4990933054 | Biopsychology | A branch of study that deals with the effects of biological factors on behavior. This branch believes that everything we do is ultimately controlled by our body and our brain. | 0 | |
4990945512 | Neurons | Nerve cells | 1 | |
4990949002 | Sensory (Afferent) Neurons | Detect stimuli from sense organs and relay this information to glands and muscles. | 2 | |
4990952158 | Motor (Efferent) Neurons | Receive signals from the brain and/or spinal cord and relay this information to glands and muscles. | 3 | |
4990959042 | Interneurons | Neurons in the brain and spinal cord that coordinate activity between sensory and motor neurons. | 4 | |
4990963047 | Glial Cells | Provide nutrients to neurons, insulate neurons, and remove debris when neurons die. | 5 | |
4990969432 | Cell Body | The cell's "control center," the part that looks like a really weird fried egg. | 6 | |
4990983611 | Dendrites | The spindly bits coming out of the cell body that receive messages from other cells. | 7 | |
4990991058 | Axon | Passes messages away from the cell body to other neurons, muscles, or glands. | 8 | |
4990999617 | Myelin Sheath | Covers the axons of some neurons and helps speed neural impulses. | 9 | |
4991005114 | Nodes of Ranvier | The uncovered portion of the axons where the neural impulses jump to. | 10 | |
4991072111 | Schwann Cells | The protective, fatty layer over the axon. Each individual cell is a Schwann Cell, and all together they form the myelin sheath. | 11 | |
4991089979 | Terminal Branch (Button) | Form junctions with the other cells in the system, and release neurotransmitters. | 12 | |
4991097186 | Resting Potential | When the neuron is not transmitting information, the electrical charge is at -70mv, and there are more negative ions inside the neuron than out. The selectively permeable membrane is closed. | 13 | |
5000423552 | Action Potential | Rapid, powerful change in the state of the neuron, where the neuron reaches the threshold of excitation (-50mv) and excitatory signals outnumber inhibitory ones. Na+ comes in, K+ comes out. | 14 | |
5002388971 | All-or-None | The neuron either fires, or it doesn't. The intensity of the signal just depends on how often it fires, and in how many neurons fire. | 15 | |
5029216421 | Absolute Refractory Period | Period immediately after an action potential, when another action potential cannot occur. | 16 | |
5029221118 | Relative Refractory Period | Period after an absolute refractory period, when a neuron will only respond to a stronger than normal impulse. | 17 | |
5029237469 | Neurotransmitters | Signals released from vesicles that send messages to other neurons, may be inhibitory, excitatory, or both. They regulate many aspects of behavior, and an imbalance may cause maladaptive behavior. | 18 | |
5029249673 | Acetylcholine (ACh) | The most common neurotransmitter. Enables muscle function, learning, and memory. Alzheimer's causes the ACh-producing neurons to deteriorate. | 19 | |
5029264205 | Dopamine | Influences learning, movement, learning, attention, and emotion. Too much dopamine is related to Schizophrenia, whereas not enough dopamine is related to the brain tremors and decreased mobility associated with Parkinson's. | 20 | |
5029287024 | Serotonin | Affects mood, hunger, sleep and arousal. An undersupply can lead to depression. Prozac and other drugs are meant to treat this by raising serotonin levels. | 21 | |
5029297273 | Norepinephrine | Helps control alertness and arousal, associated with the "fight or flight" response. An undersupply can depress mood. | 22 | |
5029313304 | GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) | A major inhibitory transmitter, an undersupply can be linked to seizures, tremors, and insomnia. | 23 | |
5029318687 | Glutamate | A major excitatory neurotransmitter related to memory, an oversupply can cause brain migraines or seizures. (Some people avoid MSG because it contains glutamate.) | 24 | |
5029332280 | Agonists | Mimic, prevent, or quicken release from pre-synaptic neuron | 25 | |
5029334485 | Antagonists | Block neurotransmission | 26 | |
5029341230 | Botoulism | Blocks release of ACh at the neuromuscular junction, causing paralysis. "Botox" is the toxin used to prevent wrinkling in facial muscles. | 27 | |
5029353148 | Curare | A poison found in vines in South America, can be used to stun and kill prey quickly. Blocks ACh receptors, preventing movement. | 28 | |
5029362882 | Antipsychotic Medicines | Block dopamine receptors to reduce schizophrenic hallucinations. | 29 | |
5029366181 | Caffine | Increases the release of excitatory transmittors by blocking the inhibitory neurotransmitter adenosine. | 30 | |
5029375495 | Cocaine | Prevents re-uptake of dopamine, leads to heightened arousal of the entire nervous system. | 31 |
AP Psychology Neurons and Neurotransmittors Flashcards
Primary tabs
Need Help?
We hope your visit has been a productive one. If you're having any problems, or would like to give some feedback, we'd love to hear from you.
For general help, questions, and suggestions, try our dedicated support forums.
If you need to contact the Course-Notes.Org web experience team, please use our contact form.
Need Notes?
While we strive to provide the most comprehensive notes for as many high school textbooks as possible, there are certainly going to be some that we miss. Drop us a note and let us know which textbooks you need. Be sure to include which edition of the textbook you are using! If we see enough demand, we'll do whatever we can to get those notes up on the site for you!