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Nervous System Essentials Flashcards
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1
Question
What is the primary role of acetylcholine in the nervous system?
Answer
A neurotransmitter involved in muscle action, learning, and memory.
2
Question
What defines an action potential in neurons?
Answer
The electrical impulse or signal that travels down an axon when a neuron is stimulated.
3
Question
What function does the amygdala serve in the brain?
Answer
A part of the brain's limbic system linked to emotions, especially fear and aggression.
4
Question
What does the autonomic nervous system regulate?
Answer
The part of the peripheral nervous system that controls involuntary actions of internal organs and glands, like heartbeat and digestion, divided into sympathetic and parasympathetic systems.
5
Question
What is the main function of an axon in a neuron?
Answer
The long, thin part of a neuron that carries nerve impulses away from the cell body to other neurons, muscles, or glands.
6
Question
What is contained in the cell body of a neuron?
Answer
The main part of a neuron that contains the nucleus and keeps the entire cell alive and functioning.
7
Question
What comprises the central nervous system?
Answer
The part of the nervous system made up of the brain and the spinal cord.
8
Question
What is the cerebellum responsible for?
Answer
A region at the back of the brainstem responsible for coordinating voluntary movements, posture, and balance.
9
Question
What connects the brain's left and right hemispheres?
Answer
A large bundle of nerve fibers called the corpus callosum that allows communication between them.
10
Question
What do dendrites do in a neuron?
Answer
The branching extensions of a neuron that receive chemical messages from other neurons and carry them to the cell body.
11
Question
How are dizygotic twins genetically related?
Answer
Also known as fraternal twins, they develop from two separate fertilized eggs and are genetically no more similar than regular siblings.
12
Question
What is dopamine's role in the brain?
Answer
A neurotransmitter associated with movement, attention, learning, and the brain's pleasure and reward system.
13
Question
What does an electroencephalograph measure?
Answer
A machine that measures and records the brain's electrical activity through small sensors attached to the scalp.
14
Question
What is the endocrine system's primary function?
Answer
A system of glands that produce and secrete hormones directly into the bloodstream to regulate growth, metabolism, and sexual development.
15
Question
What effect does epinephrine have during stress?
Answer
Also known as adrenaline, a hormone and neurotransmitter released during stress, increasing heart rate, blood pressure, and energy levels for the 'fight or flight' response.
16
Question
What do excitatory signals do between neurons?
Answer
Signals sent from one neuron to another that increase the likelihood that the receiving neuron will fire an action potential.
17
Question
What brain regions make up the forebrain?
Answer
The largest and most developed part of the brain, including the cerebrum, thalamus, and hypothalamus, responsible for thinking, emotion, and memory.
18
Question
What functions does the frontal lobe control?
Answer
The part of the brain at the front involved in personality, decision-making, planning, and voluntary muscle movements.
19
Question
How does fMRI detect brain activity?
Answer
A brain-scanning technique that measures brain activity by detecting changes in blood flow.
20
Question
What is genotype in genetics?
Answer
An individual's complete set of genes or genetic makeup.
21
Question
What vital functions does the hindbrain manage?
Answer
The lower part of the brain including the cerebellum, pons, and medulla, controlling breathing and heart rate.
22
Question
Why is the hippocampus crucial for memory?
Answer
A part of the brain's limbic system essential for forming new memories.
23
Question
What does the hypothalamus regulate?
Answer
A small structure below the thalamus that controls hunger, thirst, body temperature, and the endocrine system.
24
Question
What are inhibitory signals in neural communication?
Answer
Signals sent from one neuron to another that decrease the likelihood that the receiving neuron will fire an action potential.
25
Question
What sensory roles does the midbrain play?
Answer
A small region of the brainstem involved in processing sensory information like vision and hearing, and controlling movement.
26
Question
How are monozygotic twins genetically similar?
Answer
Also known as identical twins, they develop from a single fertilized egg that splits, making them genetically identical.
27
Question
What is the purpose of the myelin sheath?
Answer
A fatty layer covering axons to protect them and speed up electrical signal transmission.
28
Question
What does 'nature' refer to in development?
Answer
The influence of genetics and inherited traits on a person's development and behavior.
29
Question
What occurs during neural pruning?
Answer
The natural process where the brain eliminates extra, unused synapses to increase efficiency.
30
Question
What is neurogenesis?
Answer
The process of creating new neurons in the brain.