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| Cell of the nervous system responsible for receiving and transmitting electrochemical information |
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| Branching neuron structures that receive neural impulses from other neurons and convey impulses towards the cell body |
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| Part of the neuron containing the cell nucleus, as well as other structures that help the neuron carry out its functions |
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| Long, tubelike structure that conveys impulses away from the neuron's cell body toward other neurons or to muscles or glands |
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| Layer of fatty insulation wrappe around the axon of some neurons, which increases the rate at which nerve impulses travel the axon |
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| Neural impulse, or brief elecrical charge, that carries information along the axon of a neuron. The action potential is generated when positively charged ions move in and out through channels in the axon's membrane |
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| Chemicals released by neurons that travel across the synaptic gap |
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| Function between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron. During an action potential, chemicals called neurotransmitters are relesed and flow across the synaptic gap |
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| Chemical substances in the nervous system that are similar in structure and action to opiates; involved in pain control, pleasure, and memory |
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| Collection of glands located throughout the body that manufacture and secrete hormones into the bloodstream |
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| Chemicals manufactured by endocrine glands and circulated in the bloodstream to produce bodily changes or maintain normal body functions |
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| Central Nervous System (CNS) |
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| Includes the brain and spinal cord |
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| Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) |
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| All nerves and neurons connecting the central nervous system to the rest of the body |
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| The brain's ability to reorganize and change its structure and function throughout the life-span |
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| Process by which new neurons are generated |
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| Immature (uncommitted) cells that have the potential to develop into almost any type of cell depending on the chemical signals they receive |
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| Innate, automatic response to a stimulus |
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| Somatic Nervous System (SNS) |
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| Subdivision of the peripheral nervous system (PNS) that connects to sensory receptors and controls skeletal muscles |
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| Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) |
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| Subdivision of the peripheral nervous system (PNS) that controls involuntary functions, such as heart rate and digestion. It is further subdivided into the sympathetic nervous system, which arouses, and the parasympathetic nervous system, which calms |
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| Sympathetic Nervous System |
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| Subdivision of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) responsible for arousing the body and mobilizing its energy during times of stress; also called the "fight-or-flight" system |
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| Parasympathetic Nervous System |
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| Subdivision of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) responsible for calming the body and conserving energy |
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| Area of the brain that houses parts of the hindbrain, midbrain, and forebrain, and helps regulate reflex activities critical for survival (such as heartbeat and respiration) |
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| Collection of brain structures including the medulla, cerebellum, and pons |
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| Hindbrain structure responsble for autonomic body functions such as breathing and heartbeat |
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| Hindbrain structure responsible for coordinating fine muscle movement, balance, and some perception and cognition |
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| Hindbrain structure involved in respiration, movement, waking, sleep, and dreaming |
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| Collection of brain structures in the middle of the brain responsible for coordinating movement patterns, sleep, and arousal |
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| Diffuse set of neurons that screens incoming information and controls arousal |
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| Collection of upper level brain structures including the thalamus, hypothalamus, limbic system, and cerebral cortex |
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| Forebrain structure at the top of the brainstem that relays sensory messages to the cerebral cortex |
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| Small brain structure beneath the thalamus that helps govern drives ( hunger, thirst, sex, and aggression) and hormones |
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| Interconnected group of forebrain structures involved with emotions, drives, and memory |
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| Part of the limbic system involved in forming and retrieving memories |
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| Limbic system structure linked to the production and regulation of emotions (e.g., aggression and fear) |
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| The surface layer on the cerebral hemisphere that regulates most complex behavior, including sensations, motor control, and higher mental processes |
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| Two lobes at the front of the brain governing motor control, speech production, and higher functions, such as thinking, personality, emotion, and memory |
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| Two lobes at the top of the brain where bodily sensations are received and interpreted |
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| Two lobes on each side of the brain above the ears involved in audition (hearing), language comprehension, memory, and some emotional control |
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| Two lobes at the back of the brain responsible for vision and visual perception |
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| So-called quiet areas in the cerebral cortex involved in interpreting, integrating, and acting on information processed by other parts of the brain |
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| Cutting of the corpus callosum to separate the brain's two hemispheres. When used medically to treat severe epilepsy, split-brain patients provide data in the functions of the two hemispheres |
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| Bundle of nerve fibers connecting the brain's left and right hemispheres |
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| Study of the relative effects of heredity and the environment on behavior and mental processes |
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| Branch of psychology that studies how evolutionary processes, like natural selection and genetic mutations, affect behavior and mental processes |
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| Threadlike molecule of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) that carries genetic information |
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| Segment of DNA (doxyribonucleic acid) that occupies a specific place on a particular chromosome and carries the code for hereditary transmission |
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| Measure of the degree to which a characteristic is related to genetic, inherited factors versus the environment |
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| Driving mehanism behind evolution that allows individuals with genetically influenced traits that are adaptive in a particular environment to stay alive and produce offspring |
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