Brains, Biology and Behavior

Flashcards covering the nervous system, neuron structure, neurotransmitters, brain regions, the endocrine system, and methods for studying the brain.

What is the nervous system?

A collection of hundreds of billions of specialized and interconnected cells through which messages are sent between the brain and the rest of the body.

What are the two main parts of the nervous system?

The central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS).

What makes up the Central Nervous System (CNS)?

The brain and the spinal cord.

What makes up the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)?

The neurons that link the CNS to our skin, muscles, and glands.

What is a neuron?

A cell in the nervous system whose function is to receive and transmit information.

What part of a neuron collects information from other cells and sends it to the soma?

Dendrites

What part of a neuron transmits information away from the cell body toward other neurons or to muscles and glands?

Axon

What is myelin and what is its function?

A layer of fatty tissues surrounding the axon of a neuron that acts as an insulator and allows faster transmission of the electrical signal.

Where are terminal buttons located?

At the tip of each branch of the axons.

What is the synapse?

The areas where the terminal buttons at the end of the axon of one neuron nearly but don't quite touch the dendrites of another, enabling communication between neurons.

How do neural impulses transmit information?

Through an electrochemical process, where an electrical charge moves through the neuron itself and chemicals transmit information between neurons.

What is resting potential?

A state in which the interior of the neuron contains a greater number of negatively charged ions than the area outside the cell.

What is action potential?

The change in electrical charge that occurs in a neuron when a nerve impulse is transmitted.

What are neurotransmitters?

Chemicals that relay signals across the synapses between neurons.

Which neurotransmitter stimulates muscle contractions and regulates memory, sleeping, and dreaming?

Acetylcholine

Which neurotransmitter is involved in movement, motivation, and emotion, and produces feelings of pleasure in the brain's reward system?

Dopamine

Which neurotransmitters are released in response to behaviors such as vigorous exercise, orgasm, and eating spicy foods?

Endorphins

What is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain?

GABA

What is the most common neurotransmitter, released in over 90% of the brain's synapses?

Glutamate

Which neurotransmitter is involved in mood, appetite, sleep, and aggression?

Serotonin

What is reuptake?

A process in which neurotransmitters that are in the synapse are reabsorbed into the transmitting terminal buttons, ready to again be released after the neuron fires.

What are SSRIs?

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, which inhibit the reuptake of serotonin.

What is an agonist drug?

A drug that has chemical properties similar to a particular neurotransmitter and thus mimics the effects of the neurotransmitter.

What is an antagonist drug?

A drug that reduces or stops the normal effects of a neurotransmitter.

What is the oldest and innermost region of the brain?

The brain stem.

What area of the brain stem controls heart rate and breathing?

Medulla

What structure in the brain stem helps control body movements, particularly balance and walking?

Pons

What is the function of the cerebellum?

To coordinate voluntary movement.

What egg-shaped structure above the brain stem filters and relays sensory information to higher brain levels?

Thalamus

What brain area, located between the brain stem and the two cerebral hemispheres, governs emotion and memory?

The Limbic System

What part of the limbic system is important in storing information in long-term memory?

Hippocampus

What brain structure links the nervous system to the endocrine system via the pituitary gland?

Hypothalamus

What part of the limbic system is primarily responsible for regulating our perceptions of and reactions to aggression and fear?

Amygdala

What is the cerebral cortex?

The outer bark-like layer of our brain that allows us to use language, acquire complex skills, create tools, and live in social groups.

What is the purpose of corticalization?

To confine the brain and allow it to fit into the skull.

What connects the two cerebral hemispheres and helps them communicate?

Corpus callosum

Which lobe is primarily responsible for thinking, planning, memory, and judgment?

Frontal Lobes

What area within the frontal lobe is responsible for motor movement?

Motor Cortex

What area helps with the production of language/speech?

Broca's Area

Which lobe is primarily responsible for processing information about touch?

Parietal Lobes

Which lobe at the very back of the skull processes visual information?

Occipital Lobes

Which lobe is primarily responsible for hearing and language?

Temporal Lobes

What area on the temporal lobe helps us process and understand language?

Wernicke's Area

What is the Central Nervous System (CNS)?

Nerves encased in bone, like the brain and spinal cord.

What is the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)?

Anything that moves away from the CNS and is not encased in bone.

What is the function of the Somatic Nervous System (SNS)?

Regulating and detecting information from the body's external actions like skin and muscles, and controlling motor movement.

What is the function of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)?

Controls internal activities of organs and glands.

What is the role of the Sympathetic Nervous System?

It arouses the body, preparing it for 'fight or flight' behavior, prioritizing extremities and reducing non-essential functions like digestion.

What is the role of the Parasympathetic Nervous System?

It calms the body, allowing it to 'rest and digest' and return to normal functioning.

What is the endocrine system?

The chemical regulator of the body that consists of glands that secrete hormones.

What are hormones?

Chemical issues that use the bloodstream to deliver messages to the body.

What are the 'four F's' associated with the hypothalamus?

Fleeing, fighting, feeding, and mating.

What small pea-sized gland located near the center of the brain is responsible for controlling the body's growth?

Pituitary gland

What gland determines how quickly the body uses energy and hormones, and controls calcium in blood and bones?

Thyroid

What gland produces hormones that regulate salt and water balance, metabolism, immune system, and sexual development?

Adrenal cortex

What organ secretes hormones designed to keep the body supplied with fuel for energy?

Pancreas

What male reproductive glands secrete testosterone?

Testes

What female reproductive glands produce eggs and secrete estrogen and progesterone?

Ovaries

What is a lesion in the brain?

Scarring of the brain tissue.

What technique records the electrical activity produced by the brain’s neurons using electrodes on the head?

Electroencephalograph (EEG)

What type of brain scan uses a magnetic field to create images of brain activity in each brain area?

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

What procedure applies magnetic pulses to the brain to temporarily and safely deactivate a small brain region?

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)