Help
Options
Didn't know it?
click below
click below
Knew it?
click below
click below
Don't Know
Remaining cards (0)
Know
retry
shuffle
restart
0:00
Embed Code - If you would like this activity on your web page, copy the script below and paste it into your web page.
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Chapter 3
Neuroscience and Behavior
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| neurons | cells in the nervous system that communicate with one another to perform information-processing tasks |
| cell body | the part of a neuron that coordinates information-processing tasks and keeps the cell alive |
| dendrites | the part of a neuron that receives information from other neurons and relays it to the cell body |
| axon | the part of a neuron that transmits information to other neurons, muscles, or glands |
| myelin sheath | an insulating layer of fatty material |
| glial cells | support cells found in the nervous system |
| synapse | the junction or region between the axon of one neuron and the dendrites or cell body of another |
| sensory neurons | neurons that receive information from the external world and convey this information to the brain via the spinal cord |
| motor neurons | neurons that carry signals from the spinal cord to the muscles to produce movement |
| interneurons | neurons that connect sensory neurons, motor neurons, or other interneurons |
| resting potential | the difference in electric charge between the inside and outside of a neurons's cell membrane |
| action potential | an electric signal that is conducted along a neuron's axon to a synapse |
| refractory period | the time following an action potential during which a new action potential cannot be initiated |
| terminal buttons | knoblike structures that branch out from an axon |
| neurotransmitters | chemicals that transmit information across the synapse to a receiving neuron's dendrites |
| receptors | parts of the cell membrane that receive the neurotransmitter and initiate or prevent a new electrical signal |
| agonists | drugs that increase the action of a neurotransmitter |
| antagonists | drugs that block the function of a neurotransmitter |
| nervous system | an interacting network of neurons that conveys electrochemical information throughout the body |
| central nervous system (CNS) | the part of the nervous system that is composed of the brain and spinal cord |
| peripheral nervous system (PNS) | the part of the nervous system that connects the central nervous system to the body's organs and muscles |
| somatic nervous system | a set of nerves that conveys information into and out of the central nervous system |
| automatic nervous system | a set of nerves that carries involuntary and automatic commands that control blood vessels, body organs, and glands |
| sympathetic nervous system | a set of nerves that prepares the body for action in threatening situations |
| parasympathetic nervous system | a set of nerves that helps the body return to a normal resting state |
| spinal reflexes | simple pathways in the nervous system that rapidly generate muscle contractions |
| hindbrain | an area of the brain that coordinates information common into and out of the spinal cord |
| medulla | an extension of the spinal cord into the skill that coordinates heart rate, circulation, and respiration |
| reticular formation | a brain structure that regulated sleep, wakefulness, and levels of arousal |
| cerebellum | a large structure of the hindbrain that controls fine motor skills |
| pons | a brain structure that relays information from the cerebellum to the rest of the brain |
| subcortical structures | areas of the forebrain housed under the cerebral cortex near the very center of the brain |
| thalamus | a subcortical structure that relays and filters information from the senses and transmits the information to the cerebral cortex |
| hypothalamus | a subcortical structure that regulates body temperature, hunger, thirst, and sexual behavior |
| pituitary gland | the "master gland" of the body's hormone-producing system, which releases hormones that direct the functions of many other glands in the body |
| hippocampus | a structure critical for creating new memories and integrating them into a network of knowledge so that hey can be stored indefinitely in other parts of the cerebral cortex |
| amygdala | a part of the limbic system that plays a central role in many emotional processes, particularly the formation of emotional memories |
| basal ganglia | a set of subcortical structures that directs intentional movements |
| cerebral cortex | the outermost layer of the brain, divided into two hemispheres |
| corpus callosum | a thick band of nerve fibers that connects large areas of the cerebral cortex on each side of the brain and supports communication of information across the hemispheres |
| occipital lobe | a region of the cerebral cortex that processes visual information |
| parietal lobe | a region of the cerebral cortex whose functions include processing information about touch |
| temporal lobe | a region of the cerebral cortex responsible for hearing and language |
| frontal lobe | a region of the cerebral cortex that has specialized areas for movement, abstract thinking, planning, emory, and judgement |
| association areas | areas of the cerebral cortex that are composed of neurons that help provide sense and meaning to information registered in the cortex |
| gene | the unit of hereditary transmission |
| chromosomes | strands of DNA wound around each other in a double-helix configuration |
Created by:
honeymilk
Popular Psychology sets