Studied by 2 people
Synapses
Gaps between neurons
Myelin Sheath
Insulating layer around the axon that makes transmission more efficient
Axon
Long fiber that transmits electrical impulses to other neurons
Soma
Cell body that contains the nucleus
Dendrites
Branches that receive signals from other neurons
Excitatory Neurotransmitters
Neurotransmitters that increase the chance of a neuron firing by depolarizing it
Inhibitory Neurotransmitters
Neurotransmitters that decrease the chances of a neuron firing by hyperpolarizing it
What happens to neurotransmitters after they are in a synapse?
They fit into their respective receptor sites and then are broken down/reabsorbed into the axon terminal they came from
What is one criticism of the argument that each behavior can be attributed to certain neurotransmitters?
Most psychologists believe that this theory is reductionist because it does not take into account other factors that influence behavior
Agonist
A substance that is able to bind to certain receptor sites that mimics the behavior of certain neurotransmitters
Antagonist
A substance that blocks certain receptor sites, not allowing certain neurotransmitters to interact with them
What is an agonist for serotonin? What is an agonist for acetylcholine? What is an antagonist for acetylcholine?
Psilocybin, Nicotine, Scopolamine
Behaviors associated with Acetylcholine
The consolidation of memory in the hippocampus
Behaviors associated with Dopamine
Controlling the reward/pleasure centers of the brain, motivation
Behaviors associated with Norepinephrine
Arousal, alertness, blood pressure, heart rate
Behaviors associated with Serotonin
Sleep, arousal, mood, social behavior, appetite
Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)
An inhibitory neurotransmitter that blocks chemical messages in the central nervous system
What is Localization of Function?
The theory that specific parts of the brain are responsible for specific behaviors/cognitive processes
What are the three types of Localization?
Strict - clear correspondence between function and brain area
Weak - Area may be responsible, but not exclusively, to a function
Widely Distributed Function - Functions that are distributed throughout the brain
What is Neuroplasticity?
The ability for neuron connections to be rearranged following changes within the body/external environment
What is dendritic branching?
The process of neuron dendrites increasing in number and connecting to other neurons when learning new information to create new traces in the brain
What is neural pruning?
When synapses/neural pathways are understimulated or unused, they are removed by the brain to make the neural network function more efficiently.
What are neural networks?
The making/breaking of synaptic connections between neurons
What is the Major Histocompatibility Complex?
a group of genes that make molecules that enable the immune system to recognize pathogens
What are the steps to neurotransmission?
An action potential travels down the axon and releases neurotransmitters in the axon terminal
Neurotransmitters are then released into the synapse from the terminal buttons
The neurotransmitters cross the synapse and fit into receptor sites on another neuron
The neurotransmitters are finally broken down by enzymes or are reabsorbed into the axon terminal by the process of reuptake
