Ch.3 The Brain-Body Communication

Front 1

neurons

Back 1

nerve cells specialized for communication

Front 2

central nervous system (CNS)

Back 2

part of nervous system containing brain and spinal cord that enables mind and behavior

Front 3

peripheral nervous system (PNS)

Back 3

nerves in the body that extend outside the central nervous system (CNS)

Front 4

forebrain (cerebrum)

Back 4

forward part of the brain that allows advanced intellectual abilities

Front 5

cerebral cortex

Back 5

outermost part of forebrain, responsible for analyzing sensory processing and higher brain functions

Front 6

corpus callosum

Back 6

bundle of nerve fibers connecting the cerebrum's two hemispheres

Front 7

hypothalamus

Back 7

controls the body's endocrine or hormone producing system

Front 8

thalamus

Back 8

area that relays nerve signals to the cerebral cortex

Front 9

cerebellum

Back 9

regulates balance and body control

Front 10

brain stem

Back 10

regulates control of involuntary functions such as breathing and heart rate

Front 11

cerebral hemispheres

Back 11

two halves if the cerebral cortex, which serve different yet highly integrated cognition functions

Front 12

frontal lobe

Back 12

forward part of cerebral cortex containing the motor cortex and the prefrontal cortex; responsible for motor function, language, and memory

Front 13

motor cortex

Back 13

part of frontal lobe responsible for body movement

Front 14

prefrontal cortex

Back 14

part of frontal lobe responsible for thinking, planning, and language

Front 15

broca's area

Back 15

language area in the prefrontal cortex that helps to control speech production

Front 16

aphasia

Back 16

serious speech deficit that renders a person unable to communicate effectively

Front 17

parietal lobe

Back 17

upper middle part of the cerebral cortex lying behind the frontal lobe specialized for touch and perception

Front 18

temporal lobe

Back 18

lower part of cerebral cortex below the temples, which plays roles in hearing, understanding language, and memory

Front 19

wernicke's area

Back 19

part of the temporal lobe involved in understanding speech

Front 20

occipital lobe

Back 20

back part of cerebral cortex specialized for vision

Front 21

sensory cortex

Back 21

regions of the cerebral vortex devoted to vision, touch, hearing, balance, taste, and smell

Front 22

association cortex

Back 22

regions of the cerebral cortex that integrate simpler functions to perform more complex functions

Front 23

basal ganglia

Back 23

structures in the forebrain that help to control movement

Front 24

dopamine

Back 24

neurotransmitter that plays a key role in movement and reward

Front 25

basal forebrain

Back 25

region in forebrain containing acetylcholine neurons that affect activity of the cortex

Front 26

acetylcholine

Back 26

neurotransmitter used to control activity, including movement, memory, attention, and dreaming

Front 27

midbrain

Back 27

part of the brain stem that lies between the forebrain and hindbrain.It helps to control head and neck reflexes and modulate motor activity

Front 28

reticular activity system

Back 28

group of major components of the hindbrain

Front 29

hindbrain

Back 29

part of the brain between the spinal cord and midbrain, consisting of the pons, cerebellum, and medulla

Front 30

cerebellum

Back 30

small cerebrum in hindbrain, responsible for our sense of balance

Front 31

pons

Back 31

part of hindbrain that connects the cerebral cortex with cerebellum

Front 32

cerebral ventricles

Back 32

internal waterways of the CNS that carry cerebrospinal fluid which provides the brain with nutrients and cushioning against injury

Front 33

interneurons

Back 33

neurons that send messages to other neurons nearby and stimulate neurones

Front 34

reflex

Back 34

an automatic motor response to a sensory stimulus like muscle stretch

Front 35

synapse

Back 35

space between two connecting neurons through which messages are transmitted

Front 36

somatic nervous system

Back 36

part of the peripheral nervous system carrying messages from the CNS though the body to control movement

Front 37

limbic system

Back 37

emotional center of brain that also plays roles in smell, motivation, and memory

Front 38

amygdala

Back 38

oart of limbic system that plays key roles in fear, excitement, and arousal

Front 39

autonomic nervous system

Back 39

part of the peripheral nervous system controlling the involuntary actions of our internal organs and glands, which participates in emotion

Front 40

sympathetic division

Back 40

part of autonomic nervous system engaged during a crisis, or after actions requiring fight or flight

Front 41

parasympathetic division

Back 41

part of autonomic nervous system that controls rest and digestion

Front 42

endocrine system

Back 42

system of glands and hormones that controls secretion of blood-borne chemical messengers

Front 43

hormones

Back 43

blood-borne chemical that influences target tissues and glands

Front 44

pituitary gland

Back 44

master gland which under the control of the hypothalamus directs the other glands of body

Front 45

adrenal gland

Back 45

tissue located on top of the kidneys that releases adrenaline and cortisol during stated of emotional arousal

Front 46

dendrites

Back 46

portions of neurons that receive signals

Front 47

synaptic cleft

Back 47

space between two connecting neurons where neurotransmitters are released

Front 48

neurotransmitters

Back 48

chemical messengers specialized for communication and released at the synapse

Front 49

glial cells

Back 49

support cells in nervous system that play roles in the formation of myelin and blood-brain barrier, respond to injury, and remove debris

Front 50

blood-brain barrier

Back 50

glial cells forming a fatty coating that prevents certain substances from entering the brain

Front 51

myelin sheath

Back 51

glial-cell wrappers around axons that act as insulators of the neuron's signal

Front 52

resting potential

Back 52

electrical charge difference across the neuronal membrane when the neurons is not being stimulated or inhibited

Front 53

threshold

Back 53

membrane potential necessary to trigger an action potential

Front 54

action potential

Back 54

regenerative electrical impulse that travels down the axon and allows neurons to communicate

Front 55

absolute refractory period

Back 55

time during which another action potential is impossible; limits maximal firing rate

Front 56

receptor sites

Back 56

locations that uniquely recognize a neurotransmitter

Front 57

reuptake

Back 57

means of recycling neurotransmitters

Front 58

endorphins

Back 58

chemicals in the brain that play a specialized role in pain reduction

Front 59

lesion

Back 59

area of damage due to surgery, injury, or disease

Front 60

electroencephalography (EEG)

Back 60

recording of brain's electrical activity at the surface of the skull

Front 61

computed tomography (CT)

Back 61

s scanning technique using multiple x-rays to construct three-dimensional images

Front 62

magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

Back 62

technique that uses magnetic fields to indirectly visualize brain structure

Front 63

positron emission tomography (PET)

Back 63

imaging technique that measures uptake of glucoselike molecules, yielding a picture of regional metabolic activity in brain in different regions

Front 64

functional MRI (fMRI)

Back 64

technique that uses magnetic field to visualize brain activity

Front 65

transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

Back 65

technique that applies strong and quickly changing magnetic fields to the surface of the skull and that can either enhance or interrupt brain function

Front 66

magnetoencephalography (MEG)

Back 66

measure of brain activity using magnotometers that sense tiny magnetic fields generated by the brain

Front 67

split-brain surgery

Back 67

procedure that involves severing the corpus callosum to reduce the spread of epileptic seizure

Front 68

lateralization

Back 68

cognitive function that relies more on one side of the brain than the other

Front 69

chromosomes

Back 69

slender thread inside a cell's nucleus that carry genes

Front 70

genes

Back 70

genetic material composed of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)

Front 71

genotype

Back 71

our genetic make-up

Front 72

phenotype

Back 72

our observable traits

Front 73

dominant genes

Back 73

genes that mask other gene's effects

Front 74

recessive genes

Back 74

genes that are expressed only in the absence of a dominant gene

Front 75

natural selection

Back 75

principle that organisms that possess adaptations survive and reproduce at a higher rate than other organisms

Front 76

fitness

Back 76

organisms' capacity to pass on their genes

Front 77

heritability

Back 77

percentage of the variability in a trait across individuals that is due to genes

Front 78

plasticity

Back 78

ability of the nervous system to change

Front 79

neurogenesis

Back 79

creation of new neurons in adult brain