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69 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Electrical Stimulation |
Passage of an electrical current from the uninsulated tip of an electrode through the tissue, resulting in changes in the electrical activity of the tissue. |
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Voltmeter |
Device that measures the flow and the strength of electrical voltage by recording the difference in electrical potential between two bodies |
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Electroencephalogram (EEG) |
Graph that records electrical activity through the skull or from the brain and represents graded potentials of many neurons. |
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Oscilloscope |
Device that serves as a sensitive voltmeter by registering the flow of electrons to measure voltage. |
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Microelectrode |
A microscopic insulated wire or a salt-water-filled glass tube of which the uninsulated tip is used to stimulate or record from neurons. |
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Diffusion |
Movement of ions from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration through random motion. |
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Concentration Grradient |
Difference in concentration of a substance among regions of a container that allow the substance to diffuse from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration. |
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Voltage Gradient |
Difference in charge between two regions that allows a flow of current if the two regions are connected. |
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Resting Potential |
Electrical charge across the cell membrane in the absence of stimulation; a store of potential energy produced by a greater negative charge on the intracellular side relative to the extracellular side. |
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Graded Potential |
Small voltage fluctuation in the cell membrane restricted to the vicinity on the axon where ion concentrations change to cause a brief increase (hyperpolarization) or decrease (depolarization) in electrical charge across the cell membrane. |
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Hyperpolarization |
Increase in electrical charge across a membrane, usually due to the inward flow of chloride or sodium ions or the outward flow of potassium ions. |
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Depolarization |
Decrease in electrical charge across a membrane, usually due to the inward flow of sodium ions. |
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Action Potential |
Large, brief reversal in the polarity of an axon. |
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Threshold Potential |
Voltage on a neural membrane at which an action potential is triggered by the opening of Na + and K + voltage sensative channels; about 50 millivolts relative to extracellular surround. |
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Voltage Sensitive Channel |
/gated protein channel that open or closes only at specific membrane voltages. |
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Absolutely Refractory |
Refers to the state of an axon in the repolarizing period during which a new action potential cannot be elicited (with some exceptions), because gate 2 of sodium channels, which is not voltage sensitive is closed. |
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Relatively Refractory |
Refers to the state of an axon in the later phase of an action potential during which increased electrical current is required to produce another action potential; a phase during which potassium channels are still open. |
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Nerve Impulse |
/propagation of an action potential on the membrane of an axon. |
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Node of Ranvier |
The part of an axon that is not covered by myelin. |
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Saltatory Conduction |
Propagation of an action potential at successive nodes of Ranvier; saltatory means "jumping" or "dancing" |
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Excitatory Postsynaptic Potential (EPSP) |
Brief depolarization of a neuron membrane in response to stimulation, making the neuron more likely to produce an action potential. |
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Autoimmune Disease |
Illness resulting from the loss of the immune system's ability to discriminate between foreign pathogens in the body and the body itself. |
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Inhibitory Postsynaptic Potential (IPSP) |
Brief hyperpolarization of a neuron membrane in response to stimulation, making the neuron less likely to produce an action potential. |
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Temporal Summation |
Graded potentials that occur at approximately the same time on a membrane are summed. |
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Spatial Summation |
Graded potentials that occur at approximately the same location and time a membrane are summed. |
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Back Propagation |
Reverse movement of an action potential into the dendritc field of a neuron; postulated to play a role in plastic changes that underlie learning. |
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Optogentics |
Transgenic technique that combines genetics and light to control targeted cells in living tissue. |
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Stretch Sensitive Channel |
Ion channel on a tactile sensory neuron that activates in response to stretching of the membrane initiating a nerve pulse. |
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End Plate |
On a muscle, the receptor ion complex that is activated by the release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine from the terminal of a motor neuron. |
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Transmitter Sensitive Channel |
Receptor complex that has both a receptor site for a chemical and a pore through which ions can flow. |
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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) |
Developmental disorder characterized by core behavioral symptoms of impulsivity, hyperactivity, and or inattention. |
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Psychopharmacology |
Study of how drugs affect the nervous system and behavior. |
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Psychoactive Drug |
Substance that acts to alter mood, thought, or behavior; is used to manage neuropsychological illness, or is abused. |
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Agonist |
Substance that enhances the function of a synapse. |
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Antagonist |
Substance that blocks the function of a synapse. |
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Tolerance |
Decrease in response to a drug with the passage of time. |
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Antianxiety Agent |
Drug that reduces anxiety; examples are minor tranquilizers such as benzodiazepines and sedative hypnotic agents. |
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Barbiturate |
Drug that produces sedation and sleep. |
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Cross Tolerance |
Reduction of response to a novel drug because of tolerance developed in response to a chemically related drug. |
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Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) |
Range of physical and intellectual impairments observed in some children born to alcoholic mothers. |
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Dopamine Hypothesis of Schizophrenia |
Idea that excess activity of the neurotransmitter dopamine causes symptoms of schizophrenia. |
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Major Depression |
Mood disorder characterized by prolonged feeling of worthlessness and guilt, the disruption of normal eating habits, sleep disturbances, a general slowing of behavior, and frequent thoughts of suicide. |
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Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor (MAOI) |
///antidepressant drug that blocks the enzyme monamine oxidase from degrading neurotransmitters such as dopamine, noradreniline, and serotonin. |
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Tricyclic Antidepressant |
First generation antidepressant drug with a chemical structure characterized by three rings that blocks serotonin reuptake transporter proteins. |
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Second Generation Antidepressant |
Drug whose action is similar to that of tricyclics (first generation antidepressants) but more selective in its action on the serotonin reuptake transporter proteins; also called atypical antidepressant. |
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Selective Serotonin Re-uptake inhibitor |
Tricyclic antidepressant drug that blocks the re-uptake of serotonin into the presynaptic terminal. |
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Bipolar Disorder |
Mood disorder characterized by periods of depression alternating with normal periods and periods of intense excitation or mania. |
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Mood Stabalizer |
Drug for treatment of bipolar disorder that mutes the intensity of one pole of the disorder, thus making the other pole less likely to recur. |
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Opioid Analgesic |
Drug like morphine, with sleep inducing (narcotic) and pain relieving (analgesic) properties; originally narcotic analgesic. |
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Endorphin |
Peptide hormone that acts as a neurotransmitter and may be associated with feelings of pain or pleasure; mimicked by opioid drugs such as morphine, heroin, opium, and codeine. |
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Competitive inhibitor |
Drug such as nalorphine and naloxone that acts quickly to block the actions of opioids by competing with them for binding sites; used to treat opioid addiction. |
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Amphetamine |
Drug that releases the neurotransmitter dopamine into its synapse and like cocaine, blocks dopamine re-uptake. |
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Psychedelic Drug |
Drug that can alter sensation and perception; examples are lysergic acid diethylamide, mescaline, and psilocybin. |
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Disinhibition theory |
Explanation holding that alcohol has a selective depressant effect on the cortex, the region of the brain that controls judgement, while sparing subcortical structures responsible for more primitive instincts such as desire. |
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Alcohol myopia |
"Nearsighted" behavior displayed under the influence of alcohol: local and immediate cues become prominent, and remote cues and consequences are ignored. |
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Substance abuse |
Use of a drug for the psychological and behavioral changes it produces aside from its therapeutic effects. |
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Addiction |
Desire for a drug manifested by frequent use of the drug, leading to the development of physical dependence in addition to abuse; often associated with tolerance and unpleasant, sometimes dangerous, withdrawal symptoms on cessation of drug use. |
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Withdrawal symptom |
Physical and psychological behavior displayed by an addict when drug use ends. |
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Psychomotor Activation |
Increased behavioral and cognitive activity; at certain levels of consumption, the drug user feels energetic and in control. |
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Wanting and liking theory |
When a drug is associated with certain cues, themselves elicit desire for the drug; also called incentive sensitization theory. |
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Testosterone |
Sex hormone secreted by the testes and responsible for the distinguishing characteristics of the male. |
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Steroid hormone |
Fat soluble chemical messenger synthesized from cholesterol |
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Peptide hormone |
Chemical messenger synthesized by cellular DNA that acts to affect the target cell's physiology. |
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Homeostatic hormone |
One of the group of hormones that maintain internal metabolic balance and regulate physiological systems in an organism. |
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Gonadal (sex) hormone |
One of a group of hormones, such as testosterone, that control reproductive functions and bestow sexual appearance and identity as male or female. |
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Glucocorticoid |
One of a group of steroid hormones such as cortisol secreted in times of stress; important in protein and carbohydrate metabolism. |
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Organizational hypothesis |
Proposal that actions of hormones in development alter tissue differentiation; for example, testosterone masculinizes the brain. |
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Anabolic steroid |
Belongs to a class of synthetic hormones related to testosterone that have both muscle building (anabolic) and masculinizing (androgenic) effects; also called anabolic androgenic steroid. |
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Action Potentials and refractory periods chart. |
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