Psych

What is biopsychology

study of how the brain, nervous system, and other biological processes shape our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors

What do biopsychologists do

study the relationship between the brain, the nervous system, genetics, hormones, and human or animal behavior

What is neuroscience

scientific study of the brain, including spinal cords and the systems of the body

What is cognative neuroscience

the scientific field that studies the biological and neural foundations of mental processes and human behavior

What are the two main parts of the nervous system

Central Nervous and Peripheral Nervous systems

What is the function of the CNS as a whole?

It receives sensory information, interprets it, and sends out instructions to direct physical and mental activities

What is the function of the PNS

) connects the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) to the rest of the body, relaying sensory signals that ravel outwards to the rest of the body

What makes up the CNS

Brain and Spinal COrd

what are the 2 parts of the PNS

Autonomic system and Somatic System

Where do reflexes occur?

in the CNS in the spine, where it decides brain doesnt need to know and sends it back to body via reflex arc

What does the autonomic system do?

deals with the automatic function like rbeathing, heartbeat, digestion

What does the somatic system do?

performs the voulentary actions such as walking, talking, etc

What are the 2 parts of the autonomic system?

The Sympathetic system and the parasympathetic system

What does the sympathetic system do?

activates fight or flight, can only last short term

what does the parasympathetic system do?

returns body to calm resting state

What do afferent neurons do?

afferent neurons are the sensory neurons and they carry messages to the CNS

what are efferent neurons

efferent neurons are the motor neurons and they carry messages from the CNS to the muscles and glands

What are interneurons

neurons in the CNS that communicate between sensory and motor neurons

What are dendrites?

branch-like projections that recieve messages from other neurons and send them to the neurons

what is the soma

the soma is the cell body, made of a nucleus that determines when the neuron has reached threshold to fire

What is the axon

the tail of the neyron along which electrical signals are conducted

what is the axon hillock

the junction between cell body and axon

what are action potentials

electrical imoulses that carry messages to other neurons

what is myelin sheath

the myelin sheath is a whitte fatty substance that is wrapped around axons and allows for increased speed of cation potential

does the myelin sheath just run along the entire acon?

no, it runs ins ections betwwen the nodes of ranvier

what are nodes of ranvier

sodium and pottasium pumps

what is the synapse?

the gao between presynaptic (sending) and postsynapic (recieving) neurons

what is resting state

when a neuron has resting potential, a negative charge due to pottasium inside and a positive charge due to sodium outside

What is a threshold

a level necessary for a neuron to fire

what is cell execution?

change from resting state

what is depolarization

when positively charged sodium ions flood into the cell, and potassium flows out, leaving the cell positive and creating action potentials

can neurons partially fire?

no, they fire completely or not at all

what causes a neuron to fire?

when polarization occurs and Sodium ions rush into the cell in large numbers, causing a sharp spike in positive electrical voltage. This electrical impulse then travels rapidly down the axon to communicate with other cells

what are acon terminals

axon terminals or terminal buttons are knobs at the end of each axon that house the neurotransmitters

what is the refractory period

the refractory period is the fraction of a second after firing of an electrical signal that a neuron can npt fire again

What is repolarization

the process of pushing out Positive NA ions to make the neuron polarized again

what are neurotransmitters

chemicals that allow for communication between neurons

what are vesicles

sacs on the terminal buttons that house the neurotransmitters

what is the relationship between neurotransmitters and their receptor

lock and key

what is reuptake?

the return of a neutrotranstter to its presy aptic axon terminal

what is an antagonist?

a drug that inhibits the action of a neurotransmitter

what is an agonist?

a drug that increases action of a neurotransmitter.

how much faster does myelin sheath make the action potential

from 2mph to 260

what do glial cells due

they “glue” the neurons in place

what do neurotransmitters do

carry chemical information, allowing messages to travel between neurons and to/from nervous system.

what do excitatory neurotransmitters do?

stimulate firing of messages

what do inhibatory neurotransmitters do

restrict transmission of messages

what functions is acetylcholine associated with?

memory formation and learning

what diseases are associated with acetylcholine

alzherimers at low levels

what does acetyl choline do

it sends messages regarding muscle contractions

what poision acts as an agonist for acetylcholine

black widow venom

what poison acts as an antagonist for actylcholine

curare

what is noroepenephrine

adrenaline released from the endocrine system

what diseases are associated with noroepenephrine

depression

what systematic response is associated with neuroepenephine

fight or flight

What are endorphins?

natural pain killers

what are low levels of endorphins associated with

low pain threshold

what is the function of seratonin

mood regulation, appetite, and sleep cycle

what is an agonist for seratonin

antidepressants

why would one take a seratonin antagonist?

to preent nausuea by reducing messages sent from the intestines to the brain

what is dopamine related to?

pleasure

what disease is associated with high levels of dopamine?

schizophrenia

what disease is associated with low levels of dopamine

parkinsons

how do antipsychotics reduce schizophrenia symptoms

they reduce the dopamine that passes between neurons by blocking receptors

what is the most common neutrontransmitter

GABA

what disease is associated with low levels of GABA

siezure disorders.

how much of all neurotransmitters are GABA

1/3

is GABA inhibitory or excitatory

INhibutory

Is acetylcholine inhibitory or excitatory

both, bc its effect depends entirely on the type of receptor it binds to on the target cell membrane, rather than the neurotransmitter itself.

is noroepenephrine inhibitory or excitatory

excitatory

are endorphins excitatory or inhibatory

inhibatory

is seratonin excitatory or inhibatory

both depending on receptor

is dopamine excitatory or inhibatory

both depending on receptor

is glutamate excitatory or inhibitory

excitatory

what is the function of glutamate?

neural communication and memory and learning

what is a psychoactive drug?

a substance that acts on the brain to impact behavior, perception, moods, mental processes

what is the blood brain barrier

a highly selective, semipermeable border of specialized cells that lines the blood vessels in the brain and spinal cord, acting as a protective gatekeeper between the bloodstream and the central nervous system

what is a substance abuse disorder

when a person can not stop using a drug despite harm

what does tolerance mean

it takes a greater amount to expirience the same effects

what is physical dependnce

cravings and bodily dependence on drugs

what is psychological dependence

constantly thinking about next high

what is withdrawal

side effects from stopping use of a substance

why do withdrawal symptoms occur

the body naturally produces less of the neurotransmitter, body needs time to return to its natural state

what is a depressent

substances that slow neurla activity

What is an example of a depressnt

alcohol, barbituates, benzo-diazephines

What are opiates?

agonists for endorphins

What do opiates

pain suppressing, sleep inducing, euphoria, slowed cognation

What are examples of opiates

opium, morphine, oxycodone, heroin

What is used for opiate withdrawal?

methadone

Wgat are examples of hallucinogens

LSD, PCP, MDMA, THC

what neurotransmitter does LSD effect

seratonin

What neurotransmitters does THC affect

usually just taste and sensory

What do stimulants do

activate nervous systems and increase arousal

What are common examples of stiumulants

nicotine, caffiene, cocaine, methamphetamine, amphetamines

What neurotransmitters do stimulants affect

dopamine and noroepenephrine

What is brain specificity?

Certain parts of your brain do certain things

What part of phineas gages brain was damaged

prefrontal cortex

What is brain plasticity

brains ability to hela and rewire itself due to injury or enw expirieneces

What is long-term potentiation

persistent strengthening of neural synapses based on frequent activity

what is a hemispherectomy

removal of a hemisphere and consequent flooding of spinal fluid. demonstrates brain plasticity