| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Caudal | Tail, Posterior |
| Rostral | Nose, Anterior |
| Dorsal | Back |
| Ventral | Belly |
| Saggital | Symmetrical cut through center of body |
| Coronal | Asymmetrical cut through center of body |
| Nerve | A collection of axons outside the CNS |
| Tract | A collection of axons within the CNS |
| Ganglion | A collection of cell bodies outside the CNS |
| Nucleus | A collection of cell bodies in the CNS |
| Meninges | Protective layers of the brain including the dura mater, arachnoid mater, and pia mater |
| Dura Mater | Furthest meninge from the brain and closest to the skull |
| Arachnoid Membrane | Middle meninge |
| Pia Mater | Soft layer closest to the brain |
| IPSP | Inhibitory post-synaptic potential. Membrane potential is negative. K out or Cl in. |
| EPSP | Excitatory post-synaptic potential. Membrane potential is positive. Na in. |
| Hyperpolarized | Negative potential is larger than positive. IPSP |
| Depolarized | Positive potential is larger than negative. EPSP |
| Voltage Gated Ion Channel | Channel responds to electrical charge changes within the cell. |
| Ligand Gated Ion Channel | Channel responds to chemical message, such as neurotransmitters. |
| Saltatory Conduction | Jumping from myelinated neurons at nodes of ranvier. |
| Nodes of Ranvier | Notches in between myeline sheeths. |
| Spatial Summation | The combined effects of neurotransmitters binding to different locations on the post-synaptic membrane at a particular moment in time. |
| Temporal Summation | The combined effects of neurotransmitters binding over time. |
| Rate Law | Coding of intensity is by the firing rate of a neuron and by the number of neurons firing. |
| Affinity | Ability to bind to receptor. |
| Efficacy | Ability to initiate biological response after binding. |
| Hypothalamus | A neural structure lying below the thalamus; it directs several maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temperature), helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion. |
| Medulla Oblongata | Part of the hindbrain that controls basic life function including respiration, heart rate, etc. |
| Frontal Lobe | Part of the brain anterior to the central sulcus that is the motor cortex involved in muscle movement, programming and sequencing motor movements including speech production. Also controls complex intellectual functioning such as planning and sequencing behavior. |
| Occipital Lobe | Part of the brain which primary function is the analysis of visual information. |
| Parietal Lobe | Part of the cerebral cortex thats anterior portion (somatosensory cortex) analyzes sensory information such as pain, pressure. and body position. The posterior position is involved in spatial perception. |
| Limbic System | Part of the brain that governs emotional response, storage, and retrieval of emotional memories. Includes amygdala, cingulate gyrus, and hippocampus. |
| Sympathetic Nervous System | Norenergic system that releases norepinephrine and epinephrine at target organs. |
| Parasympathetic Nervous System | Cholinergic system that releases Achytelcholine at traget organs. |
| Neuronal Communication General Two Step Process | Step 1: Electrical ionic changes along axon carry information from input zone to integration zone to output zone. Step 2: Chemicals or neurotransmitters are released into synaptic cleft and bind to post synaptic membrane of second cell on its input zone. |
| Neuronal Communication Step 1 | ESPS and IPSPs summed both temporally and spatially. If ESPS > IPSP action potential generated at axon hillock. |
| Neuronal Communication Step 2 | Action potential opens Na channels along axon. Na move from outside (extracellular) to inside (intracellular) neuron. Ligand gated on somas and dendrites. Voltage gated on axon. |
| Neuronal Communication Step 3 | As action potential moves down axon, Na channels that have been used become inactive. (Absolute refactory period) |
| Neuronal Communication Step 4 | When the action potential reaches the axon terminal, Ca enters through channels and binds vesicles cause release of neurotransmitters into synapse. |
| Neuronal Communication Step 5 | Sodium-Potassium pump restores ionic balance and maintains it (resting potential) |
| Ionotropic Receptors | Ion channels that open quickly by the direct action of a neurotransmitter. |
| Metabotropic Receptors | Ion channels that are opened indirectly by a second messenger and is slow. |
| Synaptic Communicaton Termination | Degredation, Reuptake, and Autoreceptors. |
| Degredation | Enzymes, such as acetylcholinesterase, break neurotransmitters into non-active components. |
| Reuptake | Neurotransmitters are collected back into pre-synaptic membrane. |
| Autoreceptor | Presynaptic receptor that stops more neurotransmitters from being released. |
| Terminal Neurotransmitter Release | Ca channels open due to depolarization and bind to vesicles to cause fusion of vesicle and cell membrane (exocytosis). Vesicles release neurotransmitters into cleft to bind to post-synaptic receptors. |
| Cholineric Systems | Originate in basal forebrain systems and pedudculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPT). (MS/VDB) Medial septum / vertical limb diagnal band of broca) to terminate at hippocampus and cingulate cortex (prefrontal cortex). (NBM) Nucleus basalis magnocellularis/of meynert to terminate in neocortex. |
| Serotonergic Systems | Originate in cell bodies of midline raphe nuclei and terminate in whole brain (cortex). |
| Noradrenergic Systems | Originate in cell bodies of locus coerulus and terminate in cerebral cortex and whole brain. |
| Dopaminergic Systems | Originate ventral tegmental area (mesolimbocortical) and terminate in nucleus accumbens and frontal cortex. Originate in substantia nigra (mesostriatal) and terminate in dorsal striatum. |
| Colchicine | Blocks axon transport by disrupting microtubules and prevent replenishment of neurotransmitters. |
| Lidocaine | Block voltage gated channels and action potential. |
| Tetrodotoxin (Puffer Fish) | Block voltage gated channels and action potential. |
| Botulinum Toxin | Prevents release of acetylcholine. Muscle paralysis. |
| Black Widow Spider Venom | Increases Ca permeability and depletes stores of acetylcholine. |
| Amphetamine | Causes release of dopamine from vesicles and from axon terminal. |
| Antidepressants | Block reuptake of norepinephrine and serotonine (tricyclics/SSRIs) or inhibit enzyme monoamine oxidase (MAOIs). |
| Physostigmine | Causes reversible inhibition of acetycholinesterase. |
Combine with other sets
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