Neurons
These branch-like structures on neurons receive incoming signals from other neurons.
What are dendrites?
These are the four main lobes of the cerebral cortex-- each responsible for different functions like vision, touch, hearing, and decision-making.
What are the frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes?
This term refers to how precisely a brain imaging method can track when the brain is active, with EEG and MEG scoring high in this area.
What is temporal resolution?
Without this neuron part, neural communication slows down significantly and becomes less efficient/ disrupted, and the neuron isn't able to conserve energy.
What is myelin?
These two main parts make up the central nervous system.
What are the brian and spinal cord?
This fatty covering on axons helps electrical signals travel faster down the neuron.
What is myelin/ the myelin sheath?
This largest region of the brain is responsible for higher functions and processing sensory information.
What is the cerebrum?
This term describes how accurately a brain imaging method can detect where in the brain activity is occurring, with fMRI and PET known for having high levels of it.
What is spatial resolution?
Just like a salty french fry dipped in a milkshake, this part of the cell contains potassium inside and salt on the outside, while calcium helps the signal go.
What is a neuron?
These two main parts of the nervous system are in constant communication: one includes the brain and spinal cord, and the other includes everything else.
What are the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system?
These are the three main structural types of neurons, classified by the number of extensions from the cell body.
What are unipolar, bipolar, and multipolar neurons?
Sometimes called the "little brain," this structure only makes up 10% of brain volume but holds over 75% of its neurons, helping us balance and coordinate movement.
What is the cerebellum?
This staining method shows entire neurons but only stains a few at random—ideal for studying shapes, not for counting cells.
What is the Golgi stain?
At resting potential, a neuron has a charge of about -60 millivolts, but this is the charge it needs to reach to trigger an action potential (i.e. threshold).
What is -40 millivolts?
The central nervous system includes the brain and spinal cord, while this system includes everything else.
What is the peripheral nervous system?
These cells, found in the central nervous system, are responsible for creating the myelin sheath that speeds up neurotansmission.
What are oligodendrocytes?
What is the substantia nigra?
This non-invasive technique uses magnetic fields to stimulate specific areas of the brain, allowing researchers to make causal claims about brain function.
What is transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)?
At the threshold of -40 mV, this type of channel opens, allowing Na+ ions to flood into the cell and triggers depolarization.
What are sodium (Na+) voltage-gates channels?
This part of the autonomic nervous system is activated during stress and increases heart rate - often ramping up when we inhale.
What is the sympathetic nervous system?
These small cells in the brain act as the cleanup crew, engulfing and destroying debris to keep the environment around neurons clean and health.
What are microglia?
This subcortical system includes the amygdala and hippocampus, helping us recognize threats, process emotions, and form episodic memories.
What is the limbic system?
This is when an individual brain has already experienced damage (the experimenter is not causing any manipulation) and scientists can study how brain damage impairs specific behaviors.
What are patient studies?
This brief phase follows an action potential, during which the cell’s charge becomes more negative than its resting potential- making it less likely to fire another action potential.
What is hyperpolarization?
This hormone, released by the adrenal glands, enhances the effects of the sympathetic nervous system during a "fight or flight" response.
What is epinephrine (or adrenaline)?