Neuron Naming
This part of the neuron receives signals and neurotransmitters from other neurons and sends information to the cell body.
What is a dendrite?
The dura, arachnoid, and pia layers of the meninges all end in the term mater, which is Latin for this word.
What is "mother"?
In the case of Patient HM, most of his hippocampus was removed in surgery to treat epilepsy. Afterwards, he was left with severe anterograde amnesia, revealing the hippocampus's role in this process.
What is memory formation?
Instead of using "above " and "below," neuroscientists instead use "superior" and this term.
What is "inferior"?
Patients perceive other objects, spaces, or their own body parts as much bigger or smaller than in reality. Their syndrome is named after this children's book, where a little girl falls down a rabbit hole and drinks a magic potion, making her much smaller than she is.
What is Alice in Wonderland?
The junction between two neurons is called this.
What is the synapse/synaptic cleft?
The end of the spinal cord contains nerves that control the lower body. These nerves aren't encased in the spinal column, and free-float in the cauda equina, which is Latin for this term.
What is "horse's tail?"
Patient WJ suffered from severe drug-resistant epilepsy. After a last-resort surgery, his left and right sides of the brain couldn't share sensory or motor information. The surgery severed this brain structure.
What is the corpus callosum?
In the peripheral nervous system, a nerve synapsing near the spinal cord is "medial," or by the midline. A sensory nerve farther out in the hand is instead called this.
What is "lateral"?
This neuron was named after researchers showed it selectively fired in response to specific photos of this actress, known for playing Rachel in the sitcom "Friends."
Who is Jennifer Aniston?
After a signal travels down an axon, it triggers vesicle releases from these endings.
What are axon terminals?
What is "cross"?
Patient PG suffered an injury working on a railroad where a spike went through his left frontal lobe. He became impulsive and profane, and his case revealed the frontal cortex's role in this.
What is emotional regulation and decision-making?
We use a rostral-caudal axis to reference parts of the brain and spinal cord. "Caudal," is closer to the tail, while "rostral" is closer to this facial structure.
What is the nose?
A psychology term describes some adults who are emotionally or financially unable to take on mature responsibilities. This syndrome describes "never growing up," and is named after this children's book character who doesn't.
Who is Peter Pan/Peter Pan Syndrome?
Unlike the smaller clear core vesicles, larger neurotransmitters such as neuropeptides, dopamine, or norepinephrine are packaged in these vesicle types.
What are dense core vesicles?
The amygdala is emotional-processing and decision-making center, specializing in fear and threat detection. "Amygdala" is Greek for this word describing the shape it's nuclei cluster in.
What is "almond/almond-shaped"?
Patient DF suffered carbon monoxide hypoxia, which damaged both lateral sides of her occipital cortex. She couldn't recognize or describe objects, but could grasp and move them with perfect accuracy. This novel condition became known as this.
What is visual agnosia?
To image the left and right sides of the brain separately, we divide the two hemispheres down the middle. The direction of this slice is called this.
What is sagittal?
When people give so much time and attention to an activity, it can begin to pattern their thoughts, mental images, and dreams. This effect is named after this iconic video game, as players still saw its falling blocks after closing their eyes.
What is Tetris?
Saltatory conduction propagates an action potential down an axon faster. It is facilitated through these microscopic gaps in the myelin sheath.
What are Nodes of Ranvier?
In embryonic development, sometimes the upper end of the neural tube doesn't close completely. This leads to a congenital defect called "anencephaly," which is Greek for this phrase.
What is "without a head"?
At an age too young for typical dementia, Patient AD had issues with memory loss, sleep, and language/writing. After finding neurofibrillary tangles in her brain, she became the first patient diagnosed with this disease.
What is "Alzheimer's Disease"?
The dorsal-ventral axis shifts its orientation from the brain to the spinal cord as it bends at your neck. This is what that bend is called.
What is the cephalic flexure?
Some suffer from the delusion that their lives are a staged reality TV show and everyone around them are actors. This delusion is named after a movie sharing the same premise, starring Jim Carrey.
What is The Truman Show?