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Chapter 2 Study Guide- Nervous system- body’s electrochemical communication circuitry- Number of nerve cells in a cubic centimeter of the brain- over 50 million- Complexity, Adaptability, Integration, Electrochemical Transmissiono Complexity- extensive assemblies of nerve cells participatein every activity we doo Adaptability- The brain has a special capacity for change, referred to as plasticityo Integration- the brain does an adept job at pulling information together as we function in the worldo Electrochemical transmission- the brain and the nervous system function as an information-processing system that is powered by electrical impulses and chemical messengers- Afferent neurons- sensory nerves; carry information about the external environment to the brain and spinal cord via sensory receptors- Efferent nerves- motor nerves; carry information out of the brain and spinal cord to other areas of the bodyo *Think afferent-arrives at the CNS and efferent-exits the CNS- Neural networks- networks of nerve cells that integrate sensory input and motor output . Responsible for translating the input your eyes receive to neural cods for letters, words, associations, and meanings- Nervous system:o Central- made up of the brain and spinal cord. Contains more than 99% of all our nerve cellso Peripheral- network of nerves that connects the brain and spinal cord to other parts of the body. Carries information to and from the brain and spinal cord to carry out the commands of the CNS to execute various muscular and glandular activities  Somatic Nervous System- consists of the sensory nerves, whose function is to convey information fromthe skin and muscles to the CNS about conditionssuch as pain and temperature, and the motor nerves,whose function is to tell the muscles what to do Autonomic Nervous System- takes messages to and from the body’s internal organs, monitoring such processes as breathing, heart rate, and digestion. - Sympathetic- arouses the body to mobilize it for action and thus is involved in the experience of stress- Parasympathetic- calms the body- Fight or flight- first part of the stress response that mobilizes the body’s physiological resources to prepare the organism to deal with threats to survival - Acute vs. Chronic Stresso Acute- momentary stress that occurs in response to life experiences. Ends when stressful situation endso Chronic- stress that goes on continuously that may lead to persistent autonomic nervous system arousal- Synapses- tiny spaces between neurons; the gaps between neurons are referred to as synaptic gaps. Lie between the axon of one neuron and the dendrites or cell body of another neuron- Glial cells- second of two types of cells in the nervous system (first being neurons). They provide support, nutritional benefits, and other functions and keep neurons running smoothly. Out number neurons about 10:1- Resting and action potentialso Resting- the stable, negative charge of an inactive neurono Action- the brief wave of positive electrical charge that sweeps down the axon- All-or-nothing principle- the principle that once the electrical impulse reaches a certain level of intensity (its threshold), it firesand moves all the way down the axon without losing any intensity- Types of neurotransmitters- chemical substances that are stored in very tiny sacs within the terminal buttons and involved in transmitting information across a synaptic gap to the next neurono Acetycholine- stimulates the firing of neurons and is involved in the action of muscles, learning, and memory.Alzheimer’s is a lack of Acetycholine and a black widow’s venom causes an outburst of it, causing violent spasmso GABA- found in the CNS, present in as many as 1/3 of the brain’s synapses. Keeps many neurons from firing & helps to control precision of the signal being carried from one neuron to the nexto Norepinephrine- inhibits the firing of neurons in the CNS. Excites the heart muscles, intestines, and urogenital tracto Dopamine- helps to control voluntary movement, and effects sleep, mood, attention, learning, and the ability to recognize rewards in the environment. Low levels are associated with Parkinson’s diseaseo Serotonin- involved in the regulation of sleep, mood, attention, and learningo Endorphins- natural opiates that mainly stimulate the firingof neurons. Shield the body from pain and elevate feelings of pleasureo Oxytocin- a hormone and neurotransmitter that plays an important role in the experience of love and social bonding- Antagonist vs agonisto Antagonist- a drug that blocks a neurotransmitter’s effects.Ex: Schizophrenia medicine is used to block dopamineo Agonist- a drug that mimics or increases a neurotransmitter’s effects. Ex: morphine to stimulate endorphins- Lesioning- abnormal disruption in the tissue of the brain resultingfrom injury or disease.- EEGs, PET scans, CAT scans, MRIs, and fMRIso EEG- records the brain’s electrical activity. Can access brain damage, epilepsy.o PET Scan- measures the amount of glucose in various areas of the brain and then sends this information to a computer for analysiso CAT or Ct scan- produces a 3-D image obtained from x-raysof the head that are assembled into a composite image by a computer. Think Derek Sheppard (a neurosurgeon) tryingto locate tumors in a patient’s braino MRI- involves creating a magnetic field around a person’s body and using radio waves to construct images of the person’s tissues and biochemical activitieso fMRIs- allows scientists to see what is happening in the brain while it is working.- Hindbrain, Midbrain, and forebraino Hindbrain- located at the rear of the skull, lowest portion ofthe brain, consists of the medulla, cerebellum, and pons Medulla- where spinal cord enters skull, controls functions such as breathing and heart rate. Also regulates reflexes Cerebellum- just above medulla, two rounded structures that play a role in motor coordination Pons- connects the cerebellum and the brain stem. Involved in sleep and arousalo Midbrain-located between hindbrain and forebrain, an area in which many nerve-fiber systems ascend and descend to connect the higher and lower portions of the brain; in particular, the midbrain relays information between the brain and the eyes and ears Reticular formation- a system in the midbrain comprising a diffuse collection of neurons involved instereotypical patterns of behavior such as walking, sleeping, and turning to attend a certain


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GSU PSYC 1101 - Chapter 2 Study Guide

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