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| The specialty in psychology that studies the interaction of biology, behavior, and mental processes. |
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| A relatively new interdisciplinary field that focuses on the brain and its role in psychological processes |
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| The gradual process of biological change that occurs in a species as it adapts to its environment. |
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| The driving force behind evolution, by which the environment “selects” the fittest organism. |
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| An organism’s genetic makeup. |
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| An organisms observable physical characteristics. |
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| A long, complex molecule that encodes genetic characteristics. DNA is an abbreviation for deoxyribonucleic acid. |
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| A Segment of a chromosome that encodes the directions for the inherited physical and mental characteristics of an organism. Genes are the functional units of a chromosome. |
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| Tightly coiled threadlike structure along which the genes are organized, like beads on a necklace. Chromosomes consist primarily of DNA. |
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| The X and Y chromosomes that determine our physical sex characteristics. |
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| A cell specialized to receive and transmit information to other cells in the body – also called a nerve cell. Bundles of many neurons are called nerves. |
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| Sensory Neuron(aka Afferent Neuron) |
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| Nerve cell that carries messages from sense receptors toward the central nervous system. |
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| Motor Neurons(aka efferent neurons) |
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| Nerve cells that carry messages away from the central nervous system towards the muscles and glands |
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| A nerve cell that relays messages between nerve cells, especially in the brain and spinal cord. |
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| A branched fiber that extends outward from the main cell body and carries information into the neuron. |
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| The part of a cell(such as a neuron) containing the nucleus, which also includes the chromosomes. Also called the cell body. |
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| An extended fiber that conducts information from the soma to the terminal buttons. Information travels along the axon in the form of an electric charge called the action potential. |
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| The electrical charge of the axon in its inactive state when the neuron is ready to “fire”. |
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| The nerve impulse caused by a change in the electrical charge across the cell membrane of the axon. When the neuron ‘fires’, this charge travels down the axon and causes neurotransmitters to be released by the terminal buttons. |
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| Refers to the fact that the action potential in the axon occurs either full-blown or not at all. |
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| Tiny bulb-like structures at the end of the axon, which contain neurotransmitters that carry the neuron’s message into the synapse. |
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| The relaying of information across the synapse by means of chemical neurotransmitters. |
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| A small ‘container’ holding neurotransmitter molecules that then connects to the presynaptic membrane, releasing the neurotransmitter into the synapse. |
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| Chemical messengers that relay neural messages across the synapse. Many neurotransmitters are also hormones. |
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| The nervous system’s ability to adapt or change as the result of experience. Plasticity may also help the nervous system adapt to physical damage. |
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| Cells that bind the neurons together. Glial cells also provide an insulating covering(the myelin sheath) of the axon for some neurons, which facilitates the electrical impulse. |
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| The entire network of neurons in the body, including the central nervous system, the peripheral nervous system, and their subdividiouns |
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| The brain and the spinal chord. |
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| A simple, unlearned response triggered by stimuli - such as the knee-jerk reflex set off by tapping the tendon just below your kneecap |
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| Peripheral Nervous System |
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| All parts of the nervous system lying outside the central nervous system. The peripheral nervous system includes the autonomic and somatic nervous systems. |
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| A division of the peripheral nervous system that carries sensory information to the central nervous system and also sends voluntary messages to the body's skeletal muscles. |
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| The portion of the peripheral nervous system that sends communications between the central nervous system and the internal organs and glands. |
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| The part of the autonomic nervous system that sends messages to internal organs and glands that help us respond to emergency situations. |
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| The part of the autonomic nervous system that monitors the routine operations of the internal organs and returns the body to calmer functioning after arousal by the sympathetic nervous system. |
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| The hormone system - the body's chemical messenger system, including the endocrine glands: pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenals, pancreas, ovaries, and testes. |
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| A chemical messenger used by the endocrine system. many hormones also serve as neurotransmitters. |
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| The “master gland” that produces hormones influencing the secretions of all other endocrine glands, as well as a hormone that influences growth. The pituitary is attached to the brain’s hypothalamus, from which it takes orders. |
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| Drug or other chemical that enhances or mimics the effects of neurotransmitters. |
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| Drug or other chemical that inhibits the effects of neurotransmitters. |
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| Bundle of nerve cells that follow generally the same route and employ the same neurotransmitter. |
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| A device for recording brain waves, typically by electrodes placed on the scalp. The record produced is known as an EEG. |
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| A computerized imagine technique that uses X rays passed through the brain at various angles and then combined into an image. |
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| An imagine technique that relies on the detection of radio-active sugar consumed by active brain cells. |
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| An imagine technique that relies on cells’ responses in a high-intensity magnetic field. |
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| A type of MRI that reveals which parts of the brain are the most active during various mental activities. |
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| The most primitive of the brain’s three layers. It includes the medulla, pons, and reticular formation. |
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| A brain-stem structure that controls breathing and heart rate. The sensory and motor pathways connecting the brain to the body cross in the medulla. |
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| A brain-stem structure that regulates brain activity during sleep and dreaming. The name pons derives from the Latin word for “bridge”. |
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| A pencil-shaped structure forming the core of the brain stem. The reticular formation arouses the cortex to keep the brain alert and attentive to new stimulation. |
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| The brain’s central “relay station”, situated just atop the brain stem. Nearly all the messages going into or out of the brain go through the thalamus. |
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| A pencil-shaped structure forming the core of the brain stem. The reticular formation arouses the cortex to keep the brain alert and attentive to new stimulation. |
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| The “little brain” attatched to the brain stem. The cerebellum is responsible for coordinated movements. |
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| The middle layer of the brain, involved in emotion and memory. The limbic system includes the hippocampus, amygdala, hypothalamus, and other structures. |
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| A component of the limbic system, involved in establishing long-term memories. |
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| A limbic system structure involved in memory and emotion, particularly fear and aggression. |
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| A limbic system structure that serves as the brain's blood-testing laboratory, constantly monitoring the blood to determine the condition of the body. |
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| The thin gray-matter covering of the cerebral hemispheres, consisting of a 1/4 inch layer dense with cell bodies of neurons. The cerebral cortex carries on the major portion of our "higher" mental processing including thinking and perceiving. |
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| Cortical regions at the front of the brain that are especially involved in movement and thinking. |
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| A narrow vertical strip of cortex in the frontal lobes, lying just in front of the central fissure; controls voluntary movment. |
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| Cortical areas lying toward the back and top of the brain; involved in touch sensation and in perceiving spatial relationship (the relationships of objects in space). |
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| A strip of the parietal lobe lying just behind the central fissure. The somatosensory cortex is involved with sensations of touch. |
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| The cortical regions at the back of the brain, housing the visual cortex. |
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| The visual processing areas of cortex in the occipital and temporal lobes. |
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| Cortical lobes that process sounds, including speech. The temporal lobes are probably involved in storing long-term memories. |
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| Cortical regions throughout the brain that combine information from various other parts of the brain. |
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| The tendency of each brain hemisphere to exert control over different functions, such as language or perception of spacial relationships. |
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| The band of nerve cells that connects the two cerebral hemispheres. |
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| The microscopic gap that serves as a communication link between neurons. Synapses also occur between neurons and the muscles or glands they serve. |
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