AP Psych Unit 3 Module 9
Describe how Botulin functions as an antagonist for acetylcholine.
-Agonist for ACH. -Interferes by blocking the release of ACH at muscle junctures. -Leads to paralysis and if not treated, death. -The chest and diaphragm muscles become paralyzed so the person cannot breathe.
Describe what the action potential is and why it is important to neural communication.
A brief electrical charge that travels down the axon; a neural impulse that allows signals to be transmitted.
Myelin sheath function...
A fatty tissue layer segmentally encasing the axon that enables greater transmittance speed.
Give an example of an agonist and describe how it functions in the nervous system.
Agonist molecules may be similar enough to a neurotransmitter to bind to its receptor and mimic its effect. ex) opiates
Give an example of an antagonist and describe how it functions in the nervous system.
Antagonist molecules are similar enough to a neurotransmitter to bind to the receptor, but not similar enough to mimic the response. Instead, it inhibits. ex) botulin
Cell body function...
Cell's life support center.
What is the difference between an excitatory nerve signal and an inhibitory nerve signal?
Excitatory: An accelerator; makes something happen. Inhibitory: A brake; makes something stop happening.
Terminal branches function...
Form junction with other cells.
What effect does the release of endorphins have on the body?
Good feeling such as a "runner's high"; natural opiate like neurotransmitter linked to pain control and pleasure.
How did Franz Gall contribute to the mind-body question?
He believed that studying bumps on the skull (phrenology) could reveal a person's mental abilities and characteristics.
How did Aristotle disagree with Plato?
He thought the "mind" was located in the heart .
Where in the body did Plato believe the 'mind' was located?
In the head.
In what way was Franz Gall incorrect in his belief in phrenology? In what ways was he correct?
Incorrect: Bumps on the skull tell us nothing about underlying functions. Correct: Different parts of the brain do control different aspect of behavior.
What happens when the level of neural stimulation above the threshold is increased? Why?
Increasing the level of stimulation above the threshold will not increase the neural impulse. A neuron's reaction is all-or-nothing. It's either firing or it's not, there no intensity level for a single neuron.
What is a synapse?
Junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite of the receiving neuron.
The fluid outside the axon membrane is largely made up of _______________ charged ions but the fluid inside the membrane is primarily made up of _______________ charged ions. This state is referred to as the _______________ _______________. We refer o the axon's surface as _______________ permeable sice it will only allow particular ions to pass through. We refer to the axon's surface as a neuron fires, the axon membrane becomes permeable and ________________ sodium ions flow into the cell, This ________________ that part of the axon and then causes the next section of the membrane to become permeable. This occurs over and over down the line of the axon and serves to push the nerve impulse down the neuron. During the _______________ _______________, the _______________ ions are pumped back out of the cell and the axon returns to the original state of polarity, called the _______________, prepared to fire again.
POSITIVELY NEGATIVELY RESTING POTENTIAL SElECTIVELY POSITIVELY CHARGED DEPOLARIZES REFRACTORY PERIOD POSITIVELY CHARGED RESTING POTENTIAL
Axon function...
Passes messages through its branches to other neurons or to muscles and glands.
Create a metaphor or simile for the process of neutral transmission. Neutral transmission is like...
Pressing the button on the toilet, pressing it harder won't make the toilet flush harder.
Dendrite function...
Receive impulses and conduct impulses toward the cell body. ex. baseball glove
What happy fact allows us to study animal brains to learn about human brains?
The information systems of humans and other animals operate similarly.
What is a threshold?
The minimum level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse.
How do neurons communicate with each other?
When an action potential reaches the axon terminal, it triggers the release of neurotransmitters that cross the synaptic gap and bind to receptors on the receiving neuron.
What is reuptake?
When the sending neuron reabsorbs the excess neurotransmitter.
