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vocab chapter 6
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Central Nervous System | The brain and the spinal cord |
| Spinal Cord | Nerves that run up and down the length of the back and transmit most messages between the body and brain. |
| Peripheral Nervous System | Nerves branching out from spinal cord |
| Nuerons | The long, thin cells of nerve tissue to and from the brain |
| Neurotransmitters | The chemicals released by neurons which determine the rate at which other neurons fire |
| Somatic Nervous System | The part of the peripheral nervous system that controls voluntary movement of skeletal muscles |
| Autonomic Nervous System | The part of peripheral nervous system that controls internal biological functions |
| Hindbrain | A part of the brain located at the rear base of the skull that is involved in the basic processes of life |
| Midbrain | A small part of the brain above the pons that integrates sensory information and relays it upward |
| Forebrain | A part of the brain that covers the brain's central core |
| Lobes | The different regions into which the cerebral cortex is divided |
| Electroencephalograph | A machine used to record the electrical activity of the large portions of the brain |
| Computerized Axial Tomography | An imaging technique used to study the brain to pinpoint injuries and brain deterioration |
| Positron Emission Tomography | An imaging technique used to see which the brain areas are being activated while performing tasks |
| Magnetic Resonance Imaging | An imaging technique used to study brain structure and activity |
| Endocrine System | A chemical communication system, using hormones, by which messages are sent through the bloodstream |
| Hormones | Chemical substances that carry messages through the body in blood |
| Pituitary Gland | The center of control of the endocrine system that secretes a large number of hormones |
| Heredity | A genetic transmission of characteristics from parent to offspring |
| Identical Twins | Twins who come from one fertilized egg; twins having the same heredity |
| Genes | The basic building blocks of heredity |
| Fraternal Twins | Twins who come form two different eggs fertilized by two different sperm |
| Synapse | The gap that exists between individual nerve cells |