Neurons & Neurotransmitters
What is the basic unit of the nervous system?
Neuron
What is the largest part of the brain by volume?
Cerebrum
Which lobe processes visual information?
Occipital lobe
Which PNS division controls voluntary skeletal muscles?
Somatic nervous system
What technique measures brain waves with scalp electrodes?
EEG
What neurotransmitter is linked to mood regulation and depression?
Serotonin
What structure connects the left and right hemispheres?
Corpus callosum
Which lobe is key for hearing and language comprehension?
Temporal lobe
Which autonomic division triggers “fight or flight”?
Sympathetic nervous system
What structural imaging uses strong magnets and radio waves?
MRI
What is the process of reabsorbing neurotransmitters after they are released?
Reuptake
What “little brain” coordinates balance and fine motor control?
Cerebellum
Which lobe is most involved in planning, decision-making, and voluntary movement?
Frontal lobe
What is a reflex arc?
rapid pathway: sensory neuron → interneuron (spinal cord) → motor neuron, minimal cortical input
What functional scan tracks blood-oxygen changes linked to activity?
fMRI
What disease is associated with the loss of dopamine-producing neurons?
Parkinson’s disease
What brain structure relays most sensory information to the cortex?
Thalamus
Where is the primary somatosensory cortex located?
Postcentral gyrus of the parietal lobe
Where do most corticospinal motor fibers cross to the opposite side?
Pyramidal decussation in the medulla
What imaging uses radioactive tracers to map metabolism?
PET
Explain how neurotransmitters transmit signals across the synapse.
AP opens Ca²⁺ channels → vesicles release NT → NT binds postsynaptic receptors creating EPSPs/IPSPs → cleared by reuptake, enzymes, or diffusion.
Which structure helps maintain homeostasis by controlling pituitary hormone release?
Hypothalamus
What is Broca’s area responsible for, and where is it usually located?
Speech production; left frontal lobe
Which autonomic division supports “rest and digest”?
Parasympathetic nervous system
What does diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) reveal?
White-matter pathways by measuring water diffusion along axons