PSY11 ch5 NEUROSCIENCE
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Created by:
brandonity on September 19, 2010
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57 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 neuron | nerve cell |
| central nervous system | brain and spine |
| peripheral nervous system | extensions from central nervous system, nerves |
| nerve | bundle of neurons |
| sensory neuron | carry information from sensory organs to central nervous system |
| motor neurons | carry information from central nervous system to muscles and glands |
| interneurons | carry messages from one set of neurons to another within the central nervous system |
| cell body | widest part of the neuron, contains cell nucleus |
| dendrites | receive messages from other neurons |
| axon | carry messages to other neurons |
| axon terminal | Branches that link to dendrites and soma of other neurons |
| myelin sheath | non-neural cells that wrap tightly around the axon |
| action potentials | neuron impulses, same potential in each impulse, strength of signal in how many impulses sent |
| cell membrane | enclose each neuron |
| soma | cell body of the neuron |
| nodes of Ranvier | exposed axon between myelinated parts |
| synapse | junction between the axon terminals |
| synaptic gap/cleft | separation between the dendrite and axon terminal |
| neurotransmitters | packets of chemical substance which alter the receiving nueron |
| fast synaptic transmission | have brief, immediate effects on the post-synaptic neuron |
| slow synaptic transmission | produce sustained effects, including moods |
| pre-synaptic membrane | membrane on the axon terminal that sends the signal |
| post-synaptic membrane | membrane on the axon terminal that receives the signal |
| Phineas Gage | survive railroad accident but lost most of his frontal lobe, changing his personality and behavior |
| spinal nerves | project from the spinal cord |
| cranial nerves | project from directly from the brain |
| somatosensation | input sensations, touch and pain |
| Broca's area | production of language |
| spinal cord | organizes spinal reflexes and carries somatosensory information to the brain and motor commands from the brain |
| brainstem | includes medulla, pons, midbrain, juncture of spinal cord and brain |
| medulla and pons | organize reflexes that are more and sustained than spinal reflexes |
| midbrain | contains neural centers that help govern most of the species-typical movement patterns |
| reticular formation | part of the brain that is involved in actions such as awaking/sleeping cycle, and filtering incoming stimuli to discriminate irrelevant background stimuli |
| thalamus | relay station that connects various parts of the brain |
| cerebellum | 'little brain' guides movements in a feed-forward manner (timing of a movement that will happen) |
| basal ganglia | guides movements in a feedback manner (reaction to surroundings) |
| limbic system | subcortical area, includes amygdale and hippocampus, border dividing the evolutionary older parts of the brain below it from the newst part (cerebral cortex) above it |
| amygdale and hippocampus | regulation of basic drives and emotions |
| hypothalamus | regulates internal environment of the body |
| cerebral cortex | newest part of the brain, accounts for 80% of brain's volume, consists of the |
| occipital lobe | visual area of cortex |
| temporal lobe | hearing & speech comprehension, storage of memories, smell |
| parietal lobe | sensations (touch) |
| frontal lobe | directing motor cortex, complex behavior-planning and emotion |
| primary motor cortex | sends axons down the motor neurons in the brainstem and spinal chord |
| primary sensory cortex | receives signals from sensory nerves |
| association areas | receive input from the sensory areas in the complex processes of perception, thought and decision-making |
| corpus callosum | a bundle of axons that connect the two hemispheres of the brain |
| left hemisphere | information analysis, language, logical and sequential tasks |
| right hemisphere | synthesis, visual-spatial abilities such as reading maps or following a dress pattern, artistic |
| plasticity | ability of the human brain to change as a result of one's experience |
| London cabbies | part of the hippocampus grew larger as the taxi drivers spent more time in the job, brain changes |
| enriched environment | a place where using the brain is possible/easy |
| depraved environment | a place where using the brain is difficult |
| practice | the brain grows when you use it |
| hormones | chemical messengers that are secreted into the blood |
| pituitary | secretes hormones |
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