Brain and Behavior class

Brain: Responsible for thinking, calculation, feeling, and controlling motivation.
Spinal Cord: A bundle of long neural pathways connecting the brain to the body.

Components of a Neuron:
- Dendrites: Receive signals from other neurons.
- Axon: Transmits impulses away from the cell body.
- Cell body (soma): Contains the nucleus and maintains the neuron.
- Axon Terminals: Endpoints of the axon where neurotransmitters are released.
- Myelin Sheath: Insulates the axon, speeding up neural transmission.

Neurons: Comprised of ions, which are positively or negatively charged particles.
Action Potential: An electrical impulse that travels along the neuron.
Resting Potential: The polarized state where negative ions are inside the cell membrane, and positive ions are outside.
Refractory Period: Time after an action potential during which a neuron is unable to fire.
Threshold: Minimum level of electrical charge to trigger an action potential.
All-or-None Principle: Neurons either fire at full strength or not at all.

Key Components:
- Synaptic Vesicles: Contain neurotransmitters.
- Receptor Sites: Locations on the postsynaptic neuron where neurotransmitters bind.
- Reuptake: The process of reabsorbing neurotransmitters back into the presynaptic neuron.
- Enzymatic Deactivation: Breakdown of neurotransmitters by enzymes.

Acetylcholine: Involved in muscle contractions and memory. Related to Alzheimer's Disease.
Dopamine: Associated with rewarding sensations, movement, and thought processes. Linked to Parkinson's disease and schizophrenia.
Serotonin: Influences mood, sleep, and appetite. Implicated in depression.
Epinephrine: Related to fight or flight responses.
Norepinephrine: Involved in arousal and alertness. Related to depression and stress response.
GABA: Major inhibitory neurotransmitter. Calms anxiety and can treat seizures.
Glutamate: Key in learning and memory; excessive levels can cause migraines.
Endorphins: Natural painkillers; linked to pleasure and reduced pain perception.

Comprised of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream, affecting long-term bodily functions.
Key Glands:
- Pituitary Gland: The master gland; controls other glands and growth hormones.
- Adrenal Glands: Produce adrenaline for stress response.

Neuroplasticity: The brain's capacity to change its structure and function based on experiences.
- Functional Plasticity: The brain compensates for damages by reallocating functions.
- Structural Plasticity: The physical alteration of neural pathways in response to learning or environment.

Responsible for basic life functions:
- Medulla: Controls breathing and reflexes.
- Pons: Relays information and regulates sleep and breathing.
- Cerebellum: Coordinates voluntary movements and balance.

Cerebral Cortex: Outer layer responsible for advanced functions like reasoning, perception, and language.
Limbic System: Regulates emotions and memory.
- Hippocampus: Involved in forming memories.
- Amygdala: Controls emotion and fear responses.