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Physiological Psych
Chapter 3
85
Psychology
Graduate
01/13/2011

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Term

Central Nervous System (CNS)

Definition
The division of the nervous system that is located within the skull and spine.
Term
Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
Definition
The division of the nervous system that is located outside the skull and spine.
Term

Somatic Nervous System(SNS)

 

Definition
part of the PNS that interacts with the external environment.
Term
afferent nerves
Definition
carry sensory signals from the skin, skeletal muscles, joints, eyes, ears and so on to the central nervous system.
Term
efferent nerves
Definition
 carry  motor signals from the central nervous system to the skeletal muscles.
Term
Autonomic nervous system (ANS)
Definition
the part of the peripheral nervous system that regulates the body's internal environment.
Term
sympathetic nerves
Definition
autonomic motor nerves that project from the CNS in the lumbar(small of the back) and thoracic(chest area) regions of the spinal chord.
Term
parasympathetic nerves
Definition
autonomic motor nerves that project from the brain and sacral(lower back) region of the spinal chord.
Term

meninges


(or Meninx- singular)

Definition

three protective membranes of the CNS:

1. Dura mater

2. arachnoid membrane

3. pia mater

Term
Dura Mater
Definition

literally means "tough mother"

outter meninx - very tough

Term
Arachnoid membrane
Definition
spider web-like membrane just inside the dura mater.
Term
Subarachnoid space
Definition
space beneath the arachnoid membrane which contains many large blood vessels and cerebrospinal fluid.
Term
Pia Mater
Definition
innermost meninx, very delicate. adheres to the surface of the CNS.
Term
Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF)
Definition
protects the CNS & fills the subarachnoid space, the central canal, and the cerebral ventricles. Colorless fluid.
Term
Central Canal
Definition
small central channel that runs the length of the spinal chord.
Term
cerebral ventricles
Definition

the four large internal chambers of the brain.

2 lateral ventricles

3rd ventricle

4th ventricle

Term
Choroid Plexuses
Definition

where CSF is produced.

networks of capillaries (small blood vessels) that protrude into the ventricles from the pia mater.

Term
blood brain barrier
Definition
the mechanism that impedes the passage of many toxic substances from the blood into the brain (exept alcohol)
Term
Neurons
Definition
cells that are specialized for the reception, conduction, and transmition of electrochemical signals
Term
Multipolar Neuron
Definition
a neuron with more than two processes extending from its cell body. most neurons are multipolar.
Term
unipolar neuron
Definition
a neuron with one process extending from its cell body.
Term
bipolar neuron
Definition
a neuron with two processes extending from its cell body.
Term
interneurons
Definition
neurons with short axons or no axons at all, whose function is to integrate neural activity within a single brain structure.
Term
nuclei
Definition
In the CNS, clusters of cell bodies.
Term
ganglia
Definition
in the PNS, a cluster of cell bodies.
Term
Tracts
Definition
bundles of axons in the CNS.
Term
Nerves
Definition
bundles of axons in the PNS.
Term
Glial Cells
Definition
several classes of the nonneural cells of the nervous system whose important contributions to nervous system function are just starting to be understood.
Term
Oligodendrocytes
Definition
glial cells with extentions that wrap around the axons of some neurons of the CNS.
Term
Myelin
Definition
fatty insulating substance found in the extenstions of glial cells.
Term
myelin sheath
Definition
coverings on the axons of some CNS neurons that are rich in myelin and increase the speed and efficiency of axonal conduction.
Term
Schwann cells
Definition
the glial cells that compose the myelin sheaths of PNS axons and promote their regeneration.
Term
microglia
Definition
glial cells that respond to injury by multiplying, engulfing cellular debris, and triggering inflammatory responses.
Term
Astrocytes
Definition
large star shaped glial cells that play a role in allowing the passage of some chemicals from the clook into the CNS neurons and in blocking other chemicals.
Term
Golgi stain
Definition
a neural stain that completely darkens a few of the neurons in each slice of tissue, thereby revealing their silhouettes
Term
Nissl Stain
Definition
a neural stain that only binds to structures in neuron cell bodies.
Term
electron microscopy
Definition
a neuroanatomical technique that provides info about the details of a neuronal structure.
Term
anterior
Definition
toward the nose end of a vertebrate.
Term
posterior
Definition
towards the tail end.
Term
Dorsal
Definition
toward the surface of of the back or the top of the head.
Term
ventral
Definition
toward the surface of the chest or the bottom of the head.
Term
medial
Definition

toward the midline of the body

--><--

Term
lateral
Definition

away from the midline toward the body's lateral surface.

<-- -->

Term
superior
Definition
toward the top of the primate head
Term
inferior
Definition
towards the bottom of the primate head or brain.
Term
proximal
Definition
"close"
Term
distal
Definition
"far"
Term
horizontal section
Definition
any slices of brain tissue cut in a plane that is parallel to the top of the brain.
Term
frontal section
Definition
any slices of of brain tissue cut in a plane that is parallel to the face, also termed "coronal" sections.
Term
sagittal sections
Definition
any slices of brain tissue cut in a plane that is parallel to the side of the brain.
Term
grey matter
Definition
portions of the nervous system that are gray because they are composed largely of neural cell bodies and unmyelinated interneurons.
Term
white matter
Definition
portions of the nervous system that are white because they are composed largely of mylinated axons.
Term
dorsal horns
Definition
two dorsal arms of the spinal gray matter.
Term
ventral horns
Definition
two ventral arms of the spinal gray matter.
Term
dorsal root ganglia
Definition
structures just ouside of the spinal cord that are composed of the cell bodies of dorsal root axons.
Term
brain stem
Definition
the part of the brain on which the cerebral hemispheres rest. In general, it regulates reflex activities that are critical for survival (i.e. heart rate & breathing etc.)
Term
Myelencephalon
Definition
the most posterior of the five major divisions of the brain. Also called the medula.
Term
reticular formation
Definition
a complex network of nuclei in the core of the brain stem that contains, among other things, motor programs that regulate complex species-common movements such as walking & swimming. 'reticulum' means 'little net'
Term
metencephalon
Definition
second level of the brain. contains the pons & cerebellum.
Term
Pons
Definition
the metencephalic structure that creates a bulge on the ventral surface of the brain stem.
Term
cerebellum
Definition
a metencephalic structure.
Term
mesencephalon
Definition
the middle section of the brain. Contains the tectum & tegmentum.
Term
tectum
Definition
dorsal surface of the midbrain.
Term
tegmentum
Definition
division of the mesencephalon ventral to the tectum.
Term

periaqueductal gray

(PAG)

Definition
the gray matter around the cerebral aqueduct, which contains opiate receptors and activates a descending analgesia circuit.
Term
Cerebral aqueduct
Definition
the duct conecting the third and fouth ventricle.
Term
Substantia Nigra
Definition
the midbrain nucleus whose neurons project via the nigrostriatal pathway to the striatum of the basal ganglia; it is part of the mesotelencephalic dopamine sustem and degenerates in cases of Parkinson's disease.
Term
Red Nucleus
Definition
a motor structure that is located in the tectum of the mesencephalon.
Term
diencephalon
Definition
the 4th level of the brain. Contains the thalamus and the hypothalamus.
Term
thalamus
Definition

considered to the "grand central station"

All sensory info travels through here. Contains the Lateral geneculate nuclei, medial "", & ventral posterior "".

Term
Massa Intermedia
Definition
the neural structure that is located in the third ventricle and connects the two lobes of the thalamus.
Term
sensory relay nuclei
Definition
nuclei that reveive signals from sensory receptors, process them, and then transmit them to the appropriate areas of sensory cortex.
Term
Lateral geniculate nuclei
Definition
receive input from the retinas and transmit their output to the primary visual cortex.
Term
medial geneculate nuclei
Definition

the auditory thalamic nuclei that receive input from the colliculi and project to primary auditory cortex.

 

Term
ventral posterier nuclei
Definition
A thalamic relay nucleus in the somatosensory system. (touch)
Term
hypothalamus
Definition

the diencephalic structure that sits just below the anterior protion of the thalamus; it plays a role in the motivated behaviors, in part by controlling the pituitary gland. Controls everything.

appetite, sexual devel., horomons, stress response, sleep, drinking, eating, day to day

Term
pituitary gland
Definition
the gland that is controlled by the hypothalamus. The "master gland." Hormones release from here.
Term
Optic Chiasm
Definition
the point at which the optic nerves from each eye come together.
Term
decussate
Definition
cross over to the other side of the brain.
Term
contralateral
Definition
projecting from one side of the body to the other.
Term
ipsilateral
Definition
staying on the same side of the body
Term
mammillary bodies
Definition
pair of white spherical nuclei in the hypothalamus. If damaged, it causes severe memory loss.
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