Ch. 2 Vocab Words

Front 1

Nervous System

Back 1

the body's electrochemical communication circuitry

Front 2

Plasticity

Back 2

the brain's special capacity for change

Front 3

Afferent Nerves

Back 3

also called sensory nerves; nerves that carry information about the external environment to the brain and spinal cord via sensory receptors

Front 4

Efferent Nerves

Back 4

also called motor nerves; nerves that carry information out of the brain and spinal cord to other areas of the body

Front 5

Neural networks

Back 5

Networks of nerve cells that integrate sensory input and motor output

Front 6

Central Nervous System (CNS)

Back 6

the brain and spinal cord

Front 7

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

Back 7

the network of nerves that connects the brain and spinal cord to other parts of the body

Front 8

Somatic Nervous system

Back 8

the body system consisting of the sensory nerves, whose function is to convey information from the skin and muscles to the CNS about conditions such as pain and temperature, and the motor nerves, whose function is to tell muscles what to do

Front 9

Autonomic Nervous System

Back 9

the body system that takes messages to and from the body's internal organs, monitoring such processes as breathing, heart rate, and digestion

Front 10

Sympathetic Nervous system

Back 10

the part of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body to mobilize it for action and thus is involved in the experience of stress

Front 11

Parasympathetic nervous system

Back 11

the part of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body

Front 12

Stress

Back 12

the response of individuals to environmental stressors

Front 13

Stressors

Back 13

Circumstances and events that threaten individuals and tax their coping abilities and that cause physiological changes to ready the body to handle the assault of stess

Front 14

Neurons

Back 14

one of two types of cells in the nervous system; neurons are the nerve cells that handle the information-processing function

Front 15

Glial Cells

Back 15

the second of two types of cells in the nervous system; glial cells (also called glia) provide support, nutritional benefits, and other functions and keep neurons running smoothly

Front 16

Cell body

Back 16

the part of the neuron that contains the nucleus, which directs the manufacture of substances that the neuron needs for growth and maintenance

Front 17

Myelin Sheath

Back 17

a layer of fat cells that encases and insulates most axons

Front 18

Dendrites

Back 18

treelike fibers projecting from a neuron, which receive information and orient it toward the neuron's cell body

Front 19

Axon

Back 19

the part o the neuron that carries information away from the cell body toward other cells

Front 20

Resting Potential

Back 20

the stable, negative charge of an inactive neuron

Front 21

Action potential

Back 21

the brief wave of positive electrical charge that sweeps down the axon

Front 22

All-or-nothing principle

Back 22

the principle that once the electrical impulse teaches a certain level of intensity (its threshold), it fires and moves all the way down the axon without losing any intensity

Front 23

Synapses

Back 23

tiny spaces between neurons; the gaps between neurons are referred to as synaptic gaps

Front 24

Neurotransmitters

Back 24

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

Front 25

Antagonist

Back 25

a drug that blocks a neurotransmitters effects

Front 26

Agonist

Back 26

a drug that mimics or increases a neurotransmitters effects

Front 27

Hindbrain

Back 27

located at the skull's rear, the lowest portion of the brain, consisting of the medulla, cerebellum, and pons.

Front 28

Midbrain

Back 28

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 eyes and ears

Front 29

Amygdala

Back 29

an almond-shaped structure within the base of the temporal lobe that is involved in the discrimination

Front 30

Brain stem

Back 30

the stemlike brain area that includes much of the hindbrain (excluding the cerebelum) and he midbrain; connects with the spinal cord at its lower end and then extends upward to encase the reticular formation in the midbrain

Front 31

Reticular formation

Back 31

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.

Front 32

Forbrain

Back 32

the brain's largest division and its most forward part

Front 33

Limbic system

Back 33

a loosely connected network of structures under the cerebral cortex, important in both memory and emotion. Its two principal structures are the amygdala and the hippocampus

Front 34

Thalamus

Back 34

the forebrain structure that sits at the top of the brain stem in the brain's central core and serves as an important relay station

Front 35

Basal Ganglia

Back 35

large neuron clusters located above the thalamus and under the cerebral cortex that work with the cerebellum and the cerebral cortex to control and coordinate voluntary movements

Front 36

Hippocampus

Back 36

the structure in the limbic system that has a special role in the storage of memories

Front 37

Hypothalamus

Back 37

a small forebrain structure, located just below the thalamus, that monitores three pleasurable activities- eating, drinking, and sex- as well as emotion, stress, and reward

Front 38

Cerebral Cortex

Back 38

part of the forebrain, the outer layer of the brain, responsible for the most complex mental functions, such as thinking and planning.

Front 39

Neocortex

Back 39

the outermost part of the cerebral cortex, making up 80 percent of the human brain's cortex

Front 40

Occipital lobes

Back 40

structures located at the back of the head that respond to visual stimuli

Front 41

Temporal lobes

Back 41

structures in the cerebral cortex that are located just above the ears and are involved in hearing, language processing, and memory.

Front 42

Frontal lobes

Back 42

the portion of the cerebral cortex behind the forehead, involved in personality, intelligence, and the control of voluntary muscles.

Front 43

Parietal lobes

Back 43

structures at the top and toward the rear of the head that are involved in registering spatial location, attention, and motor control.

Front 44

Somatosensory Cortex

Back 44

a region in the cerebral cortex that processes information about boy sensations, located at the front of the parietal lobes

Front 45

Motor Cortex

Back 45

a region in the cerebral cortex that processes information about voluntary movement, located just behind the frontal lobes

Front 46

Prefrontal cortex

Back 46

an important part of the frontal lobes that is involved in higher cognitive functions such as planning, reasoning, and self-control.

Front 47

Association Cortex

Back 47

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

Front 48

Corpus Callosum

Back 48

The large bundle of axons that connects the brain's two hemispheres, responsible for relaying information between the two sides.

Front 49

Glands

Back 49

organs or tissues in the body that create chemicals that control many of our bodily functions

Front 50

Hormones

Back 50

Chemical messengers that are produced by the endocrine glands and carried by the bloodstream to all parts of the body

Front 51

Endocrine System

Back 51

the body system consisting of a set of glands that regulate the activities of certain organs by releasing their chemical products into the bloostreams

Front 52

Pituitary gland

Back 52

a pea-sized gland just beneath the hypothalamus that controls growth and regulates other glands

Front 53

Adrenal glands

Back 53

glands at the top of each kidney that are responsible for regulating moods, energy level, and the ability to cope with stress

Front 54

Pancreas

Back 54

a dual-purpose gland under the stomach that performs both digestive and endocrine functions

Front 55

Ovaries

Back 55

sex-related endocrine glands that produce hormones involved in women's sexual development and reproduciton

Front 56

Testes

Back 56

Sex-related endocrine glands in the scrotum that produce hormones involved in men's sexual development and reproduction

Front 57

Stem Cells

Back 57

unique primitive cells that have the capacity to develop into most types of human cells

Front 58

Chromosomes

Back 58

in the human cell, threadlike structures that come in 23 pairs, one member of each pair originating from each parent, and that contain DNA

Front 59

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)

Back 59

a complex molecule in the cell's chromosomes that carries genetic information

Front 60

Genes

Back 60

the units of hereditary information, consisting of short segments of chromosomes composed of DNA

Front 61

Dominant-recessive genes principle

Back 61

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 pair are recessive

Front 62

Genotype

Back 62

a person's genetic heritage; his or her actual genetic material

Front 63

Phenotype

Back 63

an individual's observable characteristics

Front 64

gene x environment (g x e) interaction

Back 64

the interaction of a specific measured variation in DNA and a specific measures aspect of the environment