Ap Psych Organization of Nerv. Sys Flashcards

  1. Terminal buttons (synaptic knobs): Structures at the end of a neuron that release neurotransmitters to communicate with other neurons.

  2. Nodes of Ranvier: Gaps in the myelin sheath of a neuron where action potentials occur.

  3. Resting potential: The electrical charge difference across the neuronal membrane when it is not sending signals.

  4. Threshold: The level of depolarization needed to trigger an action potential.

  5. All-or-none phenomenon (or theory): The concept that an action potential either fires completely or does not fire at all.

  6. Refractory period: The time after an action potential when a neuron is less responsive to stimulation.

  7. Sensory neurons (afferent neurons): Neurons that carry sensory information from the body to the central nervous system.

  8. Interneurons: Neurons that transmit signals between sensory neurons and motor neurons.

  9. Motor neurons (efferent neurons): Neurons that carry signals from the central nervous system to muscles or glands.

  10. Reflex: An automatic response to a stimulus mediated by neural pathways.

  11. Neural networks: Interconnected neurons that work together to process information.

  12. Ion channels: Proteins in the neuronal membrane that control the flow of ions in and out of the cell.

  13. Plasticity: The brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections.

  14. Neuromodulators: Chemicals that regulate the activity of neurons and neurotransmission in the brain.