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| A brief change in electrical voltage that occurs between the inside and the outside of an axon when a neuron is stimulated; it serves to produce an electrical impulse. |
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| Hormones that are produced by the adrenal glands and that are involved in emotion and stress |
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| A brain structure involved in the arousal and regulation of emotion and the initial emotional response to sensory information |
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| The part of the brain that processes sound |
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| Branches into which axons commonly divide at their ends |
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| The subdivision of the peripheral nervous system that regulates the internal organs and glands |
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| A neuron's extending fiber that conducts impulses away from the cell body and transmits them to other neurons |
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| The part of the brain at the top of the spinal cord, consisting of the medulla and the pons |
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| The part of the brain that handles speech production |
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| Central Nervous Systen (CNS) |
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| The portion of the nervous system consisting of the brain and spinal cord |
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| The part of the neuron that keeps it alive and determines whether it will fire |
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| A brain structure that regulates movement and balance and is involved in the learning of certain kinds of simple responses |
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| A collection of several thin layers of cells covering the cerebrum; it is largely responsible for higher mental functions. Cortex is Latin for "bark" or "rind" |
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| The two halves of the cerebrum |
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| The largest brain structure,consisting of the upper part of the brain; divided into two hemispheres, it is in charge of most sensory, motor, and cognitive processes. From Latin word for "Brain" |
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| The bundle of nerve fibers connecting the two cerebral hemispheres |
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| A neuron's branches that receive information from other neurons and transmit it toward the cell body |
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| Devices that detect the electrical activity of millions of neurons in particular regions of the brain and are widely used in research and medical diagnosis |
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| Electroencephalography (EEG) |
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| A recording of neural activity detected by electrodes |
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| Internal organs that produce hormones and release them into the bloodstream |
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| Chemical substances in the nervous sysstem that are similar in structure and action to opiates; they are involved in pain reduction, pleasure, and memory and are known technically and endogenous opioid peptides |
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| Lobes at the front of the brain's cerebral cortex, they contain areas involved in short-term memory, higher-order thinking, initiative, social judgment, and (in the left lobe, typically)speech production |
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| Cells that support, nurture, and insulate neurons, remove debris when neurons die, enhance the formation and maintenance of neural connections, and modify neural functioning |
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| A brain structure involved in the storage of new information in memory |
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| Chemical substances, secreted by organs called glands, that affect the functioning of organs |
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| A brain structure involved in emotions and drives vital to survival, such as fear, hunger, thirst, and reproduction; it regulates the autonomic nervous system |
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| Specialization of the two cerebral hemispheres for particular operations |
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| An approach to studying the brain that involves damaging or removing sections of the brain in animals and observing the effects |
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| A group of brain areas involved in emotional reactions and motivated behavior |
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| Specialization of particular brain areas for particular functions |
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| A structure in the brain stem responsible for certain automatic functions, such as breathing and heart rate |
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| A hormone, secreted by the pinal gland, that is involved in the regulation of daily biological (circadian) rhythms |
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| The part of the brain that issues orders to the 600 muscles of the body that produce voluntary movement |
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| Nerves in the peripheral nerouvs system that carry orders from the central nervous system to muscles, glands, and internal organs; they enable us to moves, and they cause glands to contract and to secrete substances, including hormones |
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| MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) |
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| A method for studying body and brain tissue, using magnetic fields and special radio receivers |
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| A fatty insulation that may surround the axon of a neuron |
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| A bundle of nerve fibers (axons and sometimes dendrites) in the peripheral nervous system |
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| A new interdisciplinary specialty addressing the legal, ethical, and scientific implications of brain research |
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| The production of new neurons from immature stem cells |
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| A cell that conducts electrochemical signals; the basic unit of the nervous system; also called a nerve cell |
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| A chemical substance that is released by a transmitting neuron at the synapse and that alters the activity of a receiving neuron |
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| Constrictions in the myelin sheath that covers many axons |
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| Lobes at the lower back part of the brain's cerebral cortex; they contain areas that receive visual information |
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| A brain structure that relays sensory messages involving the sense of smell; olfactory bulb lies near areas involved in emotion |
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| A hormones, secrete by the pituitary gland, that stimulates uterine contractions during childbirth, facilitates the ejection of milk during nursing, and seems to promote, in both sexes, the attachment and trust in relationships |
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| The part of the brain where visible signals are processed |
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| The part of the brain that is involved in language comprehension |
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| Parasympathetic Nervous System |
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| The subdivision of the automatic nervous system that operates during relaxed states and conserves energy |
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| Lobes at the top of the brain's cerebral cortex; they contain areas that receive information on pressure, pain, touch and temperature |
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| Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) |
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| All portions of the nervous system outside the brain and spinal cord; includes sensory and motor nerves |
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| PET scan (position-emission tomography) |
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| A method for analyzing biochemical activity in the brain, using injections of glucose-like substance containing a radioactive element |
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| A small endocrine gland at the base of the brain, which releases many hormones and regulates other endocrine glands |
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| The brains ability to change and adapt in response to experience - for example, regrowing or reorganizing neuron connections |
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| A structure in the brain stem involved in, among other things, sleeping, waking, and dreaming |
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| Special molecules in the membrane of the receiving neuron's dendrites (or sometimes cell body) |
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| Reticular Activating System (RAS) |
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| A dense network of neurons found in the core of the brain stem; it arouses the cortex and screens incoming information |
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| Nerves in the peripheral nervous system that carry messages from special receptors in the skin, muscles, and other internal and external sense organs to the spinal cord, which sends them along to the brain |
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| Hormones that regulate the development and functioning of reproductive organs and that stimulate the development of male and female sexual characteristics; they include androgen, estrogen, and progesterone |
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| The subdivision of the peripheral nervous system that connects to sensory receptors and to skeletal muscles; sometimes called the skeletal nervous system |
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| The part of the brain that receives information about pressure, pain, touch, and temperature from all over the body |
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| A collection of neurons and supportive tissue running from the base of the brain down the center of the back, protected by a column of bones (the spinal column) |
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| Automatic behaviors produced by the spinal cord without help from the brain |
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| Immature cells that renew themselves and have the potential to develop into mature cells; given encouraging environments, stem cells from early embryos can develop into any cell type |
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| Sympathetic Nervous System |
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| The subdivision of the autonomic nervous system that mobilizes the bodily resources and increases the output of energy during emotion and stress |
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Definition
| The site where transmission of a nerve impulse from once ll to another occurs; including the axon terminal, the synaptic cleft, and receptor sites in the membrane of the receiving cell |
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| A minuscule space between neurons where the axon terminal of one neuron nearly touches a dendrite or the cell body of another |
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| Tiny sacs in the tip of an axon terminal |
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| Lobes at the sides of the brain's cerebral cortex; they contain areas involved in hearing, memory, perception, emotion, and (in the left lobe, typically) unnecessary words |
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Definition
| A brain structure that relays sensory messages to the cerebral cortex |
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| Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) |
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Definition
| A method of stimulating the brain cells. using a powerful magnetic field produced by a wire coil placed on a person's head; it can be used by researchers to temporarily inactivate neural circuits and is also being use dtherapeutically |
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