psych unit 0 and 1

glial cells

nourish and protect the cells in the brain

motor neurons

responsible for voluntary movements

sensory neurons

carry sensory information from the brain to the body

interneurons

connect the sensory and motor neurons in the spinal cord

neurotransmission

neurons communicate with each other using neurotransmitters

reuptake

neurotransmitters are reabsorbed back into the neuron that released them

resting potential

the electrical charge across a neuron’s membrane when it isn’t sending a signal

depolarization

when a neuron’s inside becomes less negative

threshold

the minimum level of stimulation needed to fire an action potential

action potential

the electrical impulse that travels down a neuron when it fires

agonists

mimics neurotransmitters and activate receptors

antagonists

block neurotransmitters from binding to receptors

excitatory synapses

makes the neuron more likely to fire

inhibitory synapses

makes the neuron less likely to fire

all or nothing principle

a neuron either fires completely or not at all

refractory period

the short time after a neuron fires when it can’t fire again right away

deindrites

receive messages from other neurons

cell body

processes the information and keeps the neuron alive

axon

carries the message away from the cell body

myelin sheath

protective coating that helps the message travel faster

axon terminals

sends the message to the next neuron

acetylcholine

involved in learning and memory

what do low levels of acetylcholine lead to

alzheimers

dopamine

affects mood, reward, and movement

what do low levels of dopamine lead to

parkinsons

what do high levels of dopamine lead to

schizophrenia

serotonin

regulates mood, sleep, and appetite

what do low levels of serotonin lead to

depression and anxiety

norepinephrine

involved in alertness and arousal

what do low levels of norepinephrine lead to

depression

what do high levels of norepinephrine lead to

anxiety

glutamate

impacts learning and memory

what do high levels of glutamate lead to

neurotoxicity

endorphins

act as natural painkillers

what does an endorphin imbalance lead to

chronic pain

central nervous system

composed of the brain and spinal cord

what is the peripheral nervous system composed of

somatic and autonomic nervous system

somatic nervous system

controls voluntary movements

autonomic nervous system

controls involuntary movements

what is the autonomic nervous system composed of

sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system

sympathetic nervous system

triggers “fight or flight”

parasympathetic nervous system

calms down the body

endocrine system

produces and regulates hormones in the body

what is the endocrine system composed of

pituitary gland, thyroid gland, adrenal glands, and pancreas

pituitary gland

produces hormones for growth

thyroid gland

produces hormones to regulate metabolism

adrenal glands

produces hormones that help the body respond to stress

pancreas

produces insulin to regulate blood sugar levels

eeg

measures electrical activity in the brain using small electrodes connected to the scalp

does an eeg show function or structure or both

function

what is an eeg used for

seizures and brain disorders

ct scan

an x-ray of the brain

does a ct scan show function or structure or both

structure

what is a ct scan used for

head injuries and strokes

pet scan

shows brain activity using radioactive glucose

does a pet scan show function or structure or both

function

what is a pet scan used for

cancer and brain disorders

fmri

detects changes in blood flow

does an fmri show function or structure or both

both

what is an fmri used for

studying brain function

mri

uses magnetic fields and radio waves to create detailed images of the brain

does an mri show function or structure or both

structure

what is an mri used for

soft tissue damage and brain tumors

where is the brain stem located

base of the brain

what does the brain stem do

controls basic life functions

what is the brain stem made up of

pons and medulla

medulla

controls heartbeat and breathing

pons

helps with sleep and movement

reticular formation

a nerve network that controls alertness and helps you stay awake

reticular activating system

controls arousal and wakefulness

limbic system

controls emotion, memory, and motivation

what is the limbic system made up of

hypothalamus, hippocampus, amygdala, thalamus, and pituitary gland

hypothalamus

controls hunger, thirst, and body temperature

hippocampus

forms new memories

amygdala

controls fear and aggression

thalamus

relays sensory information (except smell) to the brain

cerebellum

controls balance, coordination, and fine motor skills

corpus callosum

a band of nerves connecting the left and right hemispheres of the brain

brain plasticity

the brain’s ability to change and adapt

broca’s area

located in the left frontal lobe and is responsible for speech production

broca’s aphasia

trouble speaking and forming words

wernicke’s aphasia

affects comprehension and the ability to make sense when speaking

wernicke’s aphasia

people can speak but their language doesn’t make sense

where is the frontal lobe located

front of the brain

frontal lobe

controls higher functions like thinking and reasoning

where is the parietal lobe located

behind the frontal lobe

parietal lobe

processes sensory information

where is the occipital lobe located

back of the brain

occipital lobe

responsible for visual processing

where is the temporal lobe located

sides of the brain

temporal lobe

involved in hearing, memory, and language comprehension

lateralization of the hemisphere

right hemisphere controls the left side of the body and vise versa

hemispheric speculation

left controls language, logic, and mathematical skills and the right controls creativity and spatial awarness

dual processing

the brain works on two levels at the same time (conscious and unconscious)

blindsight

a person can’t see something but can still respond to it

sequential processing

the brain handling one task at a time

parallel processing

the brain handles many tasks at one time