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| 220964959 | Adaptation | An inherited characteristic that increased in a population (through natural selection) because it helped solve a problem of survival or reproduction during the time it emerged. | |
| 220964960 | Adoption studies | Research studies that assess hereditary influence by examining the resemblance between adopted children and both their biological and their adoptive parents. | |
| 220964961 | Afferent nerve fibers | Axons that carry information inward to the central nervous system from the periphery of the body. | |
| 220964962 | Agonist | A chemical that mimics the action of a neurotransmitter. | |
| 220964963 | Antagonist | A chemical that opposes the action of a neurotransmitter. | |
| 220964964 | Autonomic nervous system (ANS) | The system of nerves that connect to the heart, blood vessels, smooth muscles, and glands. | |
| 220964965 | Axon | A long, thin fiber that transmits signals away from the neuron cell body to other neurons, or to muscles or glands. | |
| 220964966 | Behavioral genetics | An interdisciplinary field that studies the influence of genetic factors on behavioral traits. | |
| 220964967 | Central nervous system (CNS) | The brain and the spinal cord. | |
| 220964968 | Cerebral cortex | The wrinkled outer layer of the cerebrum. | |
| 220964969 | Cerebral hemispheres | The right and left halves of the cerebrum. | |
| 220964970 | Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) | (CSF) A solution that fills the hollow cavities (ventricles) of the brain and circulates around the brain and spinal cord. | |
| 220964971 | Chromosomes | Threadlike strands of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) molecules that carry genetic information. | |
| 220964972 | Corpus callosum | The structure that connects the two cerebral hemispheres. | |
| 220964974 | Dendrites | Branchlike parts of a neuron that are specialized to receive information. | |
| 220964975 | Dominant gene | A gene that is expressed when paired genes are heterozygous (different). | |
| 220964976 | Efferent nerve fibers | Axons that carry information outward from the central nervous system to the periphery of the body. | |
| 220964978 | Electroencephalograph (EEG) | A device that monitors the electrical activity of the brain over time by means of recording electrodes attached to the surface of the scalp. | |
| 220964979 | Endocrine system | A group of glands that secrete chemicals into the bloodstream that help control bodily functioning. | |
| 220964980 | Endorphins | The entire family of internally produced chemicals that resemble opiates in structure and effects. | |
| 220964981 | Excitatory PSP | An electric potential that increases the likelihood that a postsynaptic neuron will fire action potentials. | |
| 220964982 | Family studies | Scientific studies in which researchers assess hereditary influence by examining blood relatives to see how much they resemble each other on a specific trait. | |
| 220964983 | Fitness | The reproductive success (number of descendants) of an individual organism relative to the average reproductive success of the population. | |
| 220964986 | Genes | DNA segments that serve as the key functional units in hereditary transmission. | |
| 220964987 | Genetic mapping | The process of determining the location and chemical sequence of specific genes on specific chromosomes. | |
| 220964988 | Genotype | A person's genetic makeup. | |
| 220964990 | parietal lobe | sensations of touch, body position, hearing | |
| 220964991 | occipital lobe | vision | |
| 220964992 | Hormones | The chemical substances released by the endocrine glands. | |
| 220964993 | frontal lobe | movement, speech, abstract thought | |
| 220964994 | Identical twins | Twins that emerge from one zygote that splits for unknown reasons. Also called Monozygotic twins. | |
| 220964995 | Inclusive fitness | The sum of an individual's own reproductive success plus the effects the organism has on the reproductive success of related others. | |
| 220964996 | temporal lobe | hearing, smell, vision | |
| 220964998 | Limbic system | A densely connected network of structures roughly located along the border between the cerebral cortex and deeper subcortical areas. | |
| 220964999 | natural selection | the driving force behind evolution by which the environment selects the fittest organisms. | |
| 220965000 | Myelin sheath | Insulating material, derived from glial cells, that encases some axons of neurons. | |
| 220965001 | synaptic transmission | the relaying of information across the synapse by means of chemical neurotransmitters | |
| 220965002 | Nerves | Bundles of neuron fibers (axons) that are routed together in the peripheral nervous system. | |
| 220965003 | Neurons | Individual cells in the nervous system that receive, integrate, and transmit information. | |
| 220965004 | Neurotransmitters | Chemicals that transmit information from one neuron to another. | |
| 220965005 | Parasympathetic division | The branch of the autonomic nervous system that generally conserves bodily resources. | |
| 220965006 | glial cells | cells that bind the neurons together. glial cells also provide an insulating covering (myelin sheath) of the axon for some neurons, which facilitates the electrical impulse. | |
| 220965007 | Peripheral nervous system | All those nerves that lie outside the brain and spinal cord. | |
| 220965008 | Phenotype | The ways in which a person's genotype is manifested in observable characteristics. | |
| 220965009 | Pituitary gland | The "master gland" of the endocrine system; it releases a great variety of hormones that fan out through the body, stimulating actions in the other endocrine glands. | |
| 220965010 | Polygenic traits | Characteristics that are influenced by more than one pair of genes. | |
| 220965011 | Postsynaptic potential (PSP) | A voltage change at the receptor site on a postsynaptic cell membrane. | |
| 220965012 | Recessive gene | A gene whose influence is masked when paired genes are different (heterozygous). | |
| 220965013 | Resting potential | The stable, negative charge of a neuron when it is inactive. | |
| 220965014 | Reuptake | A process in which neurotransmitters are sponged up from the synaptic cleft by the presynaptic membrane. | |
| 220965015 | Soma | The cell body of a neuron; it contains the nucleus and much of the chemical machinery common to most cells. | |
| 220965016 | Somatic nervous system | The system of nerves that connect to voluntary skeletal muscles and to sensory receptors. | |
| 220965017 | Split-brain surgery | A procedure in which the bundle of fibers that connects the cerebral hemispheres (the corpus callosum) is cut to reduce the severity of epileptic seizures. | |
| 220965018 | Sympathetic division | The branch of the autonomic nervous system that mobilizes the body's resources for emergencies. | |
| 220965019 | Synapse | A junction where information is transmitted from one neuron to the next. | |
| 220965020 | Synaptic cleft | A microscopic gap between the terminal button of a neuron and the cell membrane of another neuron. | |
| 220965021 | Terminal buttons | Small knobs at the end of axons that secrete chemicals called neurotransmitters. | |
| 220965022 | Thalamus | A structure in the forebrain through which all sensory information (except smell) must pass to get to the cerebral cortex. | |
| 220965023 | Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) | A new technique that permits scientists to temporarily enhance or depress activity in a specific area of the brain. | |
| 220965024 | Twin studies | A research design in which hereditary influence is assessed by comparing the resemblance of identical twins and fraternal twins with respect to a trait. | |
| 220965025 | Zygote | A one-celled organism formed by the union of a sperm and an egg. | |
| 220965026 | biopsychology | Specialty in psychology that studies the interaction of biology, behavior and mental process | |
| 220965027 | neuroscience | perspective on psychology that emphasizes the study of the brain and its effects on behavior | |
| 220965028 | sex chromosomes | X and Y chromosomes that determine our physical sex characteristics | |
| 220965029 | nervous system | fast-acting network of nerve cells that carry out messages in pulses of electrical/chemical energy throughout the body. | |
| 220965030 | endocrine system | slower-acting system that sends follow-up messages that support and sustain the emergency response initiated by the nervous system. | |
| 220965031 | sensory neurons | neurons that carry incoming information from the sense receptors to the central nervous system | |
| 220965032 | motor neurons | neurons that carry outgoing information from the central nervous system to the muscles and glands. | |
| 220965033 | interneuron | a neuron that carries nerve impulses from one neuron to another | |
| 220965034 | reflex | a simple, unlearned response triggered by stimuli - such as the knee-jerk reflex set off by tapping the tendon just below your knee cap. | |
| 222049829 | medulla | the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing |
