A brief change in a neuron's electrical charge.

An inherited characteristic that increased in a population (through natural selection) because it helped solve a problem of survival or reproduction during the time it emerged.

Research studies that assess hereditary influence by examining the resemblance between adopted children and both their biological and their adoptive parents.

Axons that carry information inward to the central nervous system from the periphery of the body.

A chemical that mimics the action of a neurotransmitter.

A chemical that opposes the action of a neurotransmitter.

The system of nerves that connect to the heart, blood vessels, smooth muscles, and glands.

A long, thin fiber that transmits signals away from the neuron cell body to other neurons, or to muscles or glands.

Any overt (observable) response or activity by an organism.

An interdisciplinary field that studies the influence of genetic factors on behavioral traits.

The brain and the spinal cord.

The convoluted outer layer of the cerebrum.

The right and left halves of the cerebrum.

A solution that fills the hollow cavities (ventricles) of the brain and circulates around the brain and spinal cord.

Threadlike strands of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) molecules that carry genetic information.

The structure that connects the two cerebral hemispheres.

A limited time span in the development of an organism when it is optimal for certain capacities to emerge because the organism is especially responsive to certain experiences.

Branchlike parts of a neuron that are specialized to receive information.

A gene that is expressed when paired genes are heterozygous (different).

Axons that carry information outward from the central nervous system to the periphery of the body.

Sending a weak electric current into a brain structure to stimulate (activate) it.

A device that monitors the electrical activity of the brain over time by means of recording electrodes attached to the surface of the scalp.

A group of glands that secrete chemicals into the bloodstream that help control bodily functioning.