unit 2

NEURON: Basic cell of the NS


Dendrites: Receive incoming signal from Soma


Cell body (includes nucleus)


Axon: AP travels down this


Myelin Sheath: speeds up signal down axon


Terminals: release NTs - send signal onto next neuron


Synapse: gap b/w neurons, releases NT


Action Potential: movement of sodium and potassium ions across a membrane sends an

electrical charge down the axon


All or none law: stimulus must trigger the AP past its threshold, but does not increase

the intensity of the response (flush the toilet)


Refractory period: neuron must rest and reset before it can send another AP (toilet

resets)


Sensory neurons - receive signals


Motor neurons - send signals


Efferent neurons - signal Exits


CENTRAL NS: Brain and spinal cord

PERIPHERALNS: Rest of the NS


Somatic NS: Voluntary movement


Autonomic NS: Involuntary (heart, lungs, etc)


NEUROTRANSMITTERS (NTS): Chemicals released in synaptic gap, received by

neurons


GABA: Major inhibitory NT


GlutamatE: Major Excitatory NT


Dopamine: Reward & movement


Serotonin: Moods and emotion


Acetylcholine (ACh): Memory


Epinephrine & Norepinephrine: sympathetic NS arousal o Endorphins: pain control,

happiness


Oxytocin: love and bonding


Agonist: drug that mimics a NT


Antagonist: drug that blocks a NT


Reuptake: Unused NTs are taken back up into the sending neuron.


SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) block reuptake - treatment for depression


Hindbrain: oldest part of the brain o Cerebellum - movement, balance


Medulla - vital organs (HR, BP)


Pons - sleep/arousal (Ponzzzzzz)


Midbrain Reticular formation: attention (if you can't pay attent on., Ya R. F'


Forebrain: higher thought processes


Limbic System


Amygdala: emotions, fear


Hippocampus: memory


Thalamus: relay center


Hypothalamus: Reward/pleasure center, eating behaviors


Broca's Area: Inability to produce speech (Broca

- Broken speech)


Wernicke's Area: Inability to comprehend speech (Wernicke's what?)


Cerebral Cortex: outer portion of the brain - higher order thought processes


Occipital Lobe: located in the back of the head - vision


Frontal Lobe: decision making, planning, judgment, movement, personality


Parietal Lobe: located on the top of the head - sensations


Temporal Lobe: located on the sides of the head (temples) - hearing and face

recognition


Somatosensory Cortex: map of our sensory receptors -in parietal lobe


Motor Cortex: map of our motor receptors - located in frontal lobe


Corpus Callosum: bundle of nerves that connects the 2 hemispheres - sometimes

severed in patients with severe seizures - leads to "split-brain patients"


ENDOCRINE SYSTEM: sends hormones throughout the body


Pituitary Gland: Controlled by hypothalamus. release growth hormones


Adrenal Glands: related to sympathetic NS: releases adrenaline


ABSOLUTE THRESHOLD: detection of signal 50% of time


DIFFERENCE THRESHOLD (also called a just noticeable difference (JND) and

follows WEBER'S LAW: two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum proportion.


Sensory Adaptation: diminished sensitivity as a result of constant stimulation


Perceptual Set: tendency to see something as part of a group

- speeds up signal processing Inattentional Blindness: failure to notice something b/c you're so focused on another task (gorilla video)


Cocktail party effect: notice your name across the room when its spoken, when you

weren't previously paying attention

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