AP Psychology, Brain and Neurons
what part of the brain contains the medulla oblongata?
the brain stem.
What is action potential?
the change in electrical potential associated with the passage of an impulse along the membrane of a muscle cell or nerve cell.
What is threshold?
the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse
If the body does not have enough potassium, what happens to the neurons?
they will struggle to fire, because there will not be enough positively charged ions to trigger the firing of a neuron.
purpose of adrenal glands
trigger fight-or-flight response produces adrenaline
At a synapse, what do neurotransmitters released by the sending neuron do?
They bind to receptors at the receiving neuron, which opens ion channels.
Carl Wernicke discovered the region of the brain that is responsible for
Language comprehension
what is the purpose of the reticular formation?
multitasking, arousal and alertness
What is a major role of the temporal lobe?
object recognition
what is the purpose of the cerebral cortex? and what is it?
outer layer of the brain is what makes humans 'human'
What is the purpose of somatosensory cortex? where is it located?
parietal lobe receive information about touch, temperature and body movement
what is the purpose of the frontal lobe
planning, decision making, processing new information
what is the purpose of the hippocampus?
process conscious and explicit memories
What is the purpose of the temporal lobe?
processing auditory information, recognizing faces
The parietal lobe is most involved in
processing sensory information, spacial processing
what is the purpose of the occipital lobe?
processing visual information
purpose of gonads
produce sperm and hormones
what is the medullar oblongatas purpose?
regulates body functions like respiration and body circulation/heart beat
purpose of the pancreas
regulates level of sugar in blood by releasing hormones
Purpose of the pituitary gland
release hormones that gives instructions to the other glands growth hormones.
Michael Gazzaniga is best known for
studying split brain patients
purpose of glial cells
support and care for neurons provide nutrients and myelin guide neural connections clean up ions & neurotransmitters
what is the purpose of hypothalamus?
tells the pituitary gland when to release its hormones
What is neuroplasticity?
the ability of the brain to form and reorganize synaptic connections, especially in response to learning or experience or following injury.
What is Oxytocin?
a hormone released when a person is under stress, but also plays a role in social bonding.
where is the reticular formation?
brainstem
what is contained in the central nervous system and what is its functions?
Brain and spinal chord in charge of making decisions for the body
The idea that there is a part of the mind that is not directly accessible to awareness but still drives a person's thinking and behavior is most directly attributable to
Sigmund Freud
What is the affect of low testosterone?
Fatigue
What is a synapse?
Gap between neurons
What was the conclusion of the large-scale Minnesota twin study?
Identical twins raised apart have the ability to be just as similar and dissimilar as twins raised together.
What is the fatty casing that helps speed up neural transmissions in the neuron called?
Myelin Sheath
the neuron goes from being _______ charged to briefly being _______ charged, and finally returns back to being ____ charged again.
Negatively, positively, negatively
What is contained in the peripheral nervous system? What is its fucntions?
Nerves or bundles of axons responsible for gathering information and transmitting info to and from the central nervous system
Purpose of the thyroid gland
Parathyroids regulate levels of calcium in the blood affects metabolism
What are GABA reuptake inhibitors? ( GRI )
a drug that blocks the reuptake of gamma-aminobutyric acid. they stay in synapses and stops neurons from firing
What is Cortisol?
a hormone that is released by the adrenal gland when a person is under stress
An adult with a healthy sleep cycle is most likely to enter REM sleep
after cycling through the NREM sleep stages
What is a beta blocker?
antagonists that prevent neurotransmitters from binding to the postsynaptic neurons
How do antagonists function?
by blocking receptors to prevent other neurotransmitters from binding to the neural receptors
what is the purpose of the cerebrum?
enable perceiving, thinking and speaking
what is the purpose of the cerebellum?
enables nonverbal learning and skill memory, helps judge time, control emotions, discriminate sound/textures, and coordinate movement.
What is a hormone most associated with the fight or flight response?
epinephrine
the magnitude of the negative charge in a neuron is ______ regardless of the strength of the input signal it receives.
fixed
what is the pons function ( Brain stem )
help coordinate movement and control sleep
What are the effects of an agonists?
increase likelihood that a postsynaptic neuron will fire.
where is the location of Wernicke's area? what is its purpose?
inside temporal lobe comprehension of speech
What is the major role of the thalamus?
it relays most sensory signals to the cortex
what is the purpose of the amydala?
linked with emotions of aggression and fear
What is the purpose of the parietal lobe?
mathematical and spatial reasoning, touch