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May Mrs. Patton, in her future endeavors, find herself ensnared by the unyielding grasp of misfortune, her path forever shrouded in a dismal cloud of adversity. Let hardship become her steadfast companion, a relentless force that haunts every step she takes. May the winds of ill luck blow ceaselessly in her direction, casting a perpetual shadow over her pursuits. Each venture she dares to undertake shall be cloaked in a foreboding shroud of difficulty and dismay, like a labyrinth of trials and tribulations from which there is no escape. The fates themselves conspire against her, weaving a tapestry of challenges and setbacks into the fabric of her existence. Above, the stars foretell a future fraught with nothing but adversity, and the shadows of misfortune cast a long and enduring presence over all her forthcoming ventures, as if a curse has been cast upon her very path in life. (i stole this from someone else. not gonna delete this tho...) みんなさん、助けてください。
action potential
occurs when a neuron sends information down an axon, away from the cell body
resting potential
the fluid outside an axon’s membrane has mostly positively charged ions; a resting axon fluid interior has mostly negatively charged ions. This positive/negative inside state is called the
refractory period
a period of inactivity after a neuron has fired
excitatory impulse
signals that push a neuron’s accelerator
threshold
the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse
synapse
the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite of the cell body of the receiving neuron. The tiny gap at this junction is called the ______ gap or ______ cleft.
neurotransmitters
Chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons. When released by the sending neurons.
sensory neurons (afferent)
Carry info from the senses to the brain and spinal cord
motor cortex
an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements
somatosensory/sensory cortex
area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations
pituitary gland
the endocrine system’s most influential gland. Under the influence of the hypothalamus, the pituitary regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands
association areas
areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions; rather, they are involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking. NO SMELL
somatic nervous system
the division of the peripheral nervous system that contains the body’s skeletal muscles. Also called the skeletal nervous system
autonomic nervous system
the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs (such as the heart). Its sympathetic nervous division arouses, its parasympathetic nervous system calms
plasticity
The brain's ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience
sympathetic nervous system
the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations.
lateralization
describes the concept that some brain functions are specialized to either the right or left side of the human brain
parasympathetic nervous system
the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy
frontal lobe
higher level mental functions like planning and decision making; portion of cerebral cortex lying just behind forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgment
parietal lobe
responsible for touch/tactile/feeling; portion of cerebral cortex lying at stop of head and toward the rear, receives sensory input for touch and body position
temporal lobe
holds the auditory cortex/processes speech sounds/also may be involved in long term memory; portion of cerebral cortex lying roughly above ears; includes auditory areas primarily from opposite ear
occipital lobe
concerned with vision/reviews info and relays it to visual cortex/Divides up incoming visual input and sends it to separate areas to process color, shape etc.
neural networks
the brains neurons cluster into work groups.
Norepinephrine
Helps control alertness and arousal
GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)
A major inhibitory neurotransmitter
Glutamate
A major excitatory neurotransmitter; involved in memory
glial cells
cells in the nervous system that support, nourish and protect neurons, they may also play a role in learning and thinking
limbic system
neural system (including the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus) located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions and drives
hypothalamus
a neural structure lying below the thalamus, it directs several maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temperature). Helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion and reward
amygdala
two lima-bean-sized neural clusters in the limbic system, linked to emotion
reticular formation
a nerve network that travels through the brainstem and thalamus and plays an important role in arousal (alertness & attentiveness)
cerebral cortex
the intricate fabric interconnected neural cells covering the cerebral hemispheres, the body’s ultimate control and information-processing center
medulla
the base of the brainstem, controls heartbeat and breathing
thalamus
the brain’s sensory control center, located on top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla
corpus callosum
the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them
left side of brain
helps you find speech sounds
inhibitory impulse
signals that stop a neuron accelerator
dendrites
Branch-like structures on a neuron that receive incoming signals from other neurons. They play a crucial role in transmitting information towards the cell body, where the signals are integrated. Are covered in synapses, specialized structures that allow for communication between neurons.
soma
The central part of a neuron, containing the nucleus and other organelles. It is responsible for maintaining the cell's metabolic functions and integrating incoming signals.
nervous system
the body's speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems
peripheral nervous system
the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body
EEG
Electroencephalogram; An amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain's surface. These waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp.
CT scan
a series of x-ray photographs taken from different angles and combined by computer into a composite representation of a slice through the body
PET scan
positron emission tomography; a visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task
MRI
Magnetic resonance imaging; a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images that distinguish among different types of soft tissue; allows us to see structures within the brain
motor neurons
neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands
Neurons
a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system
Axons
Carry impulses away from the cell body
myelin sheath
A layer of fatty tissue segmentally encasing the fibers of many neurons; enables vastly greater transmission speed of neural impulses as the impulse hops from one node to the next.
sodium-potassium pump
a carrier protein that uses ATP to actively transport sodium ions out of a cell and potassium ions into the cell
Reuptake
a neurotransmitter's reabsorption by the sending neuron
inhibition
a feeling that makes one self-conscious and unable to act in a relaxed and natural way
Agonist
a molecule that, by binding to a receptor site, stimulates a response
Antagonist
Does not mimic neurochemicals and blocks neural pathways
endocrine system
the body's "slow" chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream
adrenal glands
a pair of endocrine glands that sit just above the kidneys and secrete hormones (epinephrine and norepinephrine) that help arouse the body in times of stress.
Pancreas
Regulates the level of sugar in the blood
Thyroid
regulates metabolism
dual processing
the principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks
Phineas Gage
railroad worker who survived a severe brain injury that dramatically changed his personality and behavior; case played a role in the development of the understanding of the localization of brain function
Prosopagnosia
inability to recognize faces
feature receptors
nerve cells in the brain that respond to specific features of the stimulus, such as shape, angle, or movement
hemispheric specialization
The control of distinct neurological functions by the right and left hemispheres of the brain.
corpus callosum
the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them
neurogenesis
the formation of new neurons
Epigenetics
the study of environmental influences on gene expression that occur without a DNA change
Broca's area
Controls language expression - an area of the frontal lobe, usually in the left hemisphere, that directs the muscle movements involved in speech.- if broken, speech is disrupted
Wernicke's area
controls language reception - a brain area involved in language comprehension and expression; usually in the left temporal lobe
Gazzinga
Did split brain research
parallel processing
the processing of many aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain's natural mode of information processing for many functions, including vision. Contrasts with the step-by-step (serial) processing of most computers and of conscious problem solving.
Noniceptors
sensory receptors that detect hurtful temperatures, pressure, or chemicals
Hippocampus
A neural center located in the limbic system that helps process explicit memories for storage; processes conscious memories
Amygdala
A limbic system structure involved in memory and emotion, particularly fear and aggression.
Cerebellum
A large structure of the hindbrain that controls fine motor skills. Deals with voluntary movement, muscle memory, and balance
Pons
part of the brain stem that is responsible for dreaming and sleep
Cerebrum
Largest part of the brain; responsible for voluntary muscular activity, vision, speech, taste, hearing, thought, and memory.
corpus callosum
the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them
limbic system
neural system located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions and drives
Acetylcholine
A neurotransmitter that enables learning and memory and also triggers muscle contraction, associated with Alzheimer's
Dopamine
A neurotransmitter associated with movement, attention and learning and the brain's pleasure and reward system.
Serotonin
A neurotransmitter that affects hunger,sleep, arousal, and mood.
d
"morphine within"--natural, opiatelike neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure.
fMRI
Functional magnetic resonance imaging; A non-invasive neuroimaging technique that measures brain activity by detecting changes in blood flow. It provides detailed images of brain structures and can identify regions that are active during specific tasks or cognitive processes. MOST DETAILED STRUCTURAL VIEW
Axon
the neuron extension that passes messages through its branches to other neurons or to muscles or glands
Central nervous system
consists of the brain and spinal cord and coordinates all of the body's activities
Amygdala
Concerned with emotions, especially anger & aggression
Afferent neurons
AKA sensory neurons
Efferent neurons
AKA motor neurons
Cell body
Carries the cell's nucleus and sorts through the neuron's messages
Myelin sheath
Insulates and protects the cell
Sensory cortex
Registers and processes body touch and movement sensations
Neural networks
Neural clusters in brain
Wernicke's area
a brain area involved in language comprehension (speaking & listening)
Interneurons
neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs
Inhibitory impulse
Neuron's brake
Corpus callosum
Band of neural fibers that connect both brain hemispheres
all or none response
a neuron’s response of either firing or not firing at all
nerve
bundled axons that form neural “cables” connecting the central nervous system with muscles, glands, and sense organs
neural network
brain neuron cluster of work groups
reflex
simple, automatic response to sensory stimulus, such as knee-jerk reaction
Note 
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