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| the body's speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous system. |
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| the endocrine system's most influential gland; under the influence of the hypothalamus, it regulates and controls growth and controls other endocrine glands. |
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| an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements. |
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| GABA (Gamma-aminobutyric acid) |
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Definition
| a major inhibitory neurotransmitter; undersupply linked to seizures, tremors, and insomnia. |
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| chemical messengers that traverse the synaptic gap between neurons; when released by the sending neuron, these travel across the synapse and bind the receptor sites on the receving neuron, thereby influencing whether that neuron will generate a neural impulse. |
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| process by which neurotransmitters are reabsorbed by the sending neuron. |
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| a branch of psychology concerned with the links between biology and behavior. |
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| the junction between the tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite, or cell body of the receiving neuron. |
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| a condition in which the two hemispheres of the brain are isolated by the cutting of the connecting fibes between them. |
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| the base of the brainstem that controls heartbeat and breathing. |
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| a layer of fatty tissue segmentally encasing the fibers of many neurons; enables vastly greater transmission speed of neural impluses as the impulse hops from one node to the next. |
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| central nervous system neurons that internally communicate and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs. |
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| the extension of a neuron, ending in branching terminal fibers through which messages pass to other neurons or to muscles or glands. |
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| a neural structure that directs eating, drinking, body temperature, helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion. |
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| the brain's capacity for modification, as evident in brain reorganization following damage (especially in children). |
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| the bushy branching extensions of a neuron that receives messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body. |
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| the portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes the visual areas, which receive visual information from the opposite visual field. |
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| the portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking, muscle movements, and making plans and judgements. |
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| limbic system component that process memory. |
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| chemical messengers; mostly those manufactured by the endocrine glands, that are produced in one tissue and affect another. |
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| the brain and the spinal cord. |
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| the oldest part and central core of the brain where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; is responsible for autonomic survival functions. |
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| a pair of endocrine glands just above the kidneys; these secrete the hormones epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (nonadrenaline) which help arouse the body in times of stress. |
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| sympathetic nervous system |
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Definition
| the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations. |
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| MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) |
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Definition
| a technique that uses magnetic fields to produce computer images that show the structure of the brain. |
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| the portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory areas, each of which receives auditory information primarily from the ears. |
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| the nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system. |
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Definition
| a simple autonomic, inborn response to a sensory stimulus, such as the knee-jerk response. |
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| parasympathetic nervous system |
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Definition
| the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy. |
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| natural opiate-like neurotransmitters linked to pain control and pleasure. |
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| the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's skeletal muscles (sometimes called the skeletal nervous system). |
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| a large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them. |
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| neural "cables" containing many axons, which are part of the peripheral nervous system, connecting the central nervous system with the muscles, glands, and sense organs. |
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| the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs (such as the heart); one of its divisions arouses; the other calms. |
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| the "little brain" attached to the rear of the brainstem; its functions include processing of sensory input and coordinating movement output and balance. |
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| a technique for revealing blood flow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans (MRI's show brain anatomy; these show brain function). |
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| naturally or experimentally caused destruction of brain tissue. |
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| a neurotransmitter that enables learning and memory and also triggers muscel contraction. |
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| the brain's sensory switchboard, located on top of the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla. |
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| controls language expression--an area of the frontal lobe, usually in the left hemisphere that directs the muscle movements involved in speech. |
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| cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons. |
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| a nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal. |
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| the portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; receives sensory input for touch and body position. |
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| areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor funtions or sensory functions, but rather, they are involved in higher mental functions, such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking). |
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Definition
| the intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells that covers the cerebral hemispheres; the body's ultimate control and information-processing centers. |
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| motor neurons (efferent neurons) |
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Definition
| neurons that carry outgoing information from the central nervous system to the muscels and glands. |
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Definition
| interconnected neural cells; with experience, these learn, as feedback strengthens or inhibits connections that produce certain results. |
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| EEG (electroencephlalogram) |
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Definition
| an amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain's surface; these waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp. |
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Definition
| controls language--involved in language comprehension and expression; usually in the left temporal lobe. |
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Definition
| the body's "slow" chemical communication system; a set of galnds that secrete hormones into the bloodstream. |
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| sensory neurons (afferent neurons) |
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Definition
| neurons that carry incoming information from the sense receptors to the central nervous system. |
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| peripheral nervous system |
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Definition
| the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body. |
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Definition
| a neural impluse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon; is generated by the movement of positively charged atoms in and out of channels in the axon's membrane. |
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Definition
| the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse. |
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| PET (position emission tomography) |
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Definition
| a visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task. |
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Definition
| impairment of language, usually caused by left hemisphere damage to either Broca's area (impairing speaking) or to Wernicke's area (impairing understanding). |
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| the area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations. |
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Definition
| enables the brain to fence out unwanted chemicals circulating in the blood. |
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| a molecule that inhibits a neurotransmitter's release. |
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Definition
| a molecule similar enough to a neurotransmitter to mimic its effect. |
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Definition
| neurotransmitter that affects mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal; undersupply linked to depression. |
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| a major excitatory neurotransmitter; invloved in memory; oversupply can overstimulate brain, producing migrains and seizures. |
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Definition
| neurotransmitter that influences movement, learning, attention, and emotion; oversupply linked to schizophrenia; undersupply produces tremors and decreased mobility of Parkinson's disease. |
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Definition
| neurotransmitter that helps control altertness and arousal; undersupply can depress mood. |
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