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| the tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it. |
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a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system
Sensory Neurons: neurons that carry incoming information from the sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord |
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neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord
Interneuron: neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs. |
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| the bushy, branching extensions of a neuron that receives messages and conduct impulses toward the cell. |
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| the extension of a neuron, ending in branching terminal fibers, through which messages pass to other neurons or to muscles or glands. |
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| a layer of fatty tissue segmentally encasing the fibers of many neurons; enables vastly greater transmission speed of neural impulses as the impulse hops from one node to the next. |
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| a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon |
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| the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse. |
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| the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron. The tiny gap at this junction is called the synaptic gap or synaptic cleft. |
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| chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons. When released by the sending neuron, neurotransmitters travel across the synapse and bind to receptor sites on the receiving neurons, thereby influencing whether that neuron will generate a neural impulse. |
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| a neurotransmitter’s reabsorption by the sending neuron. |
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| : the body’s speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous system. |
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Central Nervous System (CNS)
Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) |
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Central Nervous System (CNS): the brain and spinal cord
Peripheral Nervous System (PNS): the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body. |
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| bundled axons that form neural “cables” connecting the central nervous system with muscles, glands, and sense organs. |
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| the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body’s skeletal muscles. Also called the skeletal nervous system. |
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| the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs (such as the heart). Its sympathetic division arouses; its parasympathetic division calms. |
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| Sympathetic Nervous System |
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| the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations. |
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| Parasympathetic Nervous System |
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| the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy. |
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| the body’s “slow” chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream. |
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| chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands, travel through the bloodstream, and affect other tissues. |
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| a pair of endocrine glands that sit just above the kidneys and secrete hormones (epinephrine and norepinephrine) that help arouse the body in times of stress |
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| the endocrine system’s most influential gland. Under the influence of the hypothalamus, the pituitary regulates growth and controls other endocrine systems |
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| Electroencephalogram (EEG) |
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Definition
| an amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain’s surface. These waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp. |
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| PET (positron emission tomography) |
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| a visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a task. |
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| MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) |
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| a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer generated images of soft tissue. MRI scans show brain anatomy. |
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| a technique for revealing bloodflow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. fMRI scans show brain function. |
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| : the oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; the brainstem is responsible for automatic survival functions. |
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| the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing. |
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| a nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal. |
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| the brain’s sensory switchboard, located on top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla. |
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| : the “little brain” at the rear of the brainstem; functions include processing sensory input and coordinating movement output and balance. |
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| neural system (including the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus) located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions and drives. |
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| two lima bean-sized neural clusters in the limbic stem; linked to emotion. |
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| a neural structure lying below the thalamus; it directs several maintainence activities (eating, drinking, body temperature), helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion and reward. |
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| : the intricate fiber of interconnected neural cells covering the cerebral hemispheres; the body’s ultimate control and information-processing center. |
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| cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons. |
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| portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; receives sensory input for touch and body position. |
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| portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes areas that receive information from the visual fields. |
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| portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory areas, each receiving information primarily from the opposite ear. |
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| an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements. |
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| area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations. |
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| areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions; rather, they are involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking. |
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| the brain’s ability to change especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience. |
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| the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them. |
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