The Biology of Behavior & Mind: A (Brief) Historical Perspective

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from the lecture notes on neuroscience and the history of behavior.

Conditioned reflex

A learned response produced by pairing a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus (Pavlov).

Neutron

[Note: Correct term is Neuron] The basic cell of the nervous system that transmits information via electrical and chemical signals.

Synapse

The junction between neurons where communication occurs via neurotransmitters.

Spinal reflex

A reflex arc mediated by the spinal cord, often without requiring brain input.

Neurotransmitter

Chemical messenger released at the synapse to influence the postsynaptic neuron or other target cells.

Postsynaptic potential

A change in the membrane potential of the postsynaptic neuron following neurotransmitter binding.

Resting potential

The steady electrical potential of a neuron at rest, typically around -70 mV.

Action potential

A rapid, transient change in membrane potential that travels along the axon to transmit a signal.

Glia

Supportive non-neuronal cells in the nervous system that nourish, insulate, and protect neurons.

Central nervous system (CNS)

The brain and spinal cord.

Peripheral nervous system (PNS)

The nerves outside the CNS that connect the body to the CNS.

Multipolar neuron

A neuron with one axon and many dendrites; the most common type in the CNS.

Bipolar neuron

A neuron with one axon and one dendrite, usually sensory (e.g., retina, cochlea).

Unipolar neuron

A neuron with a single process that divides into two branches; typically sensory.

Dendrite

Branch-like extensions that receive signals from other neurons.

Axon

Long projection that transmits signals away from the cell body, often insulated by myelin.

Myelin

Insulating sheath around many axons that speeds signal transmission.

Soma (cell body)

The metabolic center of the neuron containing the nucleus.

Receptor

A structure that detects physical stimuli and initiates a neural signal, often on sensory neurons.

Neural integration

The process by which multiple synaptic inputs are combined to influence action potential generation.

IACUC

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee that oversees animal research and ensures ethical treatment and alternatives exist.

Animal Welfare Act (1966)

U.S. law regulating the treatment of animals in research and related activities.

Rodents

Rats and mice; the most commonly used animals in biomedical research.

Darwin — natural selection

Darwin's mechanism by which heritable traits that confer advantage become more common over generations.

Pavlov

Russian physiologist who studied conditioned reflexes and digestion; Nobel Prize in Medicine (1904).

Sherrington

British physiologist who studied spinal reflexes and coined the terms neuron and synapse.