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Judith Kingsland
Chapter 6 Vocabulary
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Central Nervous System (CNS) | the brain and spinal cord |
Spinal Cord | nerves that run up and down the length of the back and transmit most messages between the body and the brain |
Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) | nerves branching out from the spinal cord |
Neurons | the long, thin cells of nerve tissue along which messages travel to and from the brain |
Synapse | the gap that exists between individual nerve cells |
Neurotransmitters | the chemicals released by neurons, which determine the rate at which other neurons fire |
Somatic Nervous System (SNS) | the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls voluntary movement of skeletal muscles |
Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) | the part of the 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 process 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 central cortex is divided |
Electroencephalograph | a machine used to record electrical activity of large portions of the brain |
Computerized Axial Tomography (CAT) | an imaging technique used to study the brain to pinpoint injuries and brain deerrioration |
Position Emission Tomography (PET) | an imaging technique used to see which brain areas are being activated while preforming tasks |
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) | 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 and blood |
Pituitary Glands | the center of control of the endocrine system that secretes a large number of hormones |
Hereditary | the genetic transmission of characteristics from parents to their offspring |
Identical Twins | twins who come from one fertilized egg;twins having the same heredity |
Genes | the basic blocks of heredity |
Fraternal Twins | twins who come from two different eggs; fertalized by two different sperm |