Terms: Ch. 3 (Biological Psychology)

neuroanatomy

the study of the parts and function of neurons

neuron

individual nerve cell

dendrites

Rootlike parts of the cell that stretch out from the cell body; grow to make synaptic connections with other neurons.

cell body

cell's life support center, contains nucleus

axon

passes message away from the cell body to other neurons, muscles, or glands

myelin sheath

protection over axon, similar to protection over headphone wiring. Enables faster transmission speed

multiple sclerosis

damage to myelin sheath; communication is disrupted between brain and body: can result in pain, fatigue, and more

terminal buttons

final stops for neurotransmitters before going to the synapse

neurotransmitters

chemical messages that travel the synaptic gap

synapse

microscopic space between two neurons

receptor sites

specific part of the dendrites that receives information

threshold

the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse

action potential

a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon

all or none principle

the law that the neuron either fires at 100% or not at all

why do we feel or experience things more intensely?

because more neurons are firing rather than a stronger action potential

neural firing

neurons communicating with one another via electrical impulses and neurotransmitters

excitatory neurotransmitters

excite the next cell into firing (encourages)

inhibitory neurotransmitters

blocks some type of action

acetylcholine (ACh)

neurotransmitter that controls muscle action, learning, memory

malfunction of acetylcholine (ACh)

ACh neuron deteriorate causing Alzheimer's

dopamine

involved in reward and pleasure, learning, movement

malfunction of dopamine

too much --> schizophrenia
too little --> tremors, parkinson's

endorphins

neurotransmitter : pain control, pleasure

malfunction of endorphins

use of opiate drugs suppresses natural supply

serotonin

mood, hunger, sleep, body arousal

malfunction of serotonin

too little leads to depression (prozac raises serotonin)

GABA

inhibitory; influences muscle tone, facilitates sleep, reduces arousal; Epilepsy meds increase action of GABA

malfunction of GABA

seizures, tremors, insomnia

glutamate

sends signals between nerve cells (excitatory), memory

malfunctions of glutamate

too much --> over stimulation --> migraines/seizures

norepinephrine

alertness, body arousal

malfunction of norepinephrine

too little --> depression

Black Widow Spider Venom

Increases release of ACh which can lead to muscle spasms and paralysis.

Prozac

Blocks reuptake of serotonin leaving more serotonin available in the synaptic cleft, which can help alleviate symptoms of depression.

Botulin

Blocks RELEASE of ACh which can cause muscle weakness and paralysis

Curare

Blocks ACh RECEPTER SITE; causes paralysis

afferent neurons

take info from the sense to the brain

efferent neurons

take info from the brain to the rest of the body

central nervous system (CNS)

main division of the brain, brain and spinal cord, all the nerves housed within bone (vertebrae and skull)

spinal cord

a bundle of nerves that run through the center of the spine, transmits info from the rest of the body to the brain

peripheral nervous system

all nerves in the body that aren't encased in bone

somatic nervous system

controls voluntary muscle movements

autonomic nervous system?

controls automatic body functions and our reaction to stress (fight or flight)

somatic and autonomic

what are the two categories in the peripheral nervous system?

sympathetic nervous system

response to something scary/stressful, carries messages to control systems that direct the body's response to stress

examples of the sympathetic nervous system being activated

heart rate, shaky hands, adrenaline, breath speeds up, pupils dilate, slows digestion

parasympathetic nervous system

carries messages to the stress response system that causes our bodies to slow down after a stress response

accidents

things that happen miraculously and lead to case studies

lesions

removal or destruction of certain parts of the brain
example: brain tumor that needs to be removed

electroencephalogram (EEG)

detects brain waves, examines what type of waves the brain produces during different stages of consciousness

EEG used for?

sleep studies to identify different stages of sleep and dreaming

CAT Scan

a sophisticated x-ray using cameras that rotate around the brain and combine photos into a 3D pictures of the brain's structure

what does a CAT scan show you?

a doctor could view a tumor, but couldn't get info on how active parts of the brain are

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

gives pictures, but with more detail, shows density and location of brain material

Position Emission Tomography

shows researchers what parts of the brain are most active during certain tasks

Functional MRI (fMRI)

details of brain structure with information about blood flow in the brain

hindbrain

the structures in the top of the spinal cord, life support system, controls basic survival functions
Includes: pons, medulla, cerebellum

medulla

controls blood pressure, heart rate, breathing

where is the medulla located?

above spinal cord

pons

connects hindbrain with midbrain and forebrain, controls facial expressions and sleep controls (ponzzz)

cerebellum

coordinates habitual muscle movements and balance (tracking something with your eyes)
Translates to: little brain

where is the cerebellum located?

underside of the brain

what is the midbrain?

coordinates habitual muscle movements with sensory information (keeps eyes on text if head turns)

where is the midbrain located

above spinal cord, below forebrain

what is the reticular formation?

in the midbrain, netlike collection of cells througout the midbrain, controls general body arousal and attention focusing

what happens if the reticular formation doesn't work

deep coma

what is the forebrain

controls thoughts and reason

what is the thalamus?

receives 4 of 5 sensory signals up spinal cord, relays sensory information to appropriate brain regions, and regulates sleep and consciousness.

where is the thalamus located?

top of brainstem

what is the hypothalamus?

controls body temp, sex drive, hunger, thirst, and endocrine system-- maintains homeostasis

where is the hypothalamus?

tiny and right below the thalamus

what is the amygdala?

Emotion processing center in the brain, involved in fear and pleasure responses.

where is the amygdala located?

end of each hippocampal arm

what is the hippocampus?

Consolidation of information from short-term to long-term memory and spatial memory in the brain.

what is the basal ganglia?

control of movements, learning, habit, cognition and emotion

What is anterograde amnesia?

inability to form new memories

What is retrograde amnesia?

Inability to remember events that occurred before the incidence of trauma or the onset of the disease that caused the amnesia

what is the limbic system?

emotion and memory

what is in the limbic system?

hypothalamus, amygdala, hippocampus

what does the left hemisphere of the brain do?

controls language, speech, math, time, recognition in letters, words, numbers

what does the ride side of the brain do?

facial recognition, inferences, context, perceiving/expressing emotion, spatial ability, creativity

what is brain lateralization?

specialization of function in each hemisphere

What is the corpus callosum?

a broad band of nerve fibers joining the two hemispheres of the brain

what are the lobes?

frontal, parietal, occipital, temporal

what is the association area?

any part of the cerebral cortex that doesn't receive sensory info or control muscle movements, controls judgment and humor

what are the frontal lobes?

The frontal lobes are the brain regions located at the front, responsible for higher cognitive functions such as reasoning, planning, problem-solving, and controlling behavior. PRIMARY MOTOR CORTEX

what is Broca's area?

controls muscles responsible for speech production

what can damage to the broca's area result in?

difficulty in getting words out

what is Wernicke's area?

interprets written and spoken speech

what could damage to the Wernicke's area do?

affect the ability to understand language, and makes sentences nonsensical

what is the motor cortex?

sends signals to our muscles, controls voluntary movements

where is the motor cortex located?

thin vertical strip at the back of the frontal lobe, top controls bottom of body and vice versa

what are the parietal lobes?

Responsible for spatial attention and spatial sense that integrates sensory information from various modalities, including touch, temperature, and pain.

What is spatial neglect?

Attention impairment due to damage to right parietal lobe that causes individuals to ignore stimuli on objects in left space.

where are the parietal lobes located?

portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear, top controls bottom of the body and vice versa

what is the sensory cortex?

receives information about touch sensation

Where is the sensory cortex located?

right behind motor cortex

what are the occipital lobes?

Responsible for interpreting visual information, color, movement, shapes, etc. Other parts of the brain are recruited to help put all the information back together into coherent pictures

Where are the occipital lobes located?

very rear of brain

what are the temporal lobes?

Primary auditory cortex, and responsible for speech production and language. Also involved in object and facial recognition.