Exam (elaborations) Psychopharmacology

absolute refractory period️️Short period of time after an action potential characterized by the inability to open Na+ channels and the inability to respond to subsequent stimuli. action potential️️Rapid change in electrical signal that is transmitted down the axon. amygdala️️Part of the limbic system that helps to modulate emotional behavior. arachnoid️️Membrane consisting of a weblike sublayer that covers the brain and spinal cord. One of the three meninges. area postrema️️Area in the medulla of the brain stem that is not isolated from chemicals in the blood. It is responsible for inducing a vomiting response when a toxic substance is present in the blood. astrocytes️️Star-shaped cells of the nerve tissue that have numerous extensions and that modulate the chemical environment around neurons, metabolically assist neurons, and provide phagocytosis for cellular debris. axon️️Long tubular extention from the soma of the nerve cell that conducts electrical signals away from the cell body and toward the axon terminals. axon collaterals️️Branches formed when an axon splits, giving the neuron the ability to signal more cells. axoplasmic transport️️Method of transporting proteins along the microtubules of the cytoskeleton to designations throughout a neuron. basal ganglia️️Nuclei of the telencephalon that includes the caudate, putamen, and globus pallidus. The structures help regulate motor control. brainstem️️Portion of the brain, consisting of the medulla, pons, and midbrain. central canal️️Channel within the center of the spinal cord filled with CSF. cerebellar peduncles️️Large bundles of axons that connect the cerebellum to the pons, midbrain, or medulla oblongata. cerebellum️️Large structure of the metencephalon that is located on the dorsal surface of the brain and that is connected to the pons by the cerebellar peduncles. It is an important sensorimotor control center of the brain. cerebral ventricles️️Cavities within the brain filled with CSF. chromatin remodeling️️One type of environmentally-induced epigenetic modification that increases or decreases gene transcription. chromosomes️️Linear strands of DNA that carry genes. coding region️️Portion of the gene that codes for the amino acid sequence of a protein. convergence️️Process by which neurons receive and integrate the numerous signals from other cells. corpus callosum️️Large pathway connecting corresponding areas of the two brain hemispheres, allowing communication between each half of the brain. cytoplasm️️Salty gelatinous fluid of the cell, outside of the nucleus and bounded by the cell membrane. cytoskeleton️️Structural matrix of a cell that is composed of tubular materials. dendrites️️Projections from the soma that receive signals and information from other cells. dendritic spines️️Projections from dendrites that increase the receiving surface area. depolarization️️Change in membrane potential making the inside of the cell more positive. divergence️️Process by which neurons transmit their integra