Neurotranmission

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?

1. An action potential travels down the axon and releases neurotransmitters in the axon terminal

2. Neurotransmitters are then released into the synapse from the terminal buttons

3. The neurotransmitters cross the synapse and fit into receptor sites on another neuron

4. The neurotransmitters are finally broken down by enzymes or are reabsorbed into the axon terminal by the process of reuptake