Biopsychology and the Foundations of Neuroscience
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| 301235928 | biopsychology | Specialty in psychology that studies the interaction of biology, behavior and mental process | |
| 301235929 | neuroscience | perspective on psychology that emphasizes the study of the brain and its effects on psychological processes and behavior | |
| 301235930 | evolution | the gradual change in a species over time | |
| 301235931 | 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 | |
| 301235932 | genotype | genetic makeup of an organism | |
| 301235933 | phenotype | physical characteristics of an organism | |
| 301235934 | DNA | deoxyribonucleic acid, the material that contains the information that determines inherited characteristics | |
| 301235935 | gene | A segment of DNA on a chromosome that codes for a specific trait | |
| 301235936 | chromosome | a threadlike body in the cell nucleus that carries the genes in a linear order | |
| 301235937 | sex chromosomes | Chromosomes that determine the sex of an individual ( X and Y chromosomes) | |
| 301235938 | neuron | a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system OR a nerve cell - the basic building block of the nervous system. | |
| 301235939 | sensory neuron | nerve cell that carries information from the environment to the central nervous system | |
| 301235940 | motor neuron | a neuron conducting impulses outwards from the brain or spinal cord | |
| 301235941 | interneuron | a nerve cell that relays messages between nerve cells, especially in the brain and spinal cord | |
| 301235942 | dendrite | the bushy, branching extensions of a neuron that receive messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body | |
| 301235943 | soma | cell body of a neuron - includes nucleus and chromosomes | |
| 301235944 | axon | long fiber that carries impulses away from the cell body of a neuron | |
| 301238197 | resting potential | The stable, negative charge of a neuron when it is inactive or ready to "fire" | |
| 301256469 | action potential | a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon.It is generated by the movement of positively charged atoms in and out of channels in the axon's membrane | |
| 301256470 | all or none principle | the fact that the neuron either fires at 100% or not at all | |
| 301256471 | 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 cleft. | |
| 301256472 | terminal buttons | Small knobs at the end of axons that secrete chemicals called neurotransmitters | |
| 301256473 | synaptic transmission | the relaying of information across the synapse by means of chemical neurotransmitters | |
| 301256474 | synaptic vesicle | A small "container" holding neurotransmitter molecules that then connects to the presynaptic membrane, releasing the neurotransmitter into the synapse. | |
| 301256475 | neurotransmitters | chemical messengers that traverse (cross) the synaptic gaps between neurons | |
| 301256476 | plasticity | the nervous system capacity for modification, as evident in brain reorganization following damage (especially in children) and in experiments on the effects of experience on brain development. | |
| 301256477 | glial cells | Cells in the nervous system that are not neurons but that support, nourish, and protect neurons - they also make up the myelin sheath | |
| 301283705 | nervous system | the body's speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems | |
| 301283706 | central nervous system | The brain and spinal cord | |
| 301283707 | reflex | a simple, automatic, inborn response to a sensory stimulus, such as the knee-jerk response | |
| 301283708 | peripheral nervous system | the section of the nervous system lying outside the brain and spinal cord | |
| 301283709 | somatic nervous system | the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's skeletal muscles. Also called the skeletal nervous system | |
| 301283710 | 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. | |
| 301283711 | sympathetic division | the part of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body to deal with perceived threats | |
| 301283712 | parasympathetic division | Branch of the autonomic nervous system; it calms and relaxes the body | |
| 301283713 | endocrine system | the body's "slow" chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream | |
| 301283714 | hormone | chemical messenger secreted from glands of the endocrine system into the blood | |
| 301283715 | pituitary gland | the endocrine system's most influential gland (master gland). Under the influence of the hypothalamus, it regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands | |
| 301319948 | agonist | A chemical that mimics or enhances the action of a neurotransmitter | |
| 301319949 | antagonist | A chemical that opposes or inhibits the action of a neurotransmitter. | |
| 301319950 | neural pathway | bundle of nerve cells that follow generally the same route and employ the same neurotransmitter | |
| 301319951 | electroencephalograph - EEG | device used to record the electrical impulses of the brain via electrodes on the scalp | |
| 301319952 | computerized tomography - CT scanning | a method of examining body organs (including the brain) by scanning them with X rays and using a computer to construct a series of cross-sectional scans along a single axis | |
| 301319953 | positron emission tomography - PET scanning | A brain imaging technique that relies on the detection of radioactive sugar consumed by active brain cells | |
| 301319954 | magnetic resonance imaging - MRI | a noninvasive imaging technique that exposes the body to a high-energy magnetic field, which causes protons in the body to arrange themselves in relation to the field; creates a color-coded image on a monitor | |
| 301319955 | functional magnetic resonance imaging - fMRI | a modification of the standard MRI procedure that allows both structural and functional images to be gathered; reveals blood blow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans | |
| 301319956 | brain stem | AKA the hind-brain or reptilian brain, it is the most primitive part of the brain connecting the brain to the spinal cord | |
| 301319957 | medulla oblongatta AKA medulla | part of the brain stem that controls heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration through the spinal cord. Also, all sensory and motor impulses must cross it. | |
| 301319958 | pons | part of the brain stem involved in sleep/wake cycles and brain activity during sleep and dreaming. It also connects cerebellum and medulla to the cerebral cortex. | |
| 301319959 | reticular formation | a a pencil shaped nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal and alertness | |
| 301319960 | Thalamus | the brain's sensory switchboard or relay station, 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 | |
| 301319961 | cerebellum | the "little brain" attached to the rear of the brainstem; it helps coordinate voluntary movement and balance | |
| 301319962 | limbic system | AKA the mid-brain or mammalian brain - it is involved in memory and emotion. It includes the hippocampus, amygdala, hypothalamus and other structures | |
| 301319963 | hippocampus | a seahorse shaped part of the limbic system that regulates long term memories | |
| 301319964 | amygdala | components of the limbic system and are linked to emotion (particularly fear and aggression) and memory | |
| 301319965 | hypothalamus | part of the limbic system, it is a neural structure lying below the thalamus; directs eating, drinking, body temperature; helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, | |
| 301319966 | frontal lobe | that part of the cerebral cortex in either hemisphere of the brain lying directly behind the forehead - , associated with reasoning, planning, speech, movement, emotions, and problem solving | |
| 301319967 | motor cortex | an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements | |
| 301319968 | somatosensory cortex | a strip of the parietal lobe just behind the motor strip that is involved in sensations of touch, temperature, pain and pressure | |
| 301319969 | occipital lobes | the portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes the visual areas, which receive visual information from the opposite visual field | |
| 301319970 | parietal lobes | the portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; receives sensory input for touch and body position | |
| 301319971 | visual cortex | located in the back of the brain, it is the main information-processing center for visual information | |
| 301319972 | temporal lobes | the portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory areas, each of which receives auditory information primarily from the opposite ear and is involved in speech processing and perhaps long term memory storage | |
| 301319973 | association cortex | cortical regions throughout the brain that combine information from various other parts of the brain | |
| 301319974 | cerebral dominance | the tendency of each brain hemisphere to exert control over different functions, such as language or perception of spatial relationships | |
| 301319975 | corpus callosum | the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them |
