| Question |
Answer |
| Phrenology |
an ill-fated theory that claimed bumps on the skull could reveal our mental abilities and our character traits (p.57) |
| Neurons |
nerve cells (p.58) |
| Neuron "Firing" - Action Potential |
a neural impulse: a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon. The action potential is generated by the movement of positively charged atoms in and out of channels in the axon's membrane (p.59) |
| Communication Between Neurons - The 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 (p.60) |
| Effects of Neurotransmitters - Acetylcholine |
a neurotransmitter that, among its functions, triggers muscle contraction (p.62) |
| Endorphins |
"morphine within" -natural, opiatelike neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure (p.63) |
| Agonists |
can be a drug molecule that is similar enough to the neurotransmitter to mimic its effects or that blocks a neurotransmitter's reuptake (p.63) |
| Antagonists |
can be a drug molecule that inhibits a neurotransmitter's release or may be enough like the natural neurotransmitter to occupy its receptor site and block its effect but not similar enough to stimulate the receptor (p.63) |
| Nervous System |
the body's speedy, electrochemical communication system, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems (p.65) |
| Simple Reflex |
a simple, automatic, inborn response to a sensory stimulus, such as the knee-jerk response (p.67) |
| Neural Networks |
interconnected neural cells. With experience, networks can learn, as feedback strengthens or inhibits connections that produce certain results. Computer simulations of neural networks show analogous learning (p.68) |
| EEG |
electroencephalogram; an amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain's surface, There waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp (p.70) |
| CT Scan |
computed tomography scan; a series of x-ray photographs taken from different angles and combined by computer into a composite representation of a slice thought the body. Also called a CAT scan (p.71) |
| PET Scan |
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 (p.71) |
| MRI |
magnetic resonance imaging; a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images that distinguish among different types of soft tissue; allows us to see structures within the brain (p. 71) |
| Lower Brain Structures |
brainstem, thalamus, cerebellum, and limbic system (p.72-74) |
| Amygdala |
two almond-shaped neural clusters that are components of the limbic system and are linked to emotion (p.74) |
| Hypothalamus |
a neural structure lying below (hypo) the thalamus; it directs several maintanence activities (eating, drinking, body temperature),helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion (p.75) |
| Structure of the Cerebral Cortex |
an intricate covering of interconnected neural cells that, like bark on a tree, forms a thin surface layer on your cerebral hemispheres. It is your body's ultimate control and information-processing center (p.76) |
| Motor Functions of the Cerebral Cortex |
an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements (p.78) |
| Association Areas - Frontal Lobe |
the portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgements (p.77) |
| Sensory Functions of the Cerebral Cortex |
the area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body sensations(p.79) |
| Speaking Words - Broca's Area |
controls language expression- an area of the frontal lobe, usually in the left hemisphere, that directs the muscle movenments involved in speech (p.82) |
| Hearing Words - Wernickes's Area |
controls language reception- a brain area involved in language comprehension and expression; usually in the left temporal lobe (p.82) |
| Brain Reorganization - Plasticity |
the brain's capacity for modification, as evident in brain reorgaization following damage (especailly in children) and in experiments on the effects of experience on brain development (p.84) |
| Corpus Callosum |
the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them (p.85) |
| Split Brain |
a condition in which the two hemispheres of the brain are isolated by cutting the connecting fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) between them (p.86) |
| Hemispheric Differences -Left Brain Versus Right Brain |
the left side of the brain is more verbal and the right side of the brain is more visual (p.88) |
| Brain Oranization and Handedness |
about 95% of right-handers process speech primarily in their left hemispheres, which tend to be slightly larger; left handers are more diverse (p.89) |
| Role of Hormones |
chemical messengers, mostly those manufacured by the endocrine glands, that are produced in one tissue and affect another (p.94 |
| Major Endocrine Glands |
hypothalamus, pituitary gland, thyroid gland, parathyroids, adrenal glands, pancreas, testis(in males), and ovaries(in females) (p.95) |
Biology Lab Midterm
