appsych quiz review

idek boi

dendrite

detects messages

axon

announces messages

soma

cell body

myelin sheath

fatty covering that contains axon that speeds up neural impulses

terminal buttons

structure at the end of an axon (contains neurotransmitters)

synapse

space between neurons

How does a neuron fire?

A neuron fires when it reaches the threshold of excitation, leading to an action potential that travels down the axon, resulting in the release of neurotransmitters at the synapse. Go into action potential. All or none response (neurons fire or don’t fire).

neurontransmitter

chemicals that transmit signals from a neuron across a synapse

excitatory

excite the next cell to fire

inhibitory

stops from firing

efferent neurons

motor, exit brain

interneurons

send info to the brain or efferent neurons

afferent neurons

sensory, AT brain

acetylcholine (ACH)

delas with motor movement. too much: spasm, too little: paralysis. linked to Alzheimer’s disease

dopamine (feeling good)

deals with motor movement, alertness, and pleasure. lack of/too little: Parkison’s disease, too much: schizophrenia

serotonin

involved in mood control, appetite, sleep. too little: depression

endorphins

involved in pain control, ADDICTIVE DRUGS!

norepinephrine

adrenaline; depression

gaba

inhibitory, calming; seizures/sleep problems

glutamate

excites you; linked to migraines, & seizures, cognitive tasks

agonists drugs

make neuron fire (full activation)

antagonists drugs

stop neural fire (no activation)

central nervous system

brain & spinal cord. normally, afferent (sensory) neurons take info up through spine to the brain; some reactions occur when sensory neurons reach just the spinal cord

peripheral nervous system

all nerves that are not encased in bone (central nervous system)

somatic nervous system

controls voluntary muscle movement, uses motor (efferent) neurons

autonomic nervous system

controls the automatic functions of the body

sympathetic nervous system

flight or fight response, automatically HR & breathing speed up, pupils dilate & digestion slows down

parasympathetic nervous system

automatically slows body down after a stressful event, HR & breathing slow down, pupils constrict & digestion speeds up

Accident method

personality changed after accidents

lesions

removal or destruction of some part of the brain (e.g. lobotomy?)

CAT scan

• Good for tumor locating, but tells us nothing about function.

• Used to locate tumors, bleeding, skull fractures, and for more detail on stroke patients

PET scan

a visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task.

EEG

• Detects brain waves through their electrical output.

• Used mainly in sleep research, epilepsy.

MRI

• More detailed picture of brain using magnetic field to knock electrons off axis.

• Takes many still pictures and turns images into a movie like production.

• Can show tissue damage, disease, inflammation, or a tumor.

functional MRI

shows active blood flow