Psychology chapter 2 – Flashcards

A neuron is a specialized cell in the nervous system that send and receives messages . Neurons have a special structure, and are one if the many cells that send messages throughout the body. Neurons are a structure that is that contains a dendrite, soma, axon, and a myelin sheath. Neurons are responsible for thinking, learning, memory, perception.

The part of the neuron that receives messages from other cells is called the dendrite. The dendrites look like the branches of a tree. These same dendrites are attached to the cell body that is called the soma.

The soma is the cell body, and it is responsible for maintaining the life of the cell. It also contains the nucleus.

The axon is a tube like structure that carries the neural message to other cells. An axon is a fiber that it attached to the soma, and its main purpose is to carry out messages to other signals. The end of axon's are called axon terminals.

Myelin is a fatty structure that coats the axon in order to insulate, protect, and speed up the neural impulses. In the central nervous system the meylin bundle up and are known as tracts, however, in the peripheral nervous system the bundles are know as nerves.

Nerves are bundles of myelin coated axons traveling together in cables.

The brain is made up of neurons and glial cells. There is a plethora of glial cells that serve different functions. Some function of the glial cells are a place where the neurons develop and work to hold the neuron in place. Other glial cells are involved in delivering nutrients to the neurons, cleaning up the remaining neurons that have died,and communicating with other neurons or providing insulation to the neurons. There two types of Glial cells: Schwann cells and Olidodendrocytes.

Schwann cells produce myelin in the peripheral nervous system. Schwann cells produce myelin that has a very unique feature because it can serve as a tunnel in which damaged nerve cells reconnect and repair themselves back together.

Oligodendrocytes produce myelin for the central nervous system. These types of cells are different because they cover brain and spinal cord cells and they do not have the repairing feature. Once these cells are damaged, they are permanently damaged.

The central nervous system is made up two components: The Brain and The Spinal Cord. * The Brian: The brain can be seen as the heart of the central nervous system because this is the place that makes sense of all the information it receives from the senses, makes decisions and sends commands out to muscles and the rest of the body. The brain has many different areas that prepare information that is receive in order to respond properly to the information it gathered. The brain is an important part of the central nervous system because this is the place where cognition and thoughts, including learning memory, and language. *The Spinal cord: The best description of the spinal cord is it is long. The spinal cord has two important functions in the central nervous system. It is split in to two section: The lighter outer section and the darker inner section. The main reason that it appears this way is because the outer section is composed mainly of myelinated axons and nerves that appear white. However, the inner section is composed mainly of cell bodies of neurons that appear grey. The Main purpose of the outer section is to carry messages from the body up to the brain and from the brain down to the body . It can be considered a pipeline. The inner section is made up of separate cell bodies by glial cells. This section can be considered as a mini brain. The inner section of the spinal cord is responsible for certain reflexs-- very fast, lifesaving reflexs.

Afferent (sensory) neurons carry information from the sense to the spinal cord. Think of Afferent as to the spinal cord. Efferent (Motor) neurons carry messages from the spinal cord to muscles and glands, and interneurons: that connect the afferent neurons to the motor neurons. This is the place where other neurons connect with other neurons.

* Stem Cells are the basic cells that differentiate into specific types of other cells. They are blank cells that can specialize into specific cells. Stems cells come from blastocytes, bone marrow and umbilical cord.

* The PNS is made up of all the nerves and neurons that are no contained in the brain and spinal cord. The PNS allows the brain and spinal cord to communicate with with the sensory system of eyes, ears, and skin. * The PNS is made up of two major systems: Somatic system consist of nerves that control voluntary muscles in the body. The Autonomic Nervous System consist of nerves that control involuntary muscles, organs, and glands.

* The Somatic system carries sensory information and controls movement. The Somatic system is made up of all nerves carrying messages from the senses to the central nervous system.

The autonomic nervous system controls involuntary muscles, organs, and glands. The Autonomic nervous system is divided into two systems: the sympathetic and parasympathetic system.

The sympathetic system is located in the middle of the spinal column -- running from near the top of the ribcage to the waist area. It can be referred to the " fight-or- flight system" because it allows people and animals to deal with all kinds of stressful events. anger and fear are some good examples.

The parasympathetic system can be refereed to the "rest and digest syetem". The parasympathetic's job is to return the body to normal functioning after stress situations end. It slows heart rate and breathing, constricts the pupils, and reactivates and excretion. The parasympathetic is responsible for normal day task as regular beating heartbeat and digestion.

This is a study in which they conduct on animals by killing off a part of their brain to see what abilities are effected. Subjects are sedated so they do not feel the pain while the scientist stick a insulated wire into the brain. The strong electrical current begins to kill off parts of the brain.

This is the same technique to stimulate certain areas of the brain.

The EEG measures stages of sleep, seizures, and even the presence of tumors. This is a great way to determine which areas in the in brain are active while conducting a mental task like memory and attention. The EEG is important because it allows the study of how different areas of the brain function. It gives off waves.

X-rays of slices of the brain. A ct scan can show damages to the brain from strokes, tumors, injures, and abnormal brain structures.

Use radio waves and magnetic fields to produce detailed images.

Shows activity in the brain.

This tracks changes in oxygen level in the brain.

The FOur lobes of the brain -Frontal (personality) -Parietal (Sensation) -Occipital (Vision -Temporal (Hearing)