AP Psychology

Dendrites

Receive messages from other cells

Soma (Cell Body)

Maintains the health of the neuron

Nucleus

Helps soma do its job

Axon

Passes messages away from the cell body to other neurons, muscles, or glands

Myelin Sheath

Covers the axon of some neurons and helps speed neural impulses

Multiple Sclerosis

Degeneration of myelin sheath, slowing down or interruption of communication to muscles and loss of muscle control

Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis

Loss of coordination, speech interruption, insensitivity, muscular weakness

Nodes of Ranvier

Gaps between myelin sheath on axons

Glial Cells

Nerve cells that support neurons by offering structure, nutrition, and getting rid of waste

Neuron

Basic building block of nervous system and communication

Neural Impulse/Action Potential

Electrical signal traveling down the axon

Depolarization

Changes that occurs in the cells

Refractory Period

The time period where cells regroup

Synapse

The junction between the axon tip of ascending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of a receiving or sending neuron

Neurotransmitters

Your body's chemical messengers

Acetylcholine (ACh) Role

Learning, Memory, Muscle Contractions

Acetylcholine (ACh) Disorder

Alzheimer's Disease- Low levels

Dopamine Primary Role

Movement, Thought Processes, Rewarding Sensations

Dopamine Disorder (Low Levels)

Parkinson’s Disease

Dopamine Disorder (Excess Levels)

Schizophrenia

Dopamine (Using a substance causes less production in dopamine)

Drug Addiction

Serotonin Role

Emotional States, Moods, Sleep, Hunger

Norepinephrine Role

Physical Arousal, Learning, Memory

Serotonin and Norepinephrine Disorder

Depression (Low Levels)

GABA Role

Inhibition of Brain Activity, Sends or Receives Nerve Cells

GABA Disorder

Anxiety (Slow process of (Neurotransmitter) getting to brain)

Endorphins Role

Pain Perception, Positive-Emotions

Endorphins Disorder

Opiate Addiction (Overuse of Opoids)

Glutamate Role

Excitatory Neurotransmitters memory

Glutamate Disorder

Migraines, Tremors, and Seizures (Excess levels)

Venom getting in the way of Acetylcholine

Causes paralysis

Terminal Branches

form junctions with other cells

Excitatory Signals

Signal Neural Impulses

Inhibitory Signals

Stop information from being passed on 

Stimulus Threshold

The minimum level of stimulation needed to activate the next neuron

Neurons fire every time at

100%

Stronger responses occur due to

More neurons firing

Agonists

Drug molecules that are similar to neurotransmitters and mimic their effects

Example of Agonist

Opioid Drugs

Antagonist

Drug molecules that act like a neurotransmitter to occupy its receptor sights and block its effect, but not similar enough to stimulate the receptor

Example of Antagonist

Poison and Venom

Blood Brain Barrier

Enables the brain to fence out unwanted chemicals circulating in the blood

3 types of Neurons that information travel through

Sensory, Motor, Interneuron

Sensory Neuron

Carry information from sense receptors to the central nervous system

Interneuron

Neurons that internally communicate and intervene between sensory inputs and motor outputs

Motor Neurons

Neurons that carry out information from the Central Nervous System to the muscles, glands, and other organs

Central Nervous System Organs

Made up of the brain and spinal cord

The Central Nervous System controls

Reflexes and Neural Networks

Reflexes

Simple automatic inborn responses to a sensory stimulus

Peripheral Nervous System controls

Sensory and motor neurons

2 parts of the Peripheral Nervous System

Skeletal/Somatic System, Autonomic Nervous System

Skeletal/Somatic System control

Skeletal Muscles (Voluntary Movement)

Autonomic System controls

Glands and muscles of the internal system (Involuntary Movement)

2 Systems of the Autonomic System

Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Systems

Sympathetic Nervous System controls

Arouses the body to help deal with a stressor (Fight or Flight Response)

Examples of Sympathetic Nervous System

Breathing is harder, pupils dilate, pulse goes up

Parasympathetic Nervous System helps with

Calming the body down to conserve energy (Relaxing)

Examples of Parasympathetic Nervous System

Pupils undilate, breathing goes down, pulse goes down

Brain Lesion

Destroy tissue in a specific area of the brain

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

Records waves created by the brain

Computed Tomograph Scan (CAT Scan/CT Scan)

A series of X-Ray photographs taken by computer and combined together to make an image

Positron Emission Tomograph (PET SCAN)

A test to show if there are any diseases in the brain using radioactive glucose

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

Uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer generated images

Left Hemisphere Traits

More verbal, more logical, able to deal with things in a sequence

Right Hemisphere Characteristics

More creative, gather information by thinking and intuition, emotionally expressive, artistic

Cerebral Cortex

Divides the 2 Brain Hemispheres

4 Brain Lobes

Frontal, Parietal, Occipital, Temporal

Frontal Lobe

Speaking, memory, last part of the brain to develop

Motor Cortex

Controls all voluntary movement

Occipital Lobe

Visual Processing

Temporal Lobe

Interprets what we hear

Association Areas

Areas that involve the 4 lobes

Plasticity

The ability of the brain to take over functions that it wouldn’t necessarily perforM

3 areas of Language

Broca’s Area, Wernicke’s Area, Angular Gyrus

Broca’s Area Location

Frontal Lobe

Broca’s Area controls

Muscle movements in speech

Wernicke’s Area Location

Left Temporal Lobe

Wernicke’s Area Controls

Language Comprehension

Angular Gyrus Location

Parietal Lobe

Angular Gyrus controls

Reading allowed, codes visual information into auditory form

Endocrine System

A slow chemical change system that is made up of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream

Hypothalamus

Brain structure that controls the pituitary gland

Pituitary Gland Role

Controls other glands, produces prolactin, and produces oxytocin

Pineal Gland

Produced melatonin

Thyroid Gland

Metabolism Rate

Parathyroids

Regulate the level of calcium in blood

Adrenal Glands

Produces epinephrine and norepinephrine

Pancreas

Regulates blood sugar and insulin

Ovaries

Secretes estrogen and progesterone

Testes

Secretes testosterone

Reticular Activation System

Wakes us up, makes us go to sleep

Cerebellum

Balance and movement

Pons

Fine tune motor coordination

Corpus Callosum

Bridges the right and left henispheres

Thalamus

Relay station between the senses and brain

Medulla

Controls heartbeat

Amygdala

Fear and Rage center