Neuroscience Final Definitions

Most definitions for Intro to Neuroscience

Sagittal Plane

Left and right

Transverse

Lower and upper

Coronal plane

Front and back

Superior

towards the head

Medial

Towards the midline

Proximal

Close to the body

Ipsilateral

Same side

Inferior

Towards the feet

Lateral

Away from the midline

Distal

Away from the body

Contralateral

Different sides

Pyramidal Cells

Excitatory, abundant in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus

Pyramidal Cells

Purkinje Cell

Extensive dendritic arbor, inhibitory in the cerebellum

Purkinje Cells

Granule Cells

Excitatory, coordinate movement, in the brain cortex

Granule Cells

Basket Cells

Inhibitory, coordinate movement, in the brain cortex

Basket cells

Medium Spiny Neurons

Regulate motor movement, inhibitory, in the striatum

Medum Spiny Cells

Dopaminergic Neurons

Excitatory neurons that regulate movement, lost in Parkinson’s

Dopaminergic Neurons

Alpha Motor Neurons

Excitatory, motor movement, located in spinal cord

Alpha motor neurons

Ependymal Cells

Cuboidal epithelial cells that secrete cerebral spinal fluid

Ependymal Cells

Astrocytes

Buffer calcium, form part of the blood-brain barrier

Astrocytes

Microglia

Clear cell debris and react to injury/infection, located in the CNS

Microglia

Oligodendrocytes

Myelinate axons in the CNS

Oligodendrocytes

Schwann Cells

Myelinate axons in the PNS

Schwann Cells

Ionotropic

channel proteins made of multiple subunits that allow specific ion types into the cell

Metabotropic

Transmembrane proteins that amplify the response of a ligand

Resting Membrane Potential

Neuron is not sending an action potential, gates are closed

Depolarization

Sodium enters the cell through voltage gated sodium channels

Repolarization

Sodium channels close and potassium channels open, allowing potassium to leave the cell

Hyperpolarization

Enough potassium leaves to make the potential overshoot the RMP and become more negative, potassium channels close re-establishing RMP

Motor Unit

The motor neuron and all the muscle fibers it innervates