competitive effect

A ligand binds at a different site from the endogenous ligand.

Tolerance

A decrease in response to a drug after repeated exposure, so a larger dose is needed for the original effect.

Typical antipsychotics

Antipsychotics that are D2 receptor antagonists, such as haloperidol.

Atypical antipsychotics

Antipsychotics that generally have milder D2 effects and also block 5-HT2A receptors.

SERT

The serotonin reuptake transporter.

NET

The norepinephrine reuptake transporter.

DAT

The dopamine reuptake transporter.

SSRIs

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors; antidepressants that primarily target SERT.

SNRIs

Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors; antidepressants that affect SERT and NET.

Benzodiazepines

Anxiolytics that enhance GABAA receptor activity through a benzodiazepine binding site.

Opioids

Drugs with powerful analgesic properties and significant abuse/addiction potential.

THC

Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol; the key component of marijuana.

Endocannabinoids

Endogenous ligands such as anandamide and 2-AG that can act as retrograde signals.

CB1 receptor

A GPCR in the brain; activation slows neurotransmitter release from the presynaptic side.

Nicotine

A stimulant whose rewarding/reinforcing effects involve nicotinic ACh receptors in the VTA; it is highly addictive.

Cocaine

A stimulant that blocks monoamine transporters, especially DAT, and also NET and SERT.

Amphetamine

A stimulant that can reverse DAT activity and dump dopamine into the synapse.

PCP and ketamine

NMDA receptor antagonists that can produce a dissociative state.