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| Nerve cells; the information-processing and information-transmitting cells of the nervous system. |
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| Production of new neurons through the division of neural stem cells; occurs in the hippocampus and olfactory bulb and appears to play a role in learning. |
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| A type of scientific explanation; a general conclusion based on many observations of similar phenomena. |
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| A type of scientific explanation; a phenomenon is described in terms of the more elementary processes that underlie it. |
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| The belief that the body is physical but the mind (or soul) is not. |
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| The belief that the world consists only of matter and energy and that the mind is a phenomenon produced by the workings of the nervous system. |
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| An automatic, stereotyped movement that is produced as the direct result of a stimulus. |
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| Doctrine of Specific Nerve Energies |
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| Müller's conclusion that, because all nerve fibers carry the same type of message, sensory information must be specified by the particular nerve fibers that are active. |
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| The removal or destruction of a portion of the brain of a laboratory animal; presumably, the functions that can no longer be performed are the ones the region previously controlled. |
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| The principle that the best way to understand a biological phenomenon is to try to understand its useful functions for the organism. |
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| The process by which inherited traits that confer a selective advantage become more prevalent in a population. |
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| A change in the genetic information contained in the chromosomes of sperm or eggs, which can be passed on to an organism's offspring; provides genetic variability. |
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| A characteristic of an organism that permits it to produce more than the average number of offspring of its species. |
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| A gradual change in the structure and physiology of a species - generally producing more complex organisms - as a result of natural selection. |
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| A slowing of the process of maturation, allowing more time for growth; an important factor in the development of large brains. |
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| The process in which researchers must inform any potential participant about the nature of the research, how any data will be collected and stored, and what the anticipated benefits and costs of participating will be. |
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| An interdisciplinary field devoted to understanding implications of and developing best practices in ethics for neuroscience research. |
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| Behavioral Neuroscientist |
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| A scientist who studies the physiology of behavior, primarily by performing physiological and behavioral experiments with laboratory animals. |
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