Neuroscience Basics Flashcards
Grade 12 · Science · Flashcards
Key vocabulary for neurons, brain anatomy, neurotransmitters, and nervous system function.
Flashcards
- Resting membrane potential
- The stable electrical potential (~-70 mV) maintained across a neuron's membrane when not firing, due to the differential distribution of ions.
- Depolarization
- A decrease in membrane potential (toward zero and beyond) triggered by Na+ influx during an action potential.
- Repolarization
- The return of membrane potential toward its resting value after depolarization, driven by K+ outflow through voltage-gated channels.
- Synaptic vesicles
- Small membrane-bound sacs in the axon terminal that store and release neurotransmitters by exocytosis upon calcium influx.
- Receptor (postsynaptic)
- A protein on the postsynaptic membrane that binds neurotransmitters and produces either ionotropic (channel) or metabotropic (signaling) responses.
- Serotonin
- A monoamine neurotransmitter involved in mood regulation, sleep, appetite, and cognition; targeted by SSRIs in depression treatment.
- Hippocampus
- A seahorse-shaped limbic structure essential for forming new declarative memories and spatial navigation.
- Amygdala
- An almond-shaped limbic structure involved in processing emotions, particularly fear and aggression, and emotional memory.
- Prefrontal cortex
- The anterior portion of the frontal lobe responsible for executive functions: planning, decision-making, working memory, and impulse control.
- Brainstem
- The stalk-like lower part of the brain (midbrain, pons, medulla) connecting to the spinal cord; controls vital autonomic functions.
- Neurogenesis
- The formation of new neurons; in adults, primarily occurs in the hippocampal dentate gyrus and olfactory bulb.
- Multiple sclerosis
- An autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks myelin sheaths in the CNS, disrupting nerve signal conduction.
- Inhibitory postsynaptic potential (IPSP)
- A hyperpolarization of the postsynaptic membrane, making the cell less likely to fire an action potential.
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