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| the body's electrochemical communication circuitry, made up of billions of interconnected cells |
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| the brain's special capacity for modification and change |
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| sensory nerves that transport information to the brain |
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| motor nerves that carry the brain's output |
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| Networks of nerve cells that integrate sensory input and motor output |
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| central nervous system (CNS) |
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Definition
| The brain and the spinal cord |
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| Peripheral Nervous System |
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Definition
| The network of nerves that connects the brain and spinal cord to other parts of the body. It is divided into the somatic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system |
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| The division of the PNS consisting of sensory nerves, whose function is to convey information to the CNS, and motor nerves, whose function is to transmit information to the muscles |
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| the division of the PNS that communicates with the body's internal organs and monitors processes such as breathing, heart rate, and digestion. It consists of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous nervous systems |
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| sympathetic nervous system |
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Definition
| the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body |
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| parasympathetic nervous system |
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| the division of autonomic nervous system that calms the body |
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| Nerve cells that are specialized for processing information. Neurons are the basic units of the nervous system |
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| cells that provide support and nutritional benefits in the nervous system |
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| the part of the neuron that contains the nucleus, which directs the manufacture of substances that the neuron needs for growth and maintenance |
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| branches of a neuron that receive and orient information toward the cell body; most neurons have numerous dendrites |
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| the part of the neuron that carries information away from the cell body to other cells |
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| the layer of fat cells that encases and insulates most axons. The myelin sheath speeds up the transmission of nerve impulses |
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| The stable, negative charge of inactive nuerons |
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| the brief wave of positive electrical charge that sweeps down the axon during the transmission of a nerve impulse |
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| the idea that once an electrical impulse reaches a certain level of intensity, it fires and moves all the way down the axon without losing its intensity |
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| Tiny junctions between two neurons, generally where the axon of one neuron meets the dendrites or cell body of another neuron |
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| Chemical substances that carry information across the synaptic gap from one neuron to the next |
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| a drug that mimics or increases a neurotransmitters effects-a drug that BLOCKS a neurotransmitters effects |
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| the lowest portion of the brain, consisting of the medulla, cerebellum, and pons |
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| located between the hindbrain and the forebrain, a region in which many nerve fiber systems ascend and descend to connect the higher and lower portions of the brain |
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| a midbrain system that consists of a diffuse collection of neurons involved stereotypical behaviors, such as walking, sleeping, or turning to attend to a sudden noise |
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| the region of the brain that includes much of the hindbrain (excluding the cerebellum) and the midbrain |
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| the highest level of the brain. Key structures in the forebrain are the limbic system, thalamus, basal ganglia, hypothalamus, and cerebral cortex |
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| loosely connected network of structures-including the amygdala and hippocampus- that play important roles in memory and emotion |
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| forebrain structure that functions as a relay station to sort information and send it to appropriate areas in the forebrain for further integration and interpretation |
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| large clusters of neurons, located above the thalamus and under the cerebral cortex, that work with the cerebellum and the cerebral cortex to control and coordinate voluntary movements |
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| small forebrain structure involved in regulating eating, drinking, and sex; directing the endocrine system, and monitoring emotion, stress, and reward |
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| Highest level of the forebrain, where the highest mental functions, such as thinking and planning take place |
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| the part of the cerebral cortex at the back of the head that is involved in vision |
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| area of the cerebral cortex that processes information about body sensations |
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| area of the cerebral cortex that processes information about voluntary movement |
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| region of the cerebral cortex in which the highest intellectual functions, including thinking and problem solving, occur; also called association areas |
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| the large bundle of axons that connects the brain's two hemispheres |
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