AP Psych unit 1

How do excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters differ?

excitatory- increases the likelihood of an action potential

inhibitory- decrease likelihood of neural firing

When positively charged ions enter the action potential, making the membrane less negative

depolarization

What is repolarization?

restores the neuron’s original charge before firing

Nervous system that is your brain and spinal cord

Central nervous system

Nervous system that consists of your sensory and motor neurons that connect to your brain and spinal cord

peripheral nervous system

part of your PNS that controls voluntary movement

somatic

part of your PNS that controls involuntary movement (heart beating, lungs pumping)

autonomic

part of your NS that is fight or flight

sympathetic

part of your NS that is rest and digest

parasympathetic

Part of the neuron that contains the nucleus and DNA

cell body

Part of the neuron that receives signals from other neurons

dendrites

Part of the neuron that carries signals from one end to the other

axon

Part of the neuron that sends signals to next neuron

axon terminal

Part of the neuron that insulates the axon and speeds up iimpulses

myelin sheath

Part of the neuron that produces myelin for the myelin sheaths

Schwann cells

spaces between Schwann cells

Nodes of Ranvier

Part of the neuron that provides extra protection and nourishment to neurons

glia

Type of neuron:
carry information from the senses to the brain and spinal cord

sensory neurons

Type of neuron:

carry information from the CNS to the muscles and glands

motor neurons

Type of neuron:

relay information within the brain and spinal cord

interneurons

Name the reflex arc

receptors, sensory neuron, spinal cord, motor neuron, muscles

A neurotransmitter involved in muscle activation, memory, and learning

acetylcholine

A neurotransmitter involved in reward, motivation, and motor control.

dopamine

A neurotransmitter that affects mood, appetite, and sleep.

serotonin

A neurotransmitter and hormone involved in arousal and alertness.

nonrepinephrine

The main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain, involved in sleep

GABA

The main excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain; involved in memory and learning, comes from food

glutamate

Neurotransmitters involved in pain relief and pleasure. Body’s natural painkillers

endorphins

A neurotransmitter involved in the transmission of pain signals.

substance P

The base of the brain stem that controls breathing and heartbeat

Medulla

a nerve network that travels through the brainstem into the thalamus and plays an important role in controlling arousal

reticular formation

involved in respiration and REM sleep, also serves as coordination center between the two hemispheres of the brain

pons

coordinates movement and balance, processes sensory input, judgement of time, and enables nonverbal learning and memory; known as “little brain”

cerebellum

serves as the sensory “switchboard”, directing messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmitting replies to the cerebellum and medulla

thalamus

A set of structures in the brain, including the amygdala, hypothalamus, and hippocampus, involved in emotion, motivation, and memory.

limbic system

responsible for survival emotions of fear and aggression

amygdala

responsible for processing and storing explicit memories of facts and events

hippocampus

A neural structure lying below the thalamus, regulating bodily functions such as hunger, thirst, body temperature, and sexual behavior, and controlling the pituitary gland.

hypothalamus

Areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions but are involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking.

Association areas

What lobe is this?

frontal

What lobe is this?

parietal

What lobe is this?

occipital

What lobe is this?

temporal

The lobe of the brain that is involved in making judgements, planning & making decisions, abstract thought, and personality

Frontal lobe

What lobe receives sensory input for touch sensations (pain, pressure, temperature) and body position

parietal

What lobe includes auditory areas, each receiving input from the opposite ear

temporal

What lobe receives information from the eyes

occipital

Cortex that executes planning, personality, and executive functioning

prefrontal

Cortex that controls skeletal movments

motor

Cortex that registers touch sensations

somatosensory cortex

Cortex in the temporal lobe

auditory

Cortex in the occipital lobe

visual

Area of the brain that controls speech production

Broca’s area

Area of the brain that controls understanding of language

Wernicke’s area