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| An interdisciplinary field of study directed at understanding the brain and its relation to behavior |
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| The brain and the spinal cord |
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| Peripheral Nervous System |
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| The network of nerves that links the central nervous system with the rest of the body |
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| The cells in the nervous system that receive and transmit information |
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| Cells that carry environmental messages toward the spinal cord and brain |
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| Cells that transfer information from one neuron to another; interneurons make no direct contact with the outside world |
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| Cells that carry information away from the central nervous system to the muscles and glands that directly produce behavior |
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| Cells that fill the space between neurons, remove waste, or help neurons to communicate efficiently |
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| An insulating material that protects the axon and helps to speed up neural transmission |
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| Largely automatic body reactions-such as a knee jerk- that are controlled primarily boy spinal cord pathways |
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| The fibers that extend outward from a neuron and receive information from other neurons |
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| The cell body of a neuron |
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| The long tail-like part of a neuron that serves as the cell's transmitter |
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| The tiny swellings at the end of the axon that contains chemicals important to neural transmission |
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| The small gap between the terminal buttons of a neuron and the dendrite or cell body of another neuron |
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| The tiny electrical charge in place between the inside and the outside of the resting neuron |
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| Chemical messengers that relay information from one neuron to the next |
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| A neurotransmitter that play multiple roles in the central peripheral nervous systems, including the excitation of muscle contractions |
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| A neurotransmitter that often leads to inhibitory effects; decreased levels have been linked to Parkinson disease, and increased levels have been linked to schizophrenia |
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| A neurotransmitter that has been linked to sleep, dreaming, and general arousal and may also be involved in some psychological disorders such as depression and schizo |
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| Gamma-Amino-Butyric Acid (GABA) |
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| A neurotransmitter that may play a role in the regulation of anxiety; it generally produces inhibitory effects |
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| Morphine-like chemicals that act as the brain's natural painkillers |
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| The period of time following an action potential when more action potentials cannot be granted |
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| Bundles of axons that make up neural "transmission cables" |
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| The collection of nerves that transmits information toward the brain and connects to the skeletal muscles to initiate movement; part of the peripheral nervous system |
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| The collection of nerves that controls the more automatic needs of the body (ex digestion); part of the peripheral nervous system |
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| Electroencephalograph (EEG) |
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| A device used to monitor the gross electrical activity of the brain |
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| Computerized Tomography Scan (CT Scan) |
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| The sue of highly focused beams of X-rays to construct detailed anatomical maps of the living brain |
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| Positron Emission Tomography (PET) |
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| A method for measuring how radioactive substances are absorbed in the brain; it can be used to detect how specific tasks activate different areas of the living brain |
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| Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) |
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| A device that uses magnetic fields and radio-wave pulses to construct detailed, three-demensional images of the brain; "functional" MRIs can be used to map changes in blood oxygen use as a function of task activity |
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| A primitive part of the brain that sits at the juncture point where the brain and spinal cord merge. Structures in the hindbrain, including the medulla, pons, and reticular formation, act as the basic life support system for the body. |
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| Part of the hindbrain that control heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, and reflexes such as vomiting, sneezing, and coughing. Both areas are sensitive to the effects of drugs |
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| A network of neurons and nerves linked to the control of general arousal, sleep, and consciousness. |
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| A hindbrain structure at the base of the brain that is involved in teh coordination of complex motor skills |
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| The middle portion of the brain, containing such structures as the tectum, superior colliculus, and inferior colliculus; midbrain structures serve as neural relay stations and may help coordinate reactions to sensory events |
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| Superior Colliculus and Inferior Colliculus |
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| Make up the tectum and control sensory processing (like visual and auditory information) |
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| A group of neurons that release the neurotransmitter dopamine |
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| The outer portion of the brain, including the cerebral cortex and the structures of the limbic system |
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| The outer layer of the brain, considered to be the seat of higher mental process |
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| A relay station in the forebrain thought to be an important gathering point for input from the senses |
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| A forebrain structure thought to play a role in the regulation of various motivational activities, including eating, drinking, an sexual behavior |
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| A system of structures thought to be involved in motivational and emotional behaviors (the amygdala) and memory (the hippocampus) |
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| A small part of the brain linked to a number of motivational and emotional behaviors, including fear, aggression, and defensive actions |
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| Important in the formation of memories, particularly our memory for specific, personal events |
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| One of four anatomical region of each hemisphere of the cerebral cortex, located on the top front of the brain; it may contain the motor cortex and may be involved in higher level processes |
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| Located roughly on the top middle portion of the brain; it contains the somatosensory cortex, which controls the sense of touch |
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| Located roughly on the sides of the brain; its involved in certain aspects of speech and language perception |
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| Located at the back part of the brain, this controls visual processing |
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| The collection of nerve fibers that connects the tow cerebral hemispheres and allows information to pass form one side the other |
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| Contribues to verbal tasks, like reading and writing, |
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| important role in spatial tasks and certain emotional processes, like emotion in a person's voice |
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| A network of glands that uses the bloodstream, rather than neurons, to send chemical messages that regulate growth and other internal functions |
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| Chemicals released into the blood by the various endocrine glands to help control a variety of internal regulatory functions |
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| A kind of master gland in the body that controls the release of hormones in response to signals from the hypothalamus |
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| Glands located above the kidneys that secrete hormones |
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| A trait that has been selected for by nature because it increases the reproductive "fitness" of the organism |
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| Segments of chromosomes that contain instructions for influencing and creating particular hereditary characteristics |
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| The actual genetic information inherited from one's parents |
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| A person's observable characteristics, such as hair color. THe phenotype is controlled mainly by the genotype, but it can also be influenced by the environment |
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| A spontaneous change in the genetic material that occurs during the gene replication process |
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| THe similarities and differences among biological relative are studied to help discover the role heredity plays in physical or psychological traits |
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| Identical twins, who share genetic material, are compared to fraternal twins in an effort to determine the roles heredity and environment play in psychological traits |
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