BIO PSY > Ch. 1 > Flashcards

Ch. 1 Flashcards

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1
Q

What are the two kinds of cells that the nervous system consists of?

A

Neurons & Glia

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2
Q

What are the function of neurons?

A

To receive information and transmit it to other cells.

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3
Q

How many neurons does the adult human brain contain?

A

Approx. 86 billion

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4
Q

How many neurons are in the following:

Cerebral cortex

Cerebellum

Spinal Cord

Rest of the brain

A

Cerebral cortex: 16 billion (this is what makes us more complex)

Cerebellum: 69 billion

Spinal Cord: 1 billion

Rest of the brain: less than 1 billion

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5
Q

What did Ramón y Cajal do?

A

Used newly developed staining techniques to show that a small gap separates the tip of a neuron’s fiber from the surface of the next neuron

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6
Q

How did Hippcrates contribute to behavioral neuroscience?

A

Considered the brain to be the center of thoughts and emotions (not the heart)

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7
Q

How did Rene Descartes contribute to behavioral neuroscience?

A

Said that reflexes are automatic, stereotyped movement that is produced as a direct result of a stimulus

Introduced (?) (or believed in) dualism

said that the soul is located in the brain

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8
Q

What is included in Rene Descartes’ theory?

A

The eyes sent visual information to the brain, where the soul could examine it.

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9
Q

What is a pineal body?

A
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10
Q

What are ventricles?

A
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11
Q

What is Rene Descartes’ model of the brain missing?

A

The cerebral cortex

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12
Q

How did Luigi Galvani contribute to behavioral neuroscience?

A

Laid the foundation for batteries

Found that electrical stimulation of the nerve in a frog’s leg produced contraction of the leg muscle, even when separated from the body

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13
Q

How did Johannes Muller contribute to behavioral neuroscience?

A

Discovered the Doctrine of Specific Nerve Energies

Found that differences in perception of the senses is not caused by differences in the stimuli themselves, but by the different nervous structures that these stimuli excite

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14
Q

What is the Doctrine of Specific Nerve Energies?

A

The nature of perception is defined by the pathway over which the sensory information is carried

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15
Q

What are nerves also known as?

A

Neurons

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16
Q

How did Pierre Flourens contribute to behavioral neuroscience?

A

Discovered regions of the brain controlling heart rate, breathing, visual, and auditory reflexes

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17
Q

How did Paul Broca contribute to behavioral neuroscience?

A

Extended the concept of experimental ablation to the human brain

Founded the Broc’as Area

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18
Q

What is experimental ablation?

A
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19
Q

What is the Broca’s Area?

A

Front part of the left side of the brain, which performs necessary functions for speech

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20
Q

How did Gustav Frisch and Eduard Hitzig contribute to behavioral neuroscience?

A

Used electrical stimulation of the brain to understand function

Studied primary motor cortex (contralateral function; right side of brain controls left side of body; left side of brain controls right side of body)

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21
Q

How did Jan Purkinje contribute to behavioral neuroscience?

A

Founded Purkinje fibers (heart, cerebellum, and visual system)

Discovered neurons terminating on cardiac cells responsibly for controlling contractions of the heart

First person to identify that fingerprints are unique to each person

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22
Q

What are Purkinje FIbers?

A
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23
Q

How did Hermann von Helmholtz contribute to behavioral neuroscience?

A

Responsible for developing the Mathematical formula for the law of conservation of energy

Found the first measurements of the speed of nerve conduction (location of nerves depend on speed)

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24
Q

T or F: Energy is converted, it never disappears

A

T

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25
How did Santiago y Cajal contribute to behavioral neuroscience?
Used Golgi stain to describe individual neurons Showed that neurons do not merge into each other as previously believed
26
What is functionalism?
The beginning of neuroscience Trying to understand biological phenomena by understanding its useful functions for the organism, and how
27
What is natural selection?
Inherited traits that confer selective advantage, which become more prevalent in population, such as height Founded by Charles Darwin (?)
28
What is mutation?
A change in the genetic information contained in the chromosomes of sperm or eggs which can be passed on to an organism’s offspring; provided genetic variability Mutations can be bad
29
What is selective advantage?
A characteristic of an organism that permits it to produce more than the average number of offspring of its species Is at the heart of natural selection
30
Why is selective advantage at the heart of natural selection?
31
What is absolute size?
32
What is proportionality?
33
What are human characteristics that rely on a large brain?
Tool use Color vision Fire Upright posture Language
34
What is neoteny?
“Extended youth” or “long childhood” Is the slowing process of maturation, allowing more time for growth
35
Why is neoteny important?
It is an important factor in development of large brains
36
What are glia?
The support system/ glue
37
What is included in an animal cell?
Membrane Nucleus Mitochondria Ribosomes Endoplasmic Reticulum Chromatin Microtubules MORE?
38
What is a membrane?
A structure consisting principally of lipid (fat) molecules that defines the outer boundaries of a cell and constitutes many of the cell organelles
39
What does a membrane do?
Allows for transport inside and outside of the cell
40
What is a nucleus?
A structure in the central region of a cell containing the nucleolus and chromosomes Contains DNA
41
What is the job of DNA?
Drives human behaviors
42
Why/how does DNA drive human behaviors?
43
What are mitochondria?
An organelle that is responsibly for extracting energy from nutrients
44
What is a ribosome?
A cytoplasmic structure (made of protein) that serves as the site of production of proteins translated from mRNA
45
What is the job of ribosomes?
To read mRNA
46
How does DNA turn into protein (simplified)?
DNA —> mRNA —> Amino Acids —> Protein
47
What is the endoplasmic reticulum?
Parallel layers of membrane found within the cytoplasm of a cell containing
48
49
Rough ER:
Contains ribosomes Is involved with production of proteins that are secreted by the cell
50
Smooth ER:
The site of synthesis of lipids (fat) Provides channels for the segregation of molecules involved in various cellular processes
51
What is the Golgi Apparatus?
A special form of SMOOTH ER A complex of parallel membranes in the cytoplasm that wraps the products of a secretory cell (before the product goes outside the cell)
52
What is the process of transcription?
When a gene is active, a copy of information in made onto a molecule of mRNA DNA —> mRNA
53
What is the process of translation?
The mRNA leaves the nucleus and attaches to a ribosome, where the protein is produced mRNA —> proteins (ribosomes do this)
54
What are neurons?
Cells that have a distinctive shapes, which in turn determines their function (We have different types of neurons)
55
What is another word for soma?
Cell body
56
What does a motor neuron do?
Receives excitation from other neurons Conducts impulses along its axon to a muscle or gland (Has its soma in the spinal cord of the neuron)(?)
57
What makes up the Central Nervous System (CNS)?
Brain and spinal cord
58
How is a sensory neuron built?
Specialized at one end to be highly sensitive to a particular type of stimulation (touch, light, sound, etc) The soma (cell body) is small and in th middle of axons
59
What is the function of a sensory neuron?
Takes in information from the senses Responds from pressure on the highly sensitive end Processes information and spits it out (?; this could be motor neuron) (which is instantaneous)
60
What are components of all neurons?
Dendrites Soma/cell body Axon Presynaptic terminals
61
Name the types of glia cells
Astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, Schwann cell, microglia, radial glia
62
What are dendrites?
Branching fibers with a surface lined with synaptic receptors responsible for bringing information into the neuron
63
What do some dendrites contain?
Dendritic spines that further branch out and increase surface area of the dendrite (more surface area (SA) = more connections and more information the dendrite can receive)
64
What do somas contain?
Nucleus Mitochondria Ribosomes
65
What are soma responsible for?
Metabolic work of the neuron (this keeps the neuron alive)
66
What are soma covered in oftentimes?
In many neurons, soma are covered with synapses on its surface
67
What are synapses?
68
What are axons?
Thin fiber of a neuron responsible for transmitting nerve impulses toward other neurons, organs, or muscles
69
What do axons contain?
Myelin sheath, which is an insulating material that contains interruptions in the sheath called nodes of ranvier (keeps the axons in (?)) *Not all neurons have myelin sheath, it depends on their function
70
What are the function of presynaptic terminals at the end points of an axon?
To release chemicals to communicate with other neurons Conducts impulses
71
What is myelin sheath?
72
T/F: Not everything in a cell has an electric charge
True
73
Afferent axon:
Brings (IN) information into a structure A=admit;let in
74
Efferent axon:
Carries information away (OUT) from a structure E=Exit
75
Interneurons/intrinsic neurons:
Help connect other neurons Exists only to help carry a signal In these, dendrites and axons are completely contains within a single structure (?) I=in between
76
T/F: The function of a neuron is closely related to the shape of it
True
77
What are astrocytes?
78
What are the function of astrocytes?
Help synchronize the activity of the axon by wrapping around the presynaptic terminal and taking up chemicals released by the axon They help clean up, & help with nutrition and efficiency (?) Are responsible for dilating blood vessels to bring more nutrients into. Brain areas with heightened activity
79
T/F: Are astrocytes star-shaped?
True
80
What are microglia?
81
What are the functions of microglia?
Remove waste material, viruses, and fungi from the brain Also removes dead, dying, or damaged neurons *Like a maid service; helps get rid of waste
82
What are oligodendrocytes?
83
What are the functions of oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells?
To build myelin sheath that surrounds and insultates certain vertebrate axons
84
Where are oligodendrocytes located?
In the brain and spinal cord (CNS)
85
What are Schwann Cells?
86
Where are Schwann cells located?
In the periphery of the body (PNS)
87
What are the functions of radial glia?
Guide the migration of neurons and the growth of their axons and dendrites during embryonic development *Acts as an escort
88
What are radial glia?
89
What happens to radial glia after embryonic development?
They differentiate into neurons (promotes efficiency) A smaller number of them differentiate into astrocytes and oligodendrocytes (just depends on what the body needs)
90
How fast do Action Potentials (AP) move?
100s of MPH
91
Where are sensory neurons located?
In the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
92
What is the Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB)?
A mechanism that surrounds the brain and blocks most chemicals from entering Helps protect neurons, as neurons in the brain usually don’t regenerate
93
How does the BBB work?
Allows a few small, uncharged molecules such as O2 and CO2 to cross easily Allows certain fat-soluble molecules to cross Most large molecules and electrically charged molecules cannot cross
94
How does the brain ‘eat’?
Active transport systems pump glucose and amino acids across the membrane
95
How to vertebrate neurons stay alive?
Glucose
96
What is glucose?
A sugar that can pass through the BBB
97
How much oxygen does th brain use?
20%
98
What does the body need in order to use glucose?
Vitamin A and Thiamine (Vitamin B1)
99
What can thiamine (vitamin b1) deficiency lead to?
Death of neurons
100
What does Selectively Permeable mean?
Let’s some things in, such as AP and glucose, and keeps others out of
101
What is a Nerve Impulse?
The electrical message that is transmitted down the axon of a neuron (Does not travel directly down the axon, but is regenerated at points along the axon so that it’s not weakened)
102
What is the speed range of nerve impulses?
Less than 1 meter/second to 100 meters/second (Ex.: a touch on the shoulder reaches the brain more quickly than a touch on the foot)
103
T/F: Mammalian red blood cells DO NOT have a nucleus
True (?)
104
What are dendrite’s surfaces lined with?
Synaptic receptors, which is how the dendrite receives information from other neurons
105
Glial cells support and protect neurons by protecting the blood brain barrier. Helps insulate axons with myelin Cannot produce electrical signals
106
Terminal buttons are connecting (like buttons on a shirt)
107
Dendrites (can) connect to one another
108
Myelin Sheath are insulators. Like a charging cord. Nodes of Ranvier are uncovered, but keep the action in place
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Terminal buttons are like messengers
111
Nodes of ranvier allows for action potential (voltage gated ion channel; ex. Sodium-potassium pump)
112
Sensory is sensations. Motor is function
113
Dendrites receive information
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