M3 - Physio Psych [REVIEWER]

Smooth muscles

Muscles that control the digestive system and internal organs, consisting of long thin cells.

Skeletal or striated muscles

Muscles that control body movement in relation to the environment, characterized by long cylindrical fibers with stripes.

Cardiac muscles

Muscles that control the heart, consisting of fibers that fuse together at points.

Neuromuscular junction

The synapse between a motor neuron axon and a muscle fiber, where acetylcholine is released to excite muscle contraction.

Antagonistic muscles

Muscles that work in pairs to move body parts in two directions, e.g., flexor to raise arm and extensor to lower arm.

Myasthenia Gravis

An autoimmune disease where antibodies attack acetylcholine receptors, leading to muscle weakness and fatigue.

Proprioceptors

Receptors that detect the position or movement of muscles, such as muscle spindles and Golgi tendon organs.

Reflexes

Involuntary consistent automatic responses to stimuli, like the stretch reflex or constriction of the pupil to light.

Central pattern generators

Neural mechanisms that generate rhythmic patterns of movement, like wing flapping in birds or fin movements in fish.

Cerebral cortex

Brain region important for complex actions and planning movements, with different areas controlling various movements.

Water Conservation

Methods to conserve water include excreting concentrated urine and decreasing sweat and other autonomic responses.

Vasopressin

A hormone released by the posterior pituitary that raises blood pressure by constricting blood vessels and helps compensate for decreased water volume.

Thirst Types

Osmotic thirst results from eating salty foods, while hypovolemic thirst results from fluid loss due to bleeding or sweating.

Hunger Regulation

The brain regulates eating through messages from various body parts and hormones like cholecystokinin, insulin, and glucagon.

Conditioned Taste Aversion

A distaste for food that develops if the food makes one ill, leading to avoidance of that food in the future.

Parkinson's Disease

A movement disorder characterized by the gradual death of neurons, especially in the substantia nigra, resulting in symptoms like rigidity, tremors, and slow movements.

Huntington's Disease

A severe neurological disorder causing extensive damage to brain regions like the caudate nucleus and putamen, leading to symptoms like jerky movements and cognitive deficits.

Anorexia Nervosa

An eating disorder associated with an unwillingness to eat enough, often driven by a fear of becoming fat rather than a disinterest in food.

Bulimia Nervosa

An eating disorder involving extreme dieting and binge eating episodes, often accompanied by purging behaviors and alterations in hormone release.

Binge Eating Disorder

Characterized by uncontrolled eating beyond feeling full, sporadic fasts, and feelings of shame or self-hatred after binging.

L-dopa

A common treatment for Parkinson’s disease that converts into dopamine in neurons.

Huntington’s disease

A hereditary condition causing motor control deterioration, apathy, depression, and cognitive disorders.

C-A-G repeats

The more repeats in the gene on chromosome 4, the earlier the likely onset of Huntington’s disease symptoms.

Huntingtin

The protein altered by the gene responsible for Huntington’s disease.

Osmotic thirst

Caused by an increase in blood osmotic pressure, drawing water out of cells.

Hypovolemic thirst

Caused by loss of blood volume, requiring drinking water with solutes.

Leptin

A peptide produced by fat cells signaling the brain about weight changes and influencing hunger.

Insulin and Glucagon

Hormones regulating glucose availability in cells for energy.

Ghrelin

Stimulates neurons promoting hunger in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus.

Satiety

Signals from glucose, insulin, leptin, and CCK promoting fullness and reducing hunger.

Ventromedial nucleus

Regulates stomach emptying time and insulin secretion, influencing eating behavior.

Obesity

Can be syndromal, monogenic, or common, influenced by genetic and environmental factors.

Dieting

Often ineffective for long-term weight loss; reducing soft drink consumption is recommended.

Bulimia nervosa

Characterized by cycles of undereating and overeating, likened to addictive behaviors.

Anorexia nervosa

Characterized by refusal to eat enough, with antidepressants being ineffective treatments.