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Chapter 2 Neuroscien
Chapter 2 Neuroscience and Behavior
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| neuron | a nerve cell;the basic building block of the nervous system |
| dendrite | the bushy branching extensions of a neuron that recieve the messages and conduct impulses to the cell body |
| axon | the extension of a neuron, ending in branching terminal fibers, through which messages pass to other neurons, muscles or glands |
| myelin sheath | a layer of fatty tissue incasing the fibers of nuerons. increases the transmisson speed of impulse |
| action potential | a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down a axon |
| threshold | the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse |
| synapse | junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the recieving neuron |
| neurotransmitters | chemical messengers that traverse the synaptic gaps between neurons |
| acetylcholine | a neurotransmitter that enables learning and memory and also triggers muscle contraction |
| endorphins | "morphine within"-natural, opiatelike neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure |
| nervous system | the body's speedy , electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems. |
| central nervous system | the brain and spinal cord |
| peripheral nervous system | the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body |
| nerves | neural cables containing many axons, which are part of the peripheral nervous system, connect the central nervous system with muscles, glands, and sense organs |
| sensory neurons | neurons that carry incoming information from the sense receptors to the central nervous system. |
| motor neurons | neurons that carry outgoing info from the central nervous system to the muscles and glands |
| interneurons | central nervous system neurons that internally communicate and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs |
| somatic nervous system | the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's skeletal muscles |
| autonomic nervous system | the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs. Its sympathetic divison arouses; its parasympathetic division calms |
| sympathetic nervous system | the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations |
| parasympathetic nervous system | the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy |
| reflex | a simple automatic response to a sensory stimulus, such as the knee jerk response |
| neural networks | interconnected neural cells.With experience, networks can learn, as feedback strengthen or inhibits connections that produce certain results |
| endocrine | the bodys "slow" chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream |
| hormones | chemical messengers, mostly those manufactured by the endocrine glands. |
| adrenal glands | pair of endocrine glands just above the kidneys. secrete hormones-epinephrine and norepinephrine, which help to arouse the body in times of stress |
| pituitary gland | endocrine system's most influential gland. under influence of hypothalamus, the pituitary regulates growth and controls other glands |
| lesion | tissue destruction, either naturally or experimentally caused |
| electroencephalogram | an amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brains surface |
| PET (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 |
| 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 |
| fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) | a technique for revealing blood flow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. |
| brainstem | the oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; the brainstem is responsible for automatic survival functions |
| medulla | the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing |
| reticular formation | a nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal |
| thalamus | the brain's sensory switchboard, located on the top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla |
| cerebellum | the "little brain" attached to the rear of the brainstem; its functions include processing sensory input and coordinating movement output and balance |
| limbic system | a doughnut-shaped system of neural structures at the border of the brainstem and cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions such as fear and aggression and drives such as those for food and sex. includes the hippocampus, amygdala, and the hypothalamus |
| amygdala | two lima bean sized neural clusters that are components of the limbic system and are linked to emotion |
| hypothalamus | a neural structure lying below the thalamus; it directs several maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temperature), helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion |
| cerebral cortex | the intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells that covers the cerebral hemispheres;the body's ultimate control and information-processing center |
| glial cells(glia) | cells in the nervous system that support,nourish,and protect neurons |
| frontal lobes | the portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead;involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgments |
| parietal lobes | the portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; recieves sensory input for touch and body position. |
| occipital lobes | the portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head;includes the visual areas, which receives visual information for the opposite visual field |
| 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 |
| motor cortex | an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements |
| sensory cortex | an area at the front of parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations |
| association areas | areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory; rather, they are involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking |
| aphasia | impairment of language, usually caused by left hemisphere damage either to Broca's area(impairing speaking)or to Wernicke's area(impairing understanding) |
| Broca's area | controls language, expression-an area in the frontal lobe of the left hemisphere, that directs muscle movements invovled in speech |
| Wernicke's area | controls language reception-invovled in language comprehension and expression usually in the left temporal lobe |
| plasticity | the brains capacity for modification as evident in brains reorganization following damage (especially in children) and in experiments on the effects of experience on brain development |
| corpus callosum | large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them |
| split brain | a condition in which the two hemispheres of the brain are isolated by cutting the connecting fibers in the corpus callosum between them |
Created by:
andermckinnon
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