psych - unit 1 pt 1 neurology

nature

all of the genes and hereditary factors that influence who we are—from our physical appearance to our personality characteristics

nurture

refers to all the environmental variables that impact who we are

heritability

the extent to which differences in the appearance of a trait across several people can be accounted for by differences in their genes

central nervous system

the body’s main control center; coordinates the actions and interactions of the brain and the spinal cord

peripheral nervous system

includes the sensory nerves outside the brain and spinal cord that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body

motor pathway

signals from brain to muscles/glands

sensory pathway

signals from sensory receptors to the brain

autonomic

all subconscious functions

somatic

all voluntary functions

sympathetic autonomic function

aroused by an environmental factor (chased by a dog)

parasympathetic autonomic function

calming division to return body to natural state (heart rate, body temp, perspiration all decrease)

reflex arc

signal is sent from a sensory organ to the spinal cord, which processes the information instead of passing on to the brain

neuron

a nerve cell that sends signals throughout the body

dendrite

neuron’s branching extensions that receive messages from other neurons and passes the message to the cell body

soma

the cell body of the neuron responsible to maintain the cell and keep the neuron functional (nucleus included)

axon

the neuron extension that passes messages through its branches to other neurons or to muscles or glands

myelin sheath

a fatty tissue cover over the axon to quicken electrical impulses

glial cells

forms myelin sheath and provide support, nutritional benefits, and protection for neurons. NOT part of neuron; completely different cells

axon terminals

stores neurotransmitters that release and attach to other neurons to send messages. at the tip of the axon

synapse

gap between the neurons

reuptake

the neurotransmitters are reabsorbed back into the axon of the sending neuron

all or nothing principle

the action potential must meet the threshold, firing the neuron, or it doesn’t meet the threshold, and it doesn’t fire the neuron. There is no strong or weak action potential

refractory period

the recovery period after an action potential meets the threshold, meaning the neuron cannot fire during this time

threshold

a specific charge that must be reached in a neuron

action potential

the firing of a neuron: a brief electrical impulse that travels down the axon

acetylcholine

involved in muscle activation, learning, and memory

dopamine

involved in reward, motivation, and pressure

serotonin

controls mood, sleep, digestion

norepinephrine

“fight or flight” response and a stress hormone

GABA

promotes relaxation by relaxing the nervous systtem

endorphins

hormones released when under stress or pain

epinephrine

adrenaline hormone in response to emergency situations

ghrelin

hormone released by stomach to trigger appetite

melatonin

controls sleeping cycle

leptin

maintains weight long term

oxytocin

love hormone

substance P

transmits brain signals to the brain

glutamate

essential for cognitive memory

excitatory

action potential is more likely

inhibitory

action potential is less likely

medulla

located at top of spinal cord. controls many vital autonomic functions (heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure). connects the brain to the spinal cord

the pons

several autonomic functions such as stimulating breathing and controlling sleep cycles and coordinating movement. connects cerebral cortex and cerebellum

thalamus

receives info from senses

hypothalamus

responsible for controlling hunger, thirst, emotion, body temperature regulation, and circadian rhythms

pituitary gland

releases hormones

amygdala

primarily involved in processing emotions

hippocampus

storage, organization, and formation of memories

cerebellum

helps control posture, balance, and the coordination of voluntary movements

corpus callosum

bundle of nerve fibers that connects the two hemispheres. messages move from one side of the brain

right hemisphere

controls the left side of the body

left hemisphere

controls the right side of the body

cerebral cortex

• outer layer

• largest section of the brain

• divided into lobes each with a speciality

frontal lobe

reasoning, motor skills, higher level, cognition, personality, and expressive language

motor cortex

utilizes information from other lobes to carry out body movements

somatosensory cortex

receives and processes sensory information from the entire body

broca’s area

controls motor functions involved with speech production

wernicke’s area

responsible for the comprehension of speech

parietal lobes

processing sensory signals such as touch, pressure, temperature, and pain

occipital lobes

containing the visual centers of the brain

temporal lobes

responsible for the sense of hearing and meaningful speech

neuroplasticity

the brain’s ability to adapt and change to new experiences

lesion

damaged tissue from disease or injury

EEG

helps observe brain activity without thoroughly invading the patient by using a bonnet that hooks up to electrodes to scalp to record human brain electrical signals and sends them to galvanometers

CT

detects brain damage and can display cerebral blood flow changes by using cross sections of 2D and 3D images of organs and body structures

PET

helps analyze metabolism and blood flow where patient gets injected with radioactive glucose and the radioactivity outside the scalp absorbed is scanned

MRI

scan a clear section of the brain where a patient rests on a moveable bed and moves into a magnetic machine

fMRI

a clear picture of the brain before performing brain surgery using a noninvasive test where the subject is given instructions through digital displays in a headset