Question 1

What are neurons?

Accepted Answer

Fundamental units of our nervous system

Responsible for receiving sensory input from the external world, sending motor commands to our muscles, and transforming and relaying the electrical signals at every step in between

Question 2

What is the soma/cell-body?

Accepted Answer

The part of a neuron that contains its nucleus

Question 3

What are dendrites?

Accepted Answer

Thin fibers on a neuron that accept incoming signals from other neurons

(attached to the neuron's soma)

Question 4

What is the axon?

Accepted Answer

A long, tube-like structure in neurons, that transmits action potentions

Question 5

What is the myelin sheath?

Accepted Answer

A fatty substance that coats axons

Question 6

What is the purpose of the myelin sheath?

Accepted Answer

Insulates that axon and makes it transmit action potentials faster

Question 7

What are terminal-buttons/axon-terminals?

Accepted Answer

Branching structures at the end of axons that release neurotransmitters

Question 8

What are synapses?

Accepted Answer

Junctions between neurons where the neurons communicate

(pronounced: si-nap-suhz, singular: si-naps)

Question 9

What is the synaptic cleft?

Accepted Answer

The small gap seperating neurons

(neurons never touch)

Question 10

What is action potential?

Accepted Answer

The electrical impulse sent along an axon

Question 11

What causes an action potential to be formed?

Accepted Answer

When the dendrites of a neuron are excited

Question 12

What are neurotransmitters?

Accepted Answer

Specialized chemical messengers that send signals between neurons

Question 13

What are excitatory neurotransmitters?

Accepted Answer

Neurotransmitters that cause the next neuron to be more active

Question 14

What are inhibitory neurotransmitters?

Accepted Answer

Neurotransmitters that cause the next neuron to be less excited

Question 15

What is summation in neurons?

Accepted Answer

Adding together multiple incoming signals in neurons

If there are enough excitatory signals, and not too many inhibitory signals, an action potential is released

Question 16

What is acetylcholine?

Accepted Answer

A neurotransmitter involved in learning, memory, and muscle contraction

Question 17

What is dopamine?

Accepted Answer

"feel-good neurotransmitter", involved in mood, movement, attention, and learning

Question 18

What is serotonin?

Accepted Answer

A neurotransmitter that regulates mood, feelings of well-being, and happiness

(also helps with sleeping and eating)

Question 19

What is gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)?

Accepted Answer

The primary inhibitory neurotransmitter

Question 20

What is norepinephrine/noradrenaline?

Accepted Answer

A neurotransmitter that controls alertness, wakefulness, mood, and attention

Question 21

What is glutamate?

Accepted Answer

The primary excitatory neurotransmitter; important for learning and memory

Question 22

What are agonists?

Accepted Answer

Drugs that mimic a specific neurotransmitter, mirroring its effects

Question 23

What are antagonists?

Accepted Answer

Drugs that block a neurotransmitter, canceling its effects

Question 24

What are reuptake inhibitors?

Accepted Answer

Drugs that prevent a neurotransmitter from being reabsorbed by the presynaptic neuron

Causes greater activation of the postsynaptic neuron

Question 25

What are presynaptic and postsynaptic neurons?

Accepted Answer

The presynaptic neuron is the one sending a signal

The postsynaptic neuron is the one receiving a signal

Question 26

What are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)?

Accepted Answer

Drugs that prevent reabsorption of serotonin

Causes greater activation of serotonin receptors

Question 27

What is the role of the nervous system?

Accepted Answer

Govern reception, processing, and transmission of information in the body

Question 28

What are nerves?

Accepted Answer

Bundles of fibers that transmit:

Sensations from muscles to the brain

Signals from the brain to the muscles

Question 29

What is the central nervous system (CNS)?

Accepted Answer

The brain and spinal cord

Question 30

What is the hindbrain?

Accepted Answer

The lowest segment of the brain

Consists of the cerebellum, medulla, pons, and reticular formation

Question 31

What is the hindbrain responsible for?

Accepted Answer

Regulating basic body functions

(breathing, motor activity, sleep, etc.)

Question 32

What is the cerebellum responsible for?

Accepted Answer

Regulating motor coordination

Question 33

What is the medulla responsible for?

Accepted Answer

Controlling autonomic responses

(breathing, heart rate, blood pressure)

Question 34

What is the pons responsible for?

Accepted Answer

Transferring information between the cerebellum and other parts of the brain

Question 35

What is the reticular formation responsible for?

Accepted Answer

Maintaining attention, by filtering incoming stimuli

(Only allows some information to come through, so your brain isn't overwhelmed)

Question 36

What is the midbrain?

Accepted Answer

The middle part of the brain

Question 37

What is the midbrain responsible for?

Accepted Answer

Motor control, vision, hearing, arousal, sleep, temperature regulation, and transmission of sensory info

(you don't have to remember all of these, as long as you get the gist)

Question 38

What is the forebrain?

Accepted Answer

The highest segment of the brain

(made of the thalamus, hypothalamus, hippocampus, amygdala, and cerebrum)

Question 39

What is the thalamus responsible for?

Accepted Answer

Relaying sensory and motor signals, as well as regulating consciousness and alertness

Question 40

What is the hypothalamus?

Accepted Answer

The link between the nervous system and endocrine system

Controls the pituitary gland

Question 41

What is the amygdala involved with?

Accepted Answer

Fear, aggression, memory, and other emotions

Question 42

What is the hippocampus responsible for?

Accepted Answer

Forming long-term memories

Question 43

What is the limbic system responsible for?

Accepted Answer

Regulating emotions and drives

(consists of the thalamus, hypothalamus, amygdala, and hippocampus)

Question 44

What is the cerebrum?

Accepted Answer

The largest part of the brain, with right and left hemispheres

Question 45

What is the cerebrum responsible for?

Accepted Answer

Performing higher functions, such as speech, learning, emotions, and interpreting sensations

Question 46

What is the cerebral cortex?

Accepted Answer

The wrinkled surface of the cerebrum

Responsible for thinking, memory, and voluntary activities

("cortex" is "bark" in Latin)

Question 47

What are lobes?

Accepted Answer

Specialized regions in the cerebral cortex

There are four lobes

Question 48

What is the frontal lobe responsible for?

Accepted Answer

Controlling voluntary movement and thinking

(located at the front of the brain)

Question 49

What is the parietal lobe responsible for?

Accepted Answer

Integrating perceptions from different senses

(located at the top of the brain)

Question 50

What is the temporal lobe responsible for?

Accepted Answer

Controlling hearing and language

(located at both sides of the brain)

Question 51

What is the occipital lobe responsible for?

Accepted Answer

Controlling vision

(located at the back of the brain)

Question 52

What is a hemisphere in the brain?

Accepted Answer

One of the two halves of the brain (left and right)

Question 53

What is lateralization?

Accepted Answer

Specialization of each brain hemisphere

(left hemisphere controls language and logic; right hemisphere controls visual relationships)

Question 54

What is Wernicke's area?

Accepted Answer

A region in the temporal lobe that controls speech comprehension

Question 55

What is Broca's area?

Accepted Answer

A region in the frontal lobe that controls speech production

Question 56

What is the difference between Wernicke's and Broca's areas?

Accepted Answer

Wernicke's area is for speech comprehension; Broca's area is for speech production

Question 57

What is the spinal cord?

Accepted Answer

Tube of nerves that connects the brain to the rest of the body

Question 58

What is a reflex?

Accepted Answer

An automatic response to some stimulus

(flinching when you touch something hot)

Question 59

What is the peripheral nervous system (PNS)?

Accepted Answer

All nerves outside the brain and spinal cord

Question 60

What is the somatic nervous system?

Accepted Answer

Part of the PNS that controls voluntary movement

Question 61

What is the autonomic nervous system?

Accepted Answer

Part of the PNS that controls involuntary body functions

Question 62

What is the sympathetic nervous system?

Accepted Answer

Part of the autonomic nervous system, that is activated during the "fight or flight" response

(turns on in stressful situations)

Question 63

What is the parasympathetic nervous system?

Accepted Answer

Part of the autonomic nervous system activated during the "rest and digest" period

(turned on in non-stressful situations; remember p as in sipping piña coladas on the beach)

Question 64

What is the difference between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems?

Accepted Answer

Sympathetic is activated under stress; parasympathetic is activated when there is no stress

(sympathetic = chased by a shark; parasympathetic = sipping a piña-colada)

Biology, AP Psychology Flashcards