Nervous system and neurons quiz

Dendrites

Looks like dead trees - its function is to receives messages- receives messages from axon terminals and sends them to the cell body

Cell body

Looks like a big blob - its function is to produce energy for the cell - they receives messages from the dendrites and send it to the axon

Axon

Looks like a tube - its function is to move signals using action potential - they receive messages from the cell body and send it to the axon terminals

Myelin

looks like beads or Cheerios - its function is to help protect the axon + to speed up transmission - it receives messages from the cell body and sends it to the axon terminals

Axon terminals

Look like suction things/other branches - their function is to send messages and store neurotransmitters - receives messages from axon and sends it to the dendrites

Neurotransmitters

Look like little peas off of axon terminal - its function is that they are chemicals involved in everything we do (like dophamine/oxytocin) - comes from axon terminals across the synapse to the dendrites + then back to the axon terminals

Central nervous system

• made up of the brain and spinal cord

Peripheral nervous system

• made up of the neural pathways that run through the entire body

• is broken down into the somatic and autonomic nervous system

autonomic nervous system

• functions we do not think about

• ex… breathing, sweating, blinking, heart rate

somatic nervous system

• soma=body

• voluntary movement

• 5 senses are controlled by this system

• activated by changes in touch, pain, temperature, and body position

Sympathetic nervous system

• activated by Stressful situations

• suppresses digestion

• prepares mind and body

• “flight, fight, fawn, freeze”

• Speeds things up

Parasympathetic nervous system

• restores body (to a peaceful state) after an event or action takes place

• rest and digest

• Pumps the brakes

Neurons

Carries message through the brain + body

Motor

Carries information from the central nervous system to the muscles + glands

sensory

takes messages to the central nervous system,

interneurons

located in the spinal cord

Synapse

Junction between the axon terminals of the neurons and the dendrites of another neuron

Spinal reflex

• automatic response to something

• involves interneurons

• happens in the spine

Dopamine

Reward, pleasure, motivation

Serotonin

mood, thought regulation

acetylcholine

attention, motor movement

endorphins

counters pain in Boyd (painkillers)

adrenaline

flight or fight

oxytocin

“love drug”; creates bonding and attachment

Hindbrain: Medulla

• Involved in life sustaining functions

• heart rate, blood pressure, breathing

Medulla: Pons

• Involved in life body movement (facial expressions)

• involved in the sleep-wake cycle

• helps relay messages

Medulla: Cerebellum

• known as the “little brain”

• controls nonverbal learning, memory, motor, and balance control

Medulla: reticular activating system

• attention center:filters noise/sensory overload

• involved in sleep

Midbrain: Thalamus

• “sensory switchboard”

• all senses except smell pass through the thalamus

limbic system

• emotional nervous system

• governs drive (food, sex) and emotions

• hypothalamus, amygdala, and hippocampus

Limbic system: Amygdala

• linked to emotion - especially aggression + fear

• recognizes threat + reward

Limbic system: Hippocampus

• processes conscious memories

• loss causes inability to form new somatic + episodic memory

Limbic system: Hypothalamus

• governs endocrine system

• regulates body temperature, hunger, sex, and aggression

• controls pituitary gland

Forebrain: Cerebrum

• two hemispheres

• bodies ultimate control and information center

• takes up 70% of the brain

Forebrain: Cerebral cortex

Surface of cerebrum

• “The thinker”

Frontal lobe

• speaking, executive functions (plans, judgments, decision making)

• Motor complex- contralateral voluntary movement control

Parietal lobe

• behind the frontal lobe

• spatial + body movement + awareness

• somatosensory cortex - receives + processes information about touch and movement

Occipital lobe

• lobe at the back of skull

• processes vision

temporal lobe

• lobes just above ears

• processes hearing

• wernicks area: speech comprehension

corpus callosum

• large band of neural fibers connecting left and right brain hemispheres

• served in “split brain” patients

• connects the 2 sided hemispheres

right side of brain

facial recognition

left side of brain

logic

language

addiction

A psychological and physical inability to stop consuming a chemical/drug, or activity even though it is causing psychological and physical harm