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| The body's electochemical communication circuitry |
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| The brain's special capacity for change |
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| Also called sensory nerves; nerves that carry information about the external environment to the brain and spinal cord via sensory recpetors |
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| Also called motor nerves; nerves that carry information out of the brain and spinal cord to other areas of the body. |
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| Central Nervous System or CNS |
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Definition
| The brain and spinal cord. |
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| Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) |
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Definition
| The network of nerves that connects the brain and spinal cord to other parts of the the body. |
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| The body system consisting of the sensory nerves, whose function is to convey information from the skin and muscles to the CNS about the conditions such as pain and temperature, and the motor nerves, whose funtion is to to tell muscles what to do. |
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| The body system consisting of the sensory nerves, whose function is to convey information from the skin and muscles to the CNS about the conditions such as pain and temperature, and the motor nerves, whose funtion is to to tell muscles what to do. |
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| The body system that takes messages to and from the body'sinternal organs, monitoring such processes as breathing, heart rate, and digestion. |
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| Sympathetic Nervous System |
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Definition
| The part of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body. |
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| Parasympathetic Nervous System |
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Definition
| The part of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body. |
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| One of two types of cells in the nervous system; neurons are the nerve cells that handle the information-processing function. |
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| Also called glia; the second of two types of cells in the nervous system; glial cells provide support, nutritional benefits, and other functions and keep neurons running smoothly. |
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| The part of the neuron that contains the nucleus, which directs the manufacture of substance that nuerons needs for growth and maintaenance. |
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| Treelike fibers projecting from a neuron, which recieve information and orient it toward the neuron's cell body. |
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| The part of the neuron that carries information away from the cell body toward other cells. |
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| A layer of fat cells that encases and insulates most axons. |
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| In an inactive neuron, the voltage between the inside and outside of the axon wall. |
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| The brief wave of positive electrical charge that sweeps down the axon. |
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Definition
| The principle that once the electrical impulse reaches a certain level of intensity (its threshold), it fires and moves all the way down the axon without losing any intensity. |
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| Tiny spaces betwwen neurons; the gaps between neurons are referred to as synaptic gaps. |
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| Chemical substances that are stored in very tiny sacs within the terminal buttons and involved in transmitting information across a synaptic gap to the next neuron. |
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| Networks of nerve cells that intergrate sensory input and motor output. |
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| Located at the skull's rear, the lowest protion of the brain, consisting of the medulla, cerebellum, and pons. |
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| The stemlike brain area that includes much of the hindbrain(not the cerebellum) and the midbrain; it connects with the spinal cord at its lower end and then extends upward to encase the reticular fromation in the midbrain. |
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Definition
| Located between the hindbrain and forebrain, an area in which many nerve-fiber systems ascend and descend to connect the higher and lower portions of the brain; in particular, the midbrain relays information between the brain and the and the eyes and ears. |
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Definition
| A system in the midbrain comprising a diffuse collection of neurons involved in stereotyped patterns of behavior such as walking, sleeping, and turning to attend to a sudden noise. |
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| The brain's largest division and its most forward part. |
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| A loosely connected network of structures under the cerebral cortex, important in both memoroy and Emotion. Its two principal structures are the amygdala and the hippocampus. |
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| An almond-shaped structure within the base of the temporal lobe that is involved in the discrimnation of objects that are necessary for the organism's survival, such as appropriate food mates, and socail rivals. |
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| The structure in the limbic system that has a special role in the storage of memories. |
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| The forebrain sturcture that sits at the tip of the brain stem in the brain's central core and serves as an important relay station. |
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| Large neuron clusters located above the thalamus and under the cerebral cotex that work with the cerebellum and the cerebral cortex to control and coordinate voluntary movements. |
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| A small forebrain structure located just below the thalamus, that monitors three pleasureable activities-eating, drinking, and sex- as well as emotion, stress and reward. |
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| Part of the forebrain, the outer layer of the brain, reponsible for the most complex mental functions, such as thinking and planning. |
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| The outermost part of the cerebral cortex, making up 80% of the cortex in the human brain. |
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| Structures located at the back of the head that respond to visulal stimuli. |
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| The portion of the cerebral cortex behind the forehead,involved in personality, intelligence, and the control of voluntary muscles. |
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| Structures in the cerebral cortex that are located jsut above the ears and are invovled in hearing, language processing, and memory. |
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| Sturctures at the top and toward the rear of the head that are involved in registering spatial location, attention, and motor conal. |
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| A region in the cerebral cortex that processes information about body sensations, located at the front of the parietal lobes. |
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| A region in the cerbral cortex that processes information about voluntary movement, located just behind the frontal lobes |
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| Sometimes called association areas, the region of the cerebral cortex that is the site of the highest intellectual functions, such as thinking and problem solving. |
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| The large bundle of axons that connects the brain's two hemispheres, responsible for relaying information between the two sides. |
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| The body system consisting of a set of glands that regulate the activities of certain organs by releasing their chemical products into the bloodstream. |
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Definition
| Organs or tissures in the body that create chemicals that control many of our bodily functions. |
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Definition
| Chemical messengers that are produced by the endocine glands and carried by the bloodstream to all parts of the body. |
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Definition
| A pea-sized gland just beneath the hypothalamus that controls growth and regulates other glands. |
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| Glands at the top of each kidney that are responsible for regulating moods, energy level, and the ability to cope with stress. |
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Definition
| A dual-purpose gland under the stomach that performs both digestive and endocrine functions. |
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| Sex related endocrine glands in the uterus that produce hormones related to women's sexual development and reproduction. |
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| Sex-related endocrine glands in the scrotum that produce hormones related to to men's sexual development and reproduction. |
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Definition
| In human cell, threadlike structures that come in 23 pairs, one member of each pair originating from each parent, and that contain the remarkable substance DNA. |
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| Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) |
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Definition
| A complex molecule in the cell's chromosomes that carries genetic information. |
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Definition
| The units of hereditary information, consisting of short segments of chromosomes composed of DNA. |
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| Dominant-Recessive Genes Principle |
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Definition
| The principle that, if one gene of a pair is dominant and one is recessive, the dominant gene overrides the recessive gene. A recessive gene exerts its influence only if both genes of a pair are recessive. |
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Definition
| An individual's genetic heritage; his or her actual genetic material. |
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| An individual's observable characteristics. |
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| The response of individuals to environmental stressors. |
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| Circumstances and events that threaten individuals and tax their coping abilities and that cause physiological changes to ready the body to handle the assult of stress. |
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