PSYC100 Lecture Notes Review: The Brain and Neurons

Flashcards covering key vocabulary related to the structure and function of the brain and neurons, based on the PSYC100 lecture notes.

The Brain

A network of neurons serving as a communication system and an 'expensive' organ.

Dendrites

Part of a neuron that receives signals from other neurons.

Cell body (Soma)

The main part of a neuron that contains the nucleus and integrates information.

Axon

The long, slender projection of a neuron that transmits electrical impulses away from the cell body.

Myelin sheath

A fatty insulation (made of glial cells) that surrounds the axon, speeding up nerve impulse transmission.

Node of Ranvier

Gaps in the myelin sheath along the axon where the action potential is regenerated.

Terminal buttons

Small knobs at the end of an axon that release neurotransmitters into the synapse.

Synapse

The junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron; where information is transmitted.

Structural MRI Imaging

A neuroimaging technique used to visualize and measure the physical structure of the brain.

Frontal lobe

Responsible for thought, planning, and movement.

Parietal lobe

Involved in processing touch and spatial relations.

Temporal lobe

Primarily responsible for hearing and memory.

Occipital lobe

Primarily responsible for vision.

Brain stem

A sub-cortical structure that controls basic life functions like breathing and heart rate.

Cerebellum

A sub-cortical structure primarily involved in motor control, coordination, and balance.

Hippocampus

A sub-cortical structure critical for memory formation.

Thalamus

A sub-cortical structure acting as a sensory gateway, relaying sensory information to the cortex.

Basal ganglia

A group of sub-cortical structures essential for movement and reward processing.

Nucleus accumbens

A part of the basal ganglia involved in reward and pleasure.

Hypothalamus

A sub-cortical structure that regulates various body functions, including hunger, thirst, and temperature.

Amygdala

A sub-cortical structure involved in processing emotion, particularly fear.