What is a neuron?
A nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system.
What is the function of dendrites?
Receive messages from other neurons and conduct impulses toward the cell body.
What is the function of the cell body?
Contains the nucleus and life-support machinery of the neuron.
What is the function of the axon?
Transmits messages away from the cell body to other neurons
What is the function of the myelin sheath?
Insulates the axon and speeds up the transmission of neural impulses.
What are terminal branches of an axon?
Endings of an axon that form junctions with other cells.
What is a neural impulse (action potential)?
An electrical signal traveling down the axon.
What is resting potential?
The negative electrical charge of a neuron when it is not firing.
What is depolarization?
The process where positive ions enter the neuron
What is repolarization?
The process of restoring the neuron’s negative internal charge by moving positive ions out.
What is the refractory period?
A brief period after an action potential when the neuron cannot fire.
What is the all-or-none principle?
A neuron either fires completely or does not fire at all.
What is the threshold?
The minimum level of stimulation required to trigger an action potential.
What is a synapse?
The junction between the axon tip of one neuron and the dendrite or cell body of another neuron.
What are neurotransmitters?
Chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gap to transmit signals to the next neuron.
What is reuptake?
The process by which the sending neuron reabsorbs excess neurotransmitters.
What are excitatory neurotransmitters?
Neurotransmitters that increase the likelihood the receiving neuron will fire.
What are inhibitory neurotransmitters?
Neurotransmitters that decrease the likelihood the receiving neuron will fire.
What is acetylcholine (ACh)?
Enables muscle action
What happens if ACh transmission is blocked?
Muscles cannot contract; can lead to paralysis (as in some anesthetics).
What is dopamine’s function?
Influences movement
What disorders are linked to dopamine?
Excess = schizophrenia; deficit = Parkinson’s disease.
What is serotonin’s function?
Affects mood
What disorder is linked to low serotonin?
Depression.
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sleep vocab unit 119
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sleep cycles/stages unit 123
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summer vocab unit 164
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neurotransmitters unit 139
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sleep disorders & dreams unit 19
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basics unit 132
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module 1 unit 127
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summer anatomy unit 129
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summer content unit 133
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descrivtipe stats10
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cognition pt 1 unit 26
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cognition unit 2 pt 28
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memory unit 215
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memory retrival and forgetting18
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cognition u2 pt 315
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learning u37
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classical conditioning u314
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intelligence u325
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operant conditioning12
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learning PT2 u36
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learning PT3 u36
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constraints on learning11
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unit 475
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unit 4 quiz review63
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disorder48
