Terms : Hide Images
| 86016454 | biological psychology | a branch of psychology concerned with the links between biology and behavior | |
| 86016455 | neuron | a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system | |
| 86016456 | sensory neurons | neurons that carry incoming information from the sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord | |
| 86016457 | motor neurons | neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands | |
| 86016458 | interneurons | neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs | |
| 86016459 | dendrite | the bushy, branching extensions of a neuron that receive messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body | |
| 86016460 | axon | the extension of a neuron, ending in branching terminal fibers, through which messages pass to other neurons or to muscles or glands | |
| 86016461 | myelin sheath | a layer of fatty tissue segmentally encasing the fibers of many neurons; enables vastly greater transmission speed of neural impulses as the impulse hops from one node to the next | |
| 86016462 | action potential | a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon | |
| 86016463 | threshold | the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse | |
| 86016464 | synapse | the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron; the tiny gap at this junction is called the synaptic gap or synaptic cleft | |
| 86016465 | neurotransmitters | chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons; when released by the sending neuron, neurotransmitters travel across the synapse and bind to receptor sites on the receiving neuron, thereby influencing whether that neuron will generate a neural impulse | |
| 86016466 | reuptake | a neurotransmitter's reabsorption by the sending neuron | |
| 86016467 | endorphins | "morphine within"--natural, opiatelike neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure | |
| 86016468 | nervous system | the body's speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems | |
| 86016469 | central nervous system (CNS) | the brain and the spinal cord | |
| 86016470 | peripheral nervous system (PNS) | the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system (CNS) to the rest of the body | |
| 86016471 | nerves | bundled axons that form neural "cables" connecting the central nervous system with muscles, glands, and sense organs | |
| 86016472 | somatic nervous system | the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's skeletal muscles (also called the skeletal nervous system) | |
| 86016473 | autonomic nervous system | the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs (such as the heart); its sympathetic division arouses, its parasympathetic division calms | |
| 86016474 | sympathetic nervous system | the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations | |
| 86016475 | parasympathetic nervous system | the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy | |
| 86016476 | reflex | a simple, automatic response to a sensory stimulus, such as the knee-jerk reaction | |
| 86016477 | endocrine system | the body's "slow" chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream | |
| 86016478 | hormones | chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands, travel through the bloodstream, and affect other tissues | |
| 86016479 | adrenal glands | a pair of endocrine glands that sit just above the kidneys and secrete hormones (epinephrine and norepinephrine) that help arouse the body in times of stress | |
| 86016480 | pituitary gland | the endocrine system's most influential gland; under the influence of the hypothalamus, the pituitary regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands | |
| 86016481 | lesion | tissue destruction; a brain lesion is a naturally or experimentally caused destruction of brain tissue | |
| 86016482 | electroencephalogram (EEG) | an amplified recording f the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain's surface; these waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp | |
| 86016483 | CT (computed tomography) scan | a series of X-ray photographs taken from different angles and combined by computer into a composite representation of a slice through the body (also called a CAT scan) | |
| 86016484 | PET (positron emission tomography) scan | a visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task | |
| 86016485 | MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) | a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images of soft tissue; these scans show brain anatomy | |
| 86016486 | fMRI (functional MRI) | a technique for revealing bloodflow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans; these scans show brain function | |
| 86016487 | brainstem | the oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skill; the brainstem is responsible for automatic survival functions | |
| 86016488 | medulla | the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing | |
| 86016489 | reticular formation | a nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal | |
| 86016490 | thalamus | the brain's sensory switchboard, located on top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving ares in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla | |
| 86016491 | cerebellum | the "little brain" at the rear of the brainstem; functions include processing sensory input and coordinating movement output and balance | |
| 86016492 | limbic system | doughnut-shaped neural system (including the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus) located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions and drives | |
| 86016493 | amygdala | two lima bean-sized neural clusters in the limbic system; linked to emotion | |
| 86016494 | hypothalamus | a neural structure lying below the thalamus; it directs several maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temperature), helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion and reward | |
| 86016495 | cerebral cortex | the intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the cerebral hemispheres; the body's ultimate control and information-processing center | |
| 86016496 | glial cells (glia) | cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons | |
| 86016497 | frontal lobes | portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgements | |
| 86016498 | parietal lobes | portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; receives sensory input for touch and body position | |
| 86016499 | occipital lobes | portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes areas that receive information from the visual fields | |
| 86016500 | temporal lobes | portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory areas, each receiving information primarily from the opposite ear | |
| 86016501 | motor cortex | an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements | |
| 86016502 | sensory cortex | area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations | |
| 86016503 | association areas | areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions; rather, they are involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking | |
| 86016504 | aphasia | impairment of language, usually cause by left hemisphere damage either to Broca's area (impairing speaking) or to Wernicke's area (impairing understanding) | |
| 86016505 | Broca's area | controls language expression--an area, usually in the left frontal lobe, that directs the muscle movements involved in speech | |
| 86016506 | Wernicke's area | controls language reception--a brain area involved in language comprehension and expression; usually in the left temporal lobe | |
| 86016507 | plasticity | the brain's ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience | |
| 86016508 | neurogenesis | the formation of new neurons | |
| 86016509 | corpus callosum | the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them | |
| 86016510 | split brain | a condition resulting from surgery that isolates the brain's hemispheres by cutting the fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) connecting them | |
| 86016511 | consciousness | our awareness of ourselves and our environment | |
| 86016512 | cognitive neuroscience | the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking, memory, and language) | |
| 86016513 | dual processing | the principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks | |
| 86016514 | behavior genetics | the study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior | |
| 86016515 | environment | every non-genetic influence, from prenatal nutrition to the people and things around us | |
| 86016516 | chromosomes | threadlike structures made of DNA molecules that contain the genes | |
| 86016517 | DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) | a complex molecule containing the genetic information that makes up the chromosomes | |
| 86016518 | genes | the biochemical units of heredity that make up the chromosomes; segments of DNA capable of synthesizing a protein | |
| 86016519 | genome | the complete instructions for making an organism, consisting of all the genetic material in that organism's chromosomes | |
| 86016520 | identical twins | twins who develop from a single fertilized egg that splits in two, creating two genetically identical organisms | |
| 86016521 | fraternal twins | twins who develop from separate fertilized eggs; they are genetically no closer than brothers and sisters, but they share a fetal environment | |
| 86016522 | heritability | the proportion of variation among individuals that we can attribute to genes; the heritability of a trait may vary, depending on the range of populations and environments studied | |
| 86016523 | interaction | the interplay that occurs when the effect of one factor (such as environment) depends on another factor (such as heredity) | |
| 86016524 | molecular genetics | the subfield of biology that studies the molecular structure and functions of genes | |
| 86016525 | evolutionary psychology | the study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection | |
| 86016526 | natural selection | the principle that, among the range of inherited trait variations, those that lead to increased reproduction and survival will most likely be passed on to succeeding generations | |
| 86016527 | mutation | a random error in gene replication that leads to a change |
