81 terms

Terms	Definitions
neurons	cells that transmit information within the nervous system
glial cells	cells in the nervous system that comprise the support system for the neurons
dendrites	fibers projecting out of the cell body of a neuron whose function is to receive information from other neurons
cell body	the part of the neuron that contains its nucleus and the other biological machinery to keep the cell alive; also decides whether or not to generate a neural impulse in order to pass incoming information on to other neurons
axon	the long, singular fiber projecting out of the cell body of a neuron whose function is to conduct the neural impulse from the cell body to the axon terminals triggering chemical communication with other neurons
myelin sheath	an insulating layer covering an axon that allows for faster neural impulses
neurotransmitter	a naturally occurring chemical in the nervous system that specializes in sending information between neurons
synapse	the gap between neurons across which neurotransmitters travel to carry their messages to other neurons
PET (positron emission tomography) scan	a visual display of the activity levels in various areas in the brain; detected by amount of positron emission crease by the metabolizing of radioactive glucose in each area
fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging)	a computerized image of the activity levels of various areas in the brain generated by detecting the amount of oxygen brought to each area
agonist	a drug or poison that increases the activity of 1 or more neurotransmitters
antagonist	a drug or poison that decreases the activity of 1 or more neurotransmitters
acetylcholine	a neurotransmitter involved in learning, memory, and muscle movement
dopamine	a neurotransmitter involved in arousal and mood states, thought processes, and physical movement
parkinson's disease	a disease in which the person has muscle movement problems; the problems stem from a scarcity of dopamine in the basal ganglia
blood brain barrier	a protective mechanism by which the blood capillaries supplying the brain create a barrier that prevents dangerous substances access to the brain
L-dopa	a drug for parkinson's disease that contains the precursors to dopamine so that once it is in the brain, it will be converted to dopamine
serotonin and norepinephrine	neurotransmitters involved in levels of arousal and mood, sleep, and eating
selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs)	drugs that achieve their agonistic effect on serotonin by selectively blocking its re-uptake
GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)	the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the nervous system; it is involved in lowering arousal and anxiety and regulating movement
glutamate	the main excitatory neurotransmitter in the nervous system; involved in memory storage, pain perception, strokes, and schizophrenia
endorphins	a group of neurotransmitters that are involved in pain relief and feelings of pleasure
central nervous system	the brain and spinal cord
peripheral nervous system	the part of the nervous system that links the CNS with the body's sensory receptors, muscles, and glands
interneurons	neurons that integrate information within the CNS through their communication with each other and between sensory and motor neurons in the spinal cord
sensory neurons	neurons in the PNS that carry information to the CNS from sensory receptors, muscles, and glands
motor neurons	neurons in the PNS that carry movement commands from the CNS out to the rest of the body
spinal cord	messenger between the brain and the PNS for incoming sensory data and outgoing movement commands to the muscles
spinal reflex	a simple automatic action not requiring involvement of the brain
somatic nervous system	PNS; carries sensory input from receptors to the CNS and relays commands from the CNS to skeletal muscles to control their movement
autonomic nervous system	regulates the functioning of our glands and organs
sympathetic nervous system	ANS; in control when we are aroused, like in an emergency, and prepares us for defensive action
parasympathetic nervous system	ANS; returns body to normal state after been highly aroused
endocrine glandular system	major communication system; achieved through hormones that are secreted by the endocrine glands and travel through the bloodstream to their target sites
hormone	a chemical messenger that is produced by an endocrine gland and carried by the bloodstream to target tissues
pituitary gland	most influential endocrine gland; releases hormones for human growth and hormones that direct other glands to release their hormones
emotion	a complex psychological state that involves a state of physiological arousal, an outward behavioral expression of the emotion, and a cognitive appraisal of the situation to determine the specific emotion and its intensity
James-Lange theory	a theory of emotion proposing that an emotion is determined from a cognitive appraisal of the physiological arousal and behavioral responses which occur first (stimulus, then reaction)
Cannon-Bard theory	a theory of emotion proposing that an emotion is determined from simultaneously occurring physiological arousal, behavioral responses, and cognitive appraisal. (all at same time)
Schachter-Singer two-factor theory	a theory of emotion proposing that an emotion is determined by cognitive appraisal of the physiological arousal and the entire environmental situation (use stimulus to determine emotion)
medulla	a brain stem structure involved in essential body functions, such as heartbeat, breathing, blood pressure, digestion, and swallowing
pons	a brain stem structure that serves as a bridge between the cerebellum and the rest of the brain; involved in sleep and dreaming
reticular formation	a network of neurons running up the center of the brain stem that is responsible for our different levels of arousal and consciousness
cerebellum	a part of the brain involved in the coordination of our movements, sense of balance, and motor learning
thalamus	a part of the brain that serves as a relay station for incoming sensory information
basal ganglia	a part of the brain that is involved in the initiation and execution of movements
limbic system	hypothalamus, hippocampus, and amygdala; involved in our survival, memory, and emotions
hypothalamus	part of the brain involved in regulating basic drives such as eating, drinking, and sex; also directs the control of the pituitary gland and the ANS to maintain homeostasis
hippocampus	a part of the brain involved in the formation of memories
amygdala	a part of the brain that is involved in emotions by influencing aggression, anger, and fear
cerebral cortex	the layers of interconnected cells covering the brain's 2 hemispheres; control and information processing center for the nervous system
corpus callosum	the bridge of neurons that connects the two cerebral hemispheres
frontal lobe	contains the motor cortex
parietal lobe	contains the somatosensory cortex
temporal lobe	contains the primary auditory cortex
motor cortex	allows us to move different parts of our body
somatosensory cortex	allows us to sense pressure, temperature, and pain in different parts of our body as well as the position of our body parts
association cortex	where all the higher-level cognitive processing that requires the integration of information, such as perception and language, occurs
Broca's area	an area in the cerebral cortex responsible for fluent speech production; in the left frontal lobe
Wernicke's area	responsible for comprehension of speech and text; in the left temporal lobe
consciousness	an individual's subjective awareness of their inner thinking and feeling and their external environment
REM (rapid eye movement)	the state of sleep that is characterized by rapid eye movements and brain wave patterns that resemble those for an awake state; where most dreaming occurs; aka paradoxical sleep
psychoactive drugs	chemicals that affect mental processes by their effects on the nervous system
drug effects	increase or decrease the release of NT, prevent reabsorption of excess NT, block effects of NT on receiving cells, bind to receptors that would regularly be triggered by a NT
tolerance	Occurs when higher drug doses are needed to produce original effects
withdrawal	The unpleasant symptoms that follow discontinuation of substance
depressants	Slow down mental and physical activity by inhibiting transmission of nerve impulses in the central nervous system
stimulants	Arouse the central nervous system, speeding up mental and physical responses
opiates	Highly addictive; produce a sense of well- being and have strong pain-relieving properties. Euphoria, drowsiness, "rush" of pleasure, little impairment of psychological functions
hallucinogens	Alter perceptions of the external environment and inner awareness (also called psychedelics). Illusions, hallucinations, distortions in time perception, loss of contact with reality. No apparent withdrawal effects, but tolerance can develop quickly
activation synthesis theory	proposes that neurons in the pons fire spontaneously during REM sleep, sending random signals to various areas in the cortex and the emotional areas in the limbic system
circadian rhythm	occurs about every 24 hours - sleep wake cycle
Infradian Rhythms	occur less often than once a day. Examples include birds migrating, bears hibernating
Ultradian Rhythms	Occur more frequently than once a day, about every 90min. -Examples include stomach contractions and hormone levels.
alpha waves	self drifting on the edge of consciousnes
delta waves	deep sleep
What waves occur during REM sleep?	beta waves
sleep apnea	respiratory disorder in which person intermittently stops breathing while asleep, causing the person to choke and gasp and momentarily waken. Associated with very loud snoring.
narcolepsy	Sudden and unpredictable daytime attacks of sleepiness (lapses into REM sleep) and loss of muscle tone (cataplexy) during moments of excitement
sleep deprivation	leads to decreases in physical and mental functioning.
Sleeptalking and sleepwalking (somnambulism)	usually occur in stage 4

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