Neurons Chapter 3

What is the resting state of a neuron

-70mV

What is the critical threshold level of the neuron?

-55mV

What are the 4fs of motivated behavior?

Fighting, Freezing, Fleeing, and Mating

Where does the initial visual processing take place?

The Occipital Lobe

What are the 4 effects of drugs on the brain?

release (Meth promotes release of dopamine), binding, deactivation (SSRI prevents the reuptake of serotonin),and mimicking the neurotransmitter (Morphine mimics endorphins).

Myelin Sheath

a special fatty substance that covers the axon (looks like sausage links).

Resting Potential

Voltage maintained by a neuron when it's not sending any electrical messages.

Action Potential

Electrical impulse which moves from the soma through the axon. An explosion of electrical activity created by a depolarizing current

Vesicles

Tiny bags used to contain and transport neurotransmitters from the soma to the end of the axon -> waits for action potential

Neurotransmitters

chemical messengers manufactured by one neuron that communicate with other neurons via synapses

Dopamine

Influences learning, attention, and emotion

Nucleus Accumbens

Part of the brain that underlines feelings of pleasure (this part of the brain is targeted by addictive drugs)

Acetylcholine

Causes a muscle fiber to contract when released into a neuromuscular junction

Neuromuscular junction

Tiny gap between a muscle fiber and the motor neuron controlling the fiber

Serotonin

Affects mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal

Receptor Site

Neurotransmitters fit into these like a key fits into a lock-> opens ion channels that alter voltage in postsynaptic dendrite

Psychoactive Drugs

Chemicals that alter mental function by interacting with one or more synaptic processes

Deactivation

preventing reuptake of a neurotransmitter

Reuptake

Process of the neuron reclaiming used neurotransmitters from the synapse.

Agonists

a drug that boosts the effectiveness of a neurotransmitter

Antagonist

a drug that reduces the effectiveness of a neurotransmitter

Morphine

a drug that relieves pain by mimicking endorphins

Analgesic

a substance causing pain relief

Endorphins

the brains naturally occurring analgesic

Interneuron

a neuron in the spine that's involved in reflexive movements

Reflex

a quick and automatic motor response

Peripheral nervous system

the portion of the nervous system containing all nerves outside the central nervous system

Somatic Nervous System

the portion of the peripheral nervous system that controls voluntary behaviors (walking)

Sensory

Senses such as touch, sight etc.

Motor

Moves Muscles

Autonomic nervous system

the portion of the nervous system that controls involuntary behaviors (digestion)

Sympathetic nervous system

the portion of the autonomic nervous system that controls the body's organ activity in response to threats

Parasympathetic nervous system

the portion of the autonomic nervous system that controls normal organ activity

Longitudinal fissure

A deep line separating the left and right side of the brain

Cerebellum

Contributes to movements requiring balance, coordination, and precise timing. Contains more neurons than are in the rest of the brain.

Thalamus

Carries out quick, but rough preliminary analyses of perceptual information (ex. hearing and vision)Located in midbrain.

Limbic System

A group of midbrain structures that contributes to our emotional experience

Amygdala

Where fear-conditioned associations are stored. Greek for under the thalamus.

Hypothalamus

Provokes action by activating the sympathetic nervous system à activates adrenal gland (part of the endocrine system. Essential to motivated behaviors.

Hippocampus

Stores conscious experiences in memory to be made available for later retrieval. Emotional arousal promotes storage in long term memory.

Medulla

Controls basic reflexes such as breathing, heartbeat, digestion, coughing.Has many receptor sites for opiates.

Corpus Callosum

Broad band of fibers that connects the left hemisphere of the brain to the right hemisphere

Occipital Lobe

Lobe at the posterior corner of the brain, concerned primarily with basic visual processing At the extreme rear (posterior corner) of the brain. Where initial visual processing occurs.

Parietal Lobe

Part of the cortex that processes visual locations and contains the primary somatosensory cortex. Also relates to sense of touch.

Temporal Lobe

Part of the cortex that allows us to recognize visual objects, such as faces. Also relates to speech and sound.

Frontal Lobe

Area of the brain that is implicated in impulse control and personality.

Cerebral Cortex

Wrinkly surface of the brain.

Sylvian Fissure

Structure of the cortex that separates the parietal and temporal lobes.

Primary Somatosensory Cortex

Lies on the parietal lobe and processes touch sensations.

Primary Motor Cortex

Lies on the frontal lobe and programs voluntary movements.

Neglect

visual deficit, tendency to neglect everything located in ½ the visual field

Prosopagnosia

makes a person unable to recognize faces (including friends, loved ones, and themselves

FFA

part of brain that has increased activity when viewing faces/ images of faces

Endocrine system

contains all glands that secrete hormones into blood

Hormones & Neurotransmitters

both chemical messengers neurotransmitter send chemical messages from one neuron to another while hormones broadcast their messages across the entire body through the bloodstream

Phrenology

the incorrect idea from franz Josef gall that bumps on the skull are correlated to personality

Corpus callousness

200 million nerve fibers at the base of the brain which facilitates communication between two hemispheres.

Corpus callosotomy

a surgical procedure in which the corpus callosum is severed

Focus

point of origin for a seizure

Aphasia

A language Deficit

Axon

a single long wire that sends electrical signals from the soma to other neurons

Broca's Area

an area of the cortex typically located in the left hemisphere associated with language, damage to which causes aphasia

Callosotomy

a surgical procedure in which the corpus callosum is severed

Central nervous system

the part of the nervous system made up of the brain and the spinal cord

Dendrite

branching neural fibers that collect inputs from other neurons

Focus

the point of origin of a seizure

Fusiform Face Area

an area of the temporal lobe that has increased activity when we view faces

Glial Cells

a brain cell that supports the activities of neurons

Hemisphere

the division of the cortex into left and right sides

Interneuron

a neuron in the spine that is involved in reflexive movements

Ion Channels

passageways that enable charged particles (ions) to travel through the neural membrane when opened

Myelin

glial cell that provides electrical insulation for the axon

Neglect

a visual deficit in which people tend to ignore everything seen in one half of the visual field

Neuron Doctrine

The claim that the network that appears when examining brain tissue under a microscope consists of separate cells

Neuron

a brain cell that stores and processes information using an electrical code

Reuptake

the process of the sending neuron reclaiming used neurotransmitters from the synapse

Soma

part of the neuron that contains machinery to keep the neuron alive and functioning

Synapse

tiny gap between two neurons where chemical transmission of neural messages occurs

Who was Phineas Gage? Why is he important?

Phineas gage was a railroad foreman who survived a brain injury which was caused by an iron rod which pierced through his skull. He is important because by studying him psychologists realized that specific areas of the brain are associated with certain functions.

What are three structures of the old brain?

-Thalamus

- Medulla

- Hippocampus

Name two structures of the Limbic System

-Frontal Lobe

- Amygdala

How do neurotransmitter move from neuron to neuron?

By crossing the synaptic gap

What are the branching extensions of the neuron that receive messages called?

Dendrites

What is dopamine?

A neurotransmitter