psych exam 2

neuron

• a cell in the brain that communicates with other neurons

gilal cells

• provide support for neurons, can replace themeselves

• strucutral, nutrional, cleanup, development roles

astrocytes

• in the CNS

• increase blood flow to neurons that are active, participate in repair-related functions, and help regulate the balance of ions

oligodendrocytes

• in the CNS

• responsible for myelination

  • associated with mutlitple neurons

microglia

• remove debris and waste

schwann cells

• in the PNS

  • also myelination

dendrites

• receving end of the neuron, gets signals that eventually influence the neuron

soma/cell body

• between dendrites and the axon

axon hillock

• graded potentials are recived at the axon hillock and thereshold becomes important before action poteintal occurs

axon

• carries the electrical signal through the neuron

myelin sheath

• surrounding sections of the axons

terminal buttons

• at the end of the axon, neural message moves towards these endings, communication from one neuron to another

electrical signal

send from one part of the neuron to the other, the signal travels through the dendrite through the cell body to the axon

chemical signal

• neurotransmistters released into neuro-synaptic cleft, blind with post synaptic recports or pre synaptic autorecptors

action potential

• eventually intraceullar charge exceeds “threshold”.

• Na+ channels open

depolarization

• Na+ flow in creating (+) net charge and eventually close Na+ channels, this causes K+ to flow out

repolarization

• K+ flows out along concentration gradient bringing membrane back to (-) charge

resting potential

• pumps 3 Na+ out of every 2 K+ that moves in, creates excess of positive ions outside compared to inside

neuromodulators

• a chemical released by neurons which modulates the effect of neurotransmitters

recpetors

protein on post-synaptic membrane which neurotransmitters bind to. Iontropic and Metatropic

auto/hetroceptors

proteins on pre-synaptic membrans which neurotransmitters bind to.

• metabotrophic

central nervous system

neurons in the brain and spinal cordp

somaic nervous system

• all the neurons that take in the sensory information from all over the body and deliever it to the spinal cord and brain

  • in the PNS

autonomic nervous systemn

• symaptic nervous system: fight or flight function

• parasymapthetic nervous system: controls digestive and other organ fucntion

medulla

• includes respiratory and vomitting center, sensitive to barbirautes

reticular activiating system

arousal, sleep

cerebullm

Receives direct input from the motor cortex (voluntary actions) and from the muscles (via spinal cord)

• barbiturates/alcohol

basal ganglia

complex movement, parkinson diease due to damage to dopaminegric cells here

• input = striatum, output = globus pallidus

parkinsons disease

results from depletion of dopamine in synapses that terminate in the basal ganglia

limbic system

• hypothallamus (4 F’s)

• mesolimbic dopamine system: uses DA as an NT; source of rushes or intense feelings of pleasure

  • when we stimulate them with drugs that act on DA or cause the VTA to release DA onto the NA, these drugs become drugs of abuse

  • damage to mesolimbic dompaine system: schizophernia = too much DA

• hippocampus : memory/learning

• amygdala: control agression

cortex

• frontal lobe: motor cortex

• parietal lobe: somatosensory cortex

• occipital lobe: primary visual cortex

• temporal love: audioty cortex

acetylochline

• first neurotrasmitter to be discovered

• widely distributed excitatory neurotransmitter that triggers muscle contraction and stimulates the excretion of certain hormones

• CNS: wakefulness/atenetiveness

• alzheimers is associated with lack of acetylcholine

dopamine

• catechloamine, form around catechol nucleus

• both an excitaotry and inhibitory neurotransmitter involved with controlling movement and postrue

norepinephrine

• catecholamine

• neurotransmitter that is important for attentivness, emotions, sleeping, learning

• excitatory and inhibatory

• plays a role in mood disorder such as manic depression

serotonin

• indoleamine

• four types of receptors, with subtyoes. both exactory and inhibatory

monoamimes

catecholamines and indoleamines

amino acids

gaba and gultamate

gaba

• gamma amino acid

• always inhibitory

• contributes to motor control, vision, also regulates anxiety

  • some drugs increase gaba to treat epilepsy

gulatmate

• always excitatory

• associated with learning and memory

• activation of NDMA recpetor requires gulamate to bind to recpetor, glycine bind to receptor, deploarization allowing mg2+ release

pet scan

• inject, say, radiolabeled glucose and localize brain activity

MRI

• detects protens, sensitive to proton environment

• active areas using more oxygen

• grey/white matter

fMRI

• blood oxygen level-dependent imaging