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| 15303300307 | biological psychology | the scientific study of the links between biological (genetic, neural, hormonal) and psychological processes | 0 | |
| 15303300308 | neuron | a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system |  | 1 |
| 15303300309 | dendrites | a neuron's bushy, branching extensions that receive messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body |  | 2 |
| 15303300310 | axon | the neuron extension that passes messages through its branches to other neurons or to muscles or glands |  | 3 |
| 15303300311 | myelin sheath | a fatty tissue layer segmentally encasing the axons of some neurons |  | 4 |
| 15303300312 | action potential | a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon | 5 | |
| 15303300313 | refractory period | a period of inactivity after a neuron has fired | 6 | |
| 15303300314 | synapse | the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron | 7 | |
| 15303300315 | neurotransmitters | chemical messages that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons |  | 8 |
| 15303300316 | reuptake | a neurotransmitter's reabsorption by the sending neuron |  | 9 |
| 15303300317 | endorphins | "morphine within" - natural, opiate-like neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to please | 10 | |
| 15303300318 | agonist | a molecule that, by binding to a receptor site, stimulates a response | 11 | |
| 15303300319 | antagonist | a molecule that, by binding to a receptor site, inhibits or blocks a response | 12 | |
| 15303300320 | nervous system | the body's speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous system | 13 | |
| 15303300321 | central nervous system | the brain and spinal cord | 14 | |
| 15303300322 | peripheral nervous system | the sensory and motor neurons that connect the CNS to the rest of the body; consists of all your other nerves, ones not encased in bone | 15 | |
| 15303300323 | nerves | bundled axons that form neural "cables" connecting the CNS with muscles, glands, and sense organs | 16 | |
| 15303300324 | sensory (afferent) neurons | neurons that carry incoming information from the sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord | 17 | |
| 15303300325 | motor (efferent) neurons | neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cold to the muscles and glands | 18 | |
| 15303300326 | interneurons | neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs | 19 | |
| 15303300327 | somatic nervous system | the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's skeletal muslces | 20 | |
| 15303300328 | automatic nervous system | the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs | 21 | |
| 15303300329 | sympathetic nervous system | the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations | 22 | |
| 15303300330 | parasympathetic nervous system | the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy | 23 | |
| 15303300331 | reflex | a simple, automatic response to a sensory stimulus, such as the knee-jerk response |  | 24 |
| 15303300332 | endocrine system | a body's "slow" chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream | 25 | |
| 15303300333 | hormones | chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands travel through the bloodstream and affect other tissues | 26 | |
| 15303300334 | adrenal glands | a pair of endocrine glands that sit just above the kidneys and secrete hormones that help arouse the body in times of stress | 27 | |
| 15303300335 | pituitary gland | the endocrine system's most influential gland; under the influence of the hypothalamus, the pituitary regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands |  | 28 |
| 15303300336 | lesion | tissue destraction | 29 | |
| 15303300337 | electroencephalogram (EEG) | an amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity sweeping across the brains surface | 30 | |
| 15303300338 | computed tomography (CT) scan | a series of x-ray photographs taken from different angles and combined by computer into a composite representation of a slice of the brain's structure | 31 | |
| 15303300339 | 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 | 32 | |
| 15303300340 | magnetic resonance imaging | a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated image of soft tissue, brain anatomy | 33 | |
| 15303300341 | fMRI (functional MRI) | a technique for revealing blood flow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans, brain function | 34 | |
| 15303300342 | brainstem | the oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull, the brainstem is responsible for automatic survival functions |  | 35 |
| 15303300343 | medulla | the base of the brainstem; controls heart beat and breathing |  | 36 |
| 15303300344 | thalamus | the brain's sensory control center, located on top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla |  | 37 |
| 15303300345 | cerebellum | the "little brain" at the rear of the brainstem; functions include processing sensory input, coordinating movement output and balance, and enabling nonverbal learning and memory |  | 38 |
| 15303300346 | limbic system | neural system located below the cerebral hemisphere; associated with emotions and drives |  | 39 |
| 15303300347 | amygdala | two lima-bean-sized neural clusters in the limbic system; linked with emotion |  | 40 |
| 15303300348 | hypothalamus | a neural structure lying below the thalamus; it directs several maintenance activities, helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion and reward | 41 | |
| 15303300349 | cerebral cortex | the intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the cerebral hemisphere; the body's ultimate control and information-processing center | 42 | |
| 15303300350 | glial cells (glia) | cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons; they may also play a role in learning and thinking | 43 | |
| 15303300351 | frontal lobes | portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscles movements and in making plans and judgements | 44 | |
| 15303300352 | parietal lobes | portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and towards the rear; receives sensory input for touch and body position | 45 | |
| 15303300353 | occipital lobes | portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes areas that receive information from the visual fields | 46 | |
| 15303300354 | temporal lobes | portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the authority areas, each receiving information primarily from the opposite ear | 47 | |
| 15303300355 | motor cortex | an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements | 48 | |
| 15303300356 | somatosensory cortex | area of the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations | 49 | |
| 15303300357 | 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 | 50 | |
| 15303300358 | plasicity | the brain's ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience | 51 | |
| 15303300359 | neurogenesis | the formation of new neurons | 52 | |
| 15303300360 | behavior genetics | the study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior | 53 | |
| 15303300361 | environment | every external influence, from prenatal nutrition to the people and things arounds us | 54 | |
| 15303300362 | chromosomes | threadlike structures made of DNA molecules that contain genes | 55 | |
| 15303300363 | DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) | a complex molecule containing the genetic information that makes up the chromosomes | 56 | |
| 15303300364 | genes | the biochemical unites of heredity that make up the chromosomes; segments of DNA capable of synthesizing proteins | 57 | |
| 15303300365 | genome | the complete instructions of making an organism, consisting of all the genetic material in that organism's chromosomes | 58 | |
| 15303300366 | molecular genetics | that subfield of biology that studies the molecular structure and function of genes | 59 | |
| 15303300367 | heritability | the proportion of variation among individuals that we can attribute to genes | 60 | |
| 15303300368 | interaction | the interplay that occurs when the effect of one factor depends on another (environment, heredity) | 61 | |
| 15303300369 | epigenetics | the study of environmental influences on gene expression that occur without a DNA change | 62 |
