Untitled Flashcards Set

Central Nervous System (CNS)

Part of the nervous system that consists of the brain and spinal cord.

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

Enables nerves to connect the central nervous system to the skin, muscles, organs, and glands.

- Somatic nervous system= a subdivision of the PNS; transmits sensory signals and motor signals back and forth between the CNS and the skin, muscles, and joints

- Autonomic nervous system= a subdivision of the PNS; transmits sensory signals and motor signals back and forth between the CNS and the bodys glands and internal organs

Neurons

The basic units of the nervous system that receive, integrate, and transmit information.

Dendrites

Branchlike extensions of the neuron with receptors that detect information from other neurons.

cell body

part of the neuron where info from thousands of others is collected and intergrated

Axon

The long narrow outgrowth of the neuron that enables it to transmit information to other neurons.

Myelin Sheath

Fatty insulation on the axon that helps actions move down faster.

terminal buttons

at the end of Axon(s) that release chemical signals from neuron into the synapse

Synapse

The site of communication between neurons through neurotransmitters.

Neurotransmitters

Chemical substances that carry signals from one neuron to another.

Neurotransmitters in the synapse

• neurons do not touch one another; they communicate chemically through neurtransmitters

• receptors are specialized sites that specifically respond to certain types of neurotransmitters

Action Potential

The electrical impulse that travels along the axon and causes the release of neurotransmitters.

The neuron begins in a resting state when the eletrical charge inside the neuron is slightly more negative than the electrical charge outside. A neuron cannot fire just a little bit. It either fires or it does not.

Analogy to describe potential process for a neuron…Water Gun

Resting state: The water gun is empty and at rest waiting for it to be filled up with water.

Stimulus: someone putting water inside the water gun to prepare it to be used.

Threshold: Holding/ pressing on the trigger of the water gun.

Action Potential: the stored water is being shoot out of the water gun; water is shooting out rapidly

Resting and Resetting: after the use of the water gun it is empty and is ready to put water in it again. Its now in its resting stage.

3 phases of neural communication: this is to understand how neurons typically communicate…

1. Transmission phase: Neurons pass signals to reiving neurons; electrical signal created in the cell body and travel along the axon

2. Reception phase: Neurons recieve signals from neigbhboring neurons

3. Intergration phase: Neuron assess the incoming signals

2 major ways in which neurontransmitters are removed from the synapse

1. Reuptake invovles reabsorbing neurtansmitters into the presynaptic neuron

2. Enzymes degradation involves the breaking down of neutransmitters

SSRI’s block the reuptake of serotonin which increases the amount present in the synapse and magnigies its effect.

Postynaptic neurons cann produce signals of two types:

1. Excitatory signals increase the likehood that the neuron will fire an action potential (Glutamate)

2. Inhibitory signals inhibit the neuron. They decease the likehood that the neuron will fire an action potential. (GABA)

Acetlcholine

Motor control over muscles. attention, memory, learning and sleeping

Norepinephrine

arousal and alertness

Serotonin

emotional states and impulse control. dreaming

Dopamine

reward and motivation. motor control over voluntary movement

Gama-aminobutyric acid

inhibition of action potentials. anxiety reduction. intoxication through alcohol

Glutamate

enchancement of action potentials. learning and memory

Endorphins

pain reduction. reward

What is the Hindbrain and its three structures

Hindbrain= at base of the skull, the spinal cord thickens and becomes more complex. spinal cord becomes hindbrain. Which contains structures that control body functions that are essential for survuval.

1. medulla= controls basic functions of survival, heart rate, breating, swallowing, vomiting and urination.

2. pons= important role for sleep and arousal and in coordinating movements between the left and right side of the body

3. cerebellum= around the medulla and pons. is essential for proper motor functions like movement and balance.

what is the Midbrain

Midbrain= located above pons. consist of several structures that are involve in the rflexive movement of the eyes and body.

- substantia nigra= initiation of voluntary motor activity

this region is critital for the production of dopamine

what is the Forebrain and its 4 functions

Forebrain= the largest part of the brain, responsible for complex behaviors and higher-level functions such as emotion, cognition, and sensory processing.

Thalamus= is the sensory gateway to the cortext. sight, sound, touch and taste. all incoming sensory info before that info reaches the cortext.

• sensory relay station

Hypothalamus= brains master regulating bodily functions. keeps the body in balance (not too cold or hot; hungry or full; sleepy or awake. Influence basic motive behaviors

• Responsible for the four 4s (fighting, flight, feeding, fornicating)

Hippocampus= formation of new memroies. also helps navigate in enviroments.

Amygdala= located in front of the hippocampus. vital for processing the emotional significance of stimuli, especually fear. Also involved in memory processing during times of emotional arousal

• excitement, fear, arousal, agression

What is the Cerebral Cortex and its lobes

The outer layer of the forebrain involved in complex cognitive processes.

occipital lobes= located in back of portion of the head. devoted exclusively to vision and they include many distinct visual areas.

Parietal lobes= regions of the cerebral cortext in front of the occipital lobes and behind frontal lobes for the sense of touch and pincturing the layout of spaces in an enviroment.

- Homunculus (Primary Motor Cortex & Primary Somatosensory Cortext)

Temporal Lobes= Regions of the cerebral cortext below the parietal lobes and in front of the occupital lobes important for hearing and for recognizing objects such as faces. processing auditory info

Frontal Lobe= region of the cerebral cortext at the front brain; important for movement,planning,and complex processes. (rational thought, attention and social process)

what is split brain and its hemespheres

Split brain: condition in which the corpus callosum is surgically servere and the 2 hemispheres of the brain dont receive info directly from each other.

- right hemisphere: better with spatial relationships and controls left side body movements; Occipital lobe= proccess left visual field info

- Left Hemisphere: better with language and controls right side body movements; occipital lobe= processes right visual field info

Plasticity

a property of the brain that causes it to change as a result of experience or injury

- reflects the intereactive nature pf biological and environmental influences

Brain reorganization

- sometimes entirely new connections develop between neurons. this new growth is a major factor in recovery from brain injury.

brain reorganization is much more common in children than adults

Neurongenesis and explain…

the production of new neurons

• New Neurons can be produced in some areas of the brain

Changing existing neuroal connections

• Neural pruning: connections that are not strong and not needed are “pruned” so that other connections can be strengthened

developmental psychology

the scientific study of how humans change over the life span from conception until death

• physical = involves shifts in hormone levels, growth of the body and changes in the brain

• socio-emotional

• Cognitive = how we think, reason, and communicate

Development in the womb

Germinal period: 0-2 weeks

• when sperm and egg meets which creates the zygote

• zygote-blastocyst

• the cells begin to divide rapidly=mitosis

• stage ends when implantation begins in the wall of the uterus and the placenta begins to form in order to nourish the developing human.

Embryonic period: 2-8 weeks

• blastocyst- develops into embryo

• placenta grows

• neural tube forms (folic acid facilitates= nutrients for mother to baby)(basis of the nervous system) if there is not given then its spinal cord and brain may not develope properly

• organs begin to develop (spinal cord, liver, brain, kidneys, sex organs)

anecephaly(not formed at top) and spina bifida

e(does not form at the bottom)

fetal period: 9 weeks-birth

• sex organs begin to differentiate

• hearing begins around 6 months

• muller ducts and wolff ducts

external risks to prenatal development

Teratogens

enviromental substances that can harm prenatal development

ex:- cocaine

- tobacco

- mercury

- thalidomide

Development outside womb (Birth) and newborn reflexes

Birth

full term=40 weeks

• 37 weeks= birth without considering premature

point of viability

physical development in infancy

newborn reflexes

rooting reflex= to feel

sucking reflex= help when newborn has nipple in mouth

grasping reflex= clinging to mother

maturation

pyhsical development of the brain and body that prepares an infant for voluntary movement such as rolling over, sitting, and walking.

examples of Motor Skils:

- crawling

- eye cordination

- rolling over

- sitting up

- walking

4 attachment styles

secure attachment = confidence to play in an unfamiliar enviroment as long as the caregiver is present and readily coforted by the caregiver during times of distress

avoidant attachment= somewhat willing to explore an unfamiliar enviroment but little interest in the caregiver they may not look at the caregiver when the caregiver leaves or returns

ambivalent attachment= unwilling to explore an unfamiliar enviroment, seem to have mixed feeling about the carregiver- they may cry when the caregiver leaves the room but they cannot be consoled by the caregiver upon his or her return

fearful attachment= child is cautious while playing, child is scared when parent leaves and parent act strangely on return screams, hits self or caregiver and throw things.

parenting styles

Neglectful=nattentive and uninvovled without clear rules and limits Indifferent to childs need

Permissive= Very involved but do not set clear rules and limits Little use of punishment *Indulgment of childs desires

Authoritarian= Strong expectations for children to obey strict rules with limited emotional or psychological support Punishment for not following

Authoritative= Clear expectations for children to follow rules with emotional and psychological support Child understands the need for rules

Assimination and Accommodation

• Assiminlation: incorporate new information into existing frameworks for knowledge

ex: child knows that dogs have four legs, fur, ears, and a tail. Child sees a dog because of her “dog” schema

• Accommodation: create new framework for knowledge

ex: child learns that the animal is a cat. She now has to create a new schema for “cat”

or drastically alter existing ones to incorprate new information that otherwise would not fit in

How do infants and children develop? Piagets theory

Sensorimotor stage: birth to 2 years

• infants aquire information about the world through their senses and motor skills

Preoperational stage: 2 to 7 years

• children think symbolically about objects but they reason based on intuition and superficial appearances rather than logic (Centration= lack of conversation / Egocentrism)

Concrete operational stage: 7-12 years

• children begin to think about and understand logical operation and they are no longer fooled by appearances. (Law of conservation)

Formal operational stage: 12- adulthood

• people can think abstractly and they can formulate and test hypotheses through logical

other ways of thinking about cognitive development