click below
click below
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Section 3
Biology of the Mind
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Soma | cell body of a neuron |
dendrites | branching tails of the neuron that receive impulses from the previous neuron |
axon | protruding nose of the neuron and the dendrites of the next |
synapse | space between the axon of one neuron and the dendrites of the next |
neruotransmitter | chemical messengers that carry information across the synpase |
central nervous system | brain and spinal cord |
peripheral nervous system | nerves that connect CNS to the rest of the body |
3 major sections of the Brain: Brainstem | regulates reflex activities critical for survival such as heartbeat and breathing |
3 major sections of the Brain: Limbic System | regulates basic emotions and drives as wells as simple learning and memory |
3 major sections of the Brain: cerebral cortex | larger outer part that regulates most complex behavior and higher mental processes |
corpus collosum | bundle of nerve fibers connecting the brain's left and right hemispheres |
lateralization | specialization of different parts of the brain for different functions |
plasticity | brain's capacity to change its structure and functions- strongest earlier in life, although neurogenesis (production of new brain cells) continues throughout life |