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Biopsychology
CHAPTER THREE: Cells of the Nervous System
64
Psychology
Undergraduate 4
09/15/2013

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Term
Action Potential
Definition
The nerve impulse arising in an axon.
Term
Neuron
Definition
A cell of the nervous system that is specialized for information processing and communication.
Term
Glia
Definition
Cells in the nervous system that support the activities of neurons.
Term
Organelle
Definition
A small structure within a cell that carries out a specific function.
Term
Cell Body/Soma
Definition
The main mass of a neuron, containing the nucleus and many organelles.
Term
Axon
Definition
The branch of a neuron usually responsible for carrying signals to other neurons.
Term
Dendrite
Definition
The branch of a neuron that generally receives information from other neurons.
Term
Intracellular Fluid
Definition
The fluid inside a cell.
Term
Extracellular Fluid
Definition
The fluid surrounding a cell.
Term
Permeability
Definition
A property of a substance that determines the extent to which other substances may pass through it.
Term
Ion Channel
Definition
A protein structure embedded in a cell membrane that allows ions to pass without the use of additional energy.
Term
Ion Pump
Definition
A protein structure embedded in a cell membrane that uses energy to move ions across the membrane.
Term
Ion
Definition
An electrically charged particle in solution.
Term
Voltage-Dependent Channel
Definition
An ion channel that opens or closes in response to the local electrical environment.
Term
Ligand-Gated Channel
Definition
An ion channel in the neural membrane that responds to chemical messengers.
Term
Synapse
Definition
The junction between two neurons at which information is transferred from one to another.
Term
Sodium-Potassium Pump
Definition
An ion pump that uses energy to transfer three sodium ions to the extracellular fluid for every two potassium ions retrieved from the extracellular fluid.
Term
Calcium Pump
Definition
A protein structure embedded in the neural membrane that uses energy to move calcium ions out of the cell.
Term
Neurotransmitter
Definition
A chemical messenger that transfers information across a synapse.
Term
Cytoskeleton
Definition
A network of filaments that provides the internal structure of a neuron.
Term
Microtubule
Definition
The largest fiber in the cell cytoskeleton, responsible for the transport of neurotransmitters and other products to and from the cell body.
Term
Anterograde Transport
Definition
Movement of materials from the cell body of a neuron to the axon terminal along the microtubules.
Term
Retrograde Transport
Definition
Movement of material from the axon terminal back to the cell body via the cell's system of microtubules.
Term
Neurofilament
Definition
A neural fiber found in the cell cytoskeleton that is responsible for structural support.
Term
Microfilament
Definition
The smallest fiber found in the cell cytoskeleton that may participate in the changing of the length and shape of axons and dendrites.
Term
Nucleus
Definition
The substructure within a cell body that contains the cell's DNA.
Term
Ribosome
Definition
An organelle in the cell body involved with protein synthesis.
Term
Endoplasmic Reticulum
Definition
An organelle in the cell body that participates in protein synthesis.
Term
Golgi Apparatus
Definition
An organelle in the cell body that packages proteins in vesicles.
Term
Mitochondria
Definition
Organelles that provide energy to the cell by transforming pyruvic acid and oxygen into molecules of adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
Term
Synaptic Gap
Definition
The tiny fluid-filled space between neurons forming a synapse.
Term
Dendritic Spine
Definition
A knob on the dendrite that provides additional membrane area for the formation of synapses with other neurons.
Term
Nucleolus
Definition
A substructure within a cell nucleus where ribosomes are produced.
Term
Axon Hillock
Definition
The cone-shaped segment of axon located at the junction of the axon and cell body that is specialized for the generation of action potentials.
Term
Myelin
Definition
The fatty insulating material covering some axons that boosts the speed and efficiency of electrical signaling.
Term
Local Circuit Neuron
Definition
A neuron that communicates with neurons in its immediate vicinity.
Term
Projection Neuron
Definition
A neuron with a very long axon that communicates with neurons in distant areas of the nervous system.
Term
Collateral
Definition
One of the branches near the end of the axon closest to its targets.
Term
Axon Terminal
Definition
The swelling at the tip of an axon collateral specialised for the release of neurotransmitter substances.
Term
Synaptic Vesicle
Definition
A small structure in the axon terminal that contains neurotransmitters.
Term
Node of Ranvier
Definition
The uncovered section of axon membrane between two adjacent segments of myelin.
Term
Unipolar Neuron
Definition
A neuron with one branch that extends a short distance from the cell body then splits into two branches.
Term
Bipolar Neuron
Definition
A neuron with two branches: one axon and one dendrite.
Term
Multipolar Neuron
Definition
A neuron that has multiple branches, usually one axon and numerous dendrites.
Term
Sensory Neuron
Definition
A specialized neuron that translates incoming sensory information into electrical signals.
Term
Motor Neuron
Definition
A specialized neuron that communicates with muscles and glands.
Term
Interneuron
Definition
A neuron that serves as a bridge between sensory and motor neurons.
Term
Macroglia
Definition
Large glial cells, including astrocytes, oligodendricytes, and Schwann cells.
Term
Microglia
Definition
Tiny, mobile glial cells that migrate to areas of damage and digest debris.
Term
Astrocyte
Definition
A large, star shaped glial cell of the central nervous system, responsible for structural support, isolation of the synapse, control of the extracellular chemical environment at the synapse, and possibly communication.
Term
Oligodendrocyte
Definition
A glial cell that forms myelin on central nervous system axons.
Term
Shwann cell
Definition
A glial cell that forms the myelin on axons in the peripheral nervous system.
Term
Resting Potential
Definition
The measurement of the electrical charge across the neural membrane when the cell is not processing information.
Term
Diffusion
Definition
The force that moves molecules from areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration.
Term
Concentration Gradient
Definition
An unequal distribution in the concentration of molecules across a cell membrane.
Term
Electrical Force
Definition
The force that moves molecules with like electrical charges apart and molecules with opposite electrical charges together.
Term
Depolarization
Definition
The movement of an electrical charge within a cell in a more positive direction.
Term
Threshold
Definition
The level of depolarization at which an action potential is initiated.
Term
Hyperpolarization
Definition
The movement of the electrical charge within a cell in a more negative direction.
Term
Absolute Refractory Period
Definition
The period in which an action potential will not occur in a particular location of an axon regardless of input.
Term
Relative Refractory Period
Definition
The period following an action potential in which larger than normal input will produce a second action potential but in which normal input will be insufficient.
Term
Propagation
Definition
Transmission of a wave through a medium; in neurons, it is the replication of the action potential down the length of the axon.
Term
Passive Conduction
Definition
The movement of an action potential down the length of an unmyelinated axon.
Term
Saltatory Conduction
Definition
The movement of an action potential from node of Ranvier to node of Ranvier, down the length of a myelinated axon.
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