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Y1 Psychology: Biological Central Nervous System Part 2
This deck covers key concepts related to the biological aspects of the central nervous system, focusing on the structure and function of neurons, synaptic transmission, and the roles of various brain components.
What is the function of the hippocampus?
Short term memories being converted into long term memory to get stored here.
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Key Terms
Term
Definition
What is the function of the hippocampus?
Short term memories being converted into long term memory to get stored here.
What is the function of the corpus callosum?
It connects the left and right hemisphere of the brain allowing coordination between the two.
How does the information get to the brain?
Nerves in our body send electrical impulses of information via the spinal cord to the brain.
What is a neuron?
A nerve cell in the brain that sends electrical impulses of information to other neurons.
What is a synapse?
The gap between two neurons in which information diffuses across.
What is a nucleus?
The DNA of the cell coordinating information and functions.
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| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
What is the function of the hippocampus? | Short term memories being converted into long term memory to get stored here. |
What is the function of the corpus callosum? | It connects the left and right hemisphere of the brain allowing coordination between the two. |
How does the information get to the brain? | Nerves in our body send electrical impulses of information via the spinal cord to the brain. |
What is a neuron? | A nerve cell in the brain that sends electrical impulses of information to other neurons. |
What is a synapse? | The gap between two neurons in which information diffuses across. |
What is a nucleus? | The DNA of the cell coordinating information and functions. |
What is a mitochondria? | The powerhouse of the cell providing energy. |
What are dendrites? | Branched extensions of a nerve cell along which impulses from other cells travel afterwards. |
What is an axon hillock? | A part of a neuron that connects to the axon to pass on information. |
What is an axon? | A extension of a neuron in which an electrical impulse travels along via action potential aided by myelin sheaths. |
What is a myelin sheath? | Fatty tissue that insulates the axon to increase the speed of action potential of electrical impulses. |
What are the nodes of ranvier? | Connectors of the myelin sheaths along the axon. |
What are the axon terminals? | The end of an axon that makes synaptic contacts with other nerve cells on the terminal button. |
What are terminal buttons? | Small parts at the end of an axon terminal that releases chemicals called neurotransmitters across a synaptic gap. |
What are vesicles? | Sacks that store neurotransmitters that fuse to the pre-synaptic membrane and release them across the synaptic gap. |
What is a neurotransmitter? | A chemical messenger that transfers an electrical impulse by diffusion at the synapse. |
What is a pre-synaptic neuron? | The axon terminal which an electrical impulse is transmitted from. |
What is a post-synaptic neuron? | The axon terminal which receives the electrical impulse. |
What are receptors? | They are on the post-synaptic membrane and respond to a certain types of neurotransmitters by stimulation or absorption. |
What are transporters? | They are on the pre-synaptic membrane and reuptake neurotransmitters that weren't absorbed in the synaptic gap. |
Briefly describe the structure of a neuron, using 5 points. | 1) The nucleus of the neuron provides the genetic info and the mitochondria provides the neuron with energy 2) Dendrites are attached to the body and receive messages from other neurons 3) This message travels along the axon in the myelin sheaths (where action potential takes place) and the nodes of Ranvier 4) Action potential is when positive ions move in and out of the cell to create an electric current 5) Once the message reaches the axon terminal it travels to the terminal buttons where the synapses are |
Briefly describe synaptic transmission, using 5 points. | 1) The electrical impulse travels down the axon terminal and stimulates the vesicles full of neurotransmitters 2) The vesicles then move down the pre-synaptic neuron to fuse with the pre-synaptic membrane 3) The neurotransmitters are then released as chemical messengers and diffuse across the synaptic gap 4) They attach to the corresponding receptor on the dendrite of the post-synaptic neuron and will then be absorbed 5) Any neurotransmitters that are not absorbed will get reabsorbed by the pre-synaptic neuron in the process of reuptake through the transporters |