HOSA: Knowledge Test: Behavioral Health
Phrenology - ✔ ✔ a popular theory that claimed bumps on the skull could reveal our mental abilities or character traits
Biological psychology - ✔ ✔ the branch of psychology that links biology and behavior
Neuron - ✔ ✔ a nerve cell
Sensory neurons - ✔ ✔ neurons that carry incoming information from the sensory receptors to the brain or spinal cord
Motor neurons - ✔ ✔ neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands
Interneurons - ✔ ✔ neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate with each other and regulate sensory and motor inputs
Dendrite (receive) - ✔ ✔ the branches that extend from the nerve cell body. These receive messages and conduct impulses towards the body
Axon (relay) - ✔ ✔ the extension of the neuron that has fibers on the end that pass information to other neurons or to muscles
Myelin sheath - ✔ ✔ the layer of fatty tissue that encases the fibers of neurons in segments and increases the transmission speed of impulses
- / 2
Action potential - ✔ ✔ a neural impulse, or, a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon
Threshold - ✔ ✔ the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse. This comes from the level of excitatory signals minus inhibitory signals
Synapse - ✔ ✔ the junction between the axon of the relaying neuron and the dendrite of the receiving neuron. This is also known as the synaptic gap or synaptic cleft
Neurotransmitter - ✔ ✔ a chemical messenger that crosses the synaptic gap between neurons, binding to receptor sites on the dendrites of the receiving neuron.
Endorphins - ✔ ✔ "morphine within," a natural opiatelike neurotransmitter linked to pain control and pleasure
Acetylcholine - ✔ ✔ a neurotransmitter that enables muscle action, learning, and memory. Lack of this causes Alzheimer's
Dopamine - ✔ ✔ a neurotransmitter that influences movement, learning, attention and emotion. An excess causes schizophrenia and a lack causes tremors and Parkinson's
Serotonin - ✔ ✔ affects mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal. A lack leads to depression
Norepinephrine - ✔ ✔ helps control alertness and arousal. A lack can depress
Gamma-butyric acid - ✔ ✔ an inhibitory neurotransmitter. A lack is linked to seizures, tremors, and insomnia
- / 2