Chapter 3.1

Front 1

Neurons

Back 1

Cells in the nervous system that communicate with one another to perform information-processing tasks

Front 2

Cell body (soma)

Back 2

Part of neuron that coordinates information-processing tasks and keeps the cell alive

Front 3

Dendrites

Back 3

Part of neuron that receives information from other neurons and relays in to the cell body

Front 4

Axon

Back 4

Part of neuron that carries information to other neurons, muscles, or glands

Front 5

Synapse

Back 5

The junction or region between the axon of one neuron and the dendrites or cell body of another

Front 6

Myelin sheath

Back 6

An insulating layer of fatty material surrounding the axon

Front 7

Glial cells

Back 7

Support cells found in the nervous system. Composes the myelin sheath

Front 8

Sensory neurons

Back 8

Neurons that receive information form the external world and convey this information to the brain via the spinal cord

Front 9

Motor neurons

Back 9

Neurons that carry signals from the spinal cord to the muscles to produce movement

Front 10

Interneurons

Back 10

Neurons that connect sensory neurons, motor neurons, or other Interneurons

Front 11

Resting potential

Back 11

The difference in electric charge between the inside and outside of a neurons cell membrane

Front 12

Action potential

Back 12

An electric signal that is conducted along a neurons axon to a synapse

Front 13

Terminal buttons

Back 13

Know like structures that branch out from an axon

Front 14

Neurotransmitters

Back 14

Chemicals that transmit information across the synapse to a reviving neurons dendrites

Front 15

Receptors

Back 15

Parts of the cell membrane that receive the neurotransmitter and initiate or prevent a new electric signal

Front 16

Agonists

Back 16

Drugs that increase the action of a neurotransmitter

Front 17

Antagonists

Back 17

Drugs that block the function of a neurotransmitter

Front 18

Nervous system

Back 18

An interacting network of neurons that conveys electrochemical information throughout the body

Front 19

Central nervous system

Back 19

The part of the nervous system that is composed of the brain and spinal cord. Receives sensory info from external world, process and coordinates, and sends commands to skeletal and muscle system for action

Front 20

Peripheral nervous system

Back 20

The part of the nervous system that connects the central nervous system to the body's organs and muscles

Front 21

Somatic nervous system

Back 21

A set of nerves that conveys information between voluntary muscles and the central nervous system

Front 22

Somatic nervous system

Back 22

A set of nerves that conveys information between voluntary muscles and the central nervous system

Front 23

Autonomic nervous system

Back 23

A set of nerves that carries involuntary and automatic commands that control blood vessels, body organs, and glands

Front 24

Sympathetic nervous system

Back 24

A set of nerves that prepares the body for action in challenging or threatening situations

Front 25

Parasympathetic nervous system

Back 25

A set of nerves that helps the body return to a normal resting state

Front 26

Parasympathetic nervous system

Back 26

A set of nerves that helps the body return to a normal resting state

Front 27

Spinal reflexes

Back 27

Simple pathways in the nervous system that rapidly generate muscle contractions

Front 28

Hindbrain

Back 28

An area of the brain that coordinated info coming into and out of the spinal cord

Front 29

Medulla

Back 29

An extension of the spinal cord into the skull that coordinates heart rate, circulation, and respiration

Front 30

Reticular formation

Back 30

A brain structure that regulates sleep, wakefulness, and levels of arousal

Front 31

Cerebellum

Back 31

A large structure of the hindbrain that controls fine motor skills

Front 32

Pons

Back 32

A brain structure that relays information from the cerebellum to the rest of the brain

Front 33

Subcortial structures

Back 33

Areas of the forebrain housed under the cerebral cortex near the very center of the brain

Front 34

Thalamus

Back 34

A subcortical structure relays and filters info from the senses and transmits the info to the cerebral cortex

Front 35

Hypothalamus

Back 35

A subcortical structure that regulates body temperature, hunger, thirst, and sexual behavior

Front 36

Pituitary gland

Back 36

The "master gland" of the body's hormone-producing system which releases hormones that direct the functions of many other glands in the body

Front 37

Hippocampus

Back 37

A structure critical for creating new memories and integrating them into a network of knowledge so that they can be stored indefinitely in other parts of the cerebral cortex

Front 38

Hippocampus

Back 38

A structure critical for creating new memories and integrating them into a network of knowledge so that they can be stored indefinitely in other parts of the cerebral cortex

Front 39

Amygdala

Back 39

A part of the lambic system that plays a central role in many emotional processes, particularly the formation of emotional memories

Front 40

Basal ganglia

Back 40

A set of subcortical structures that directs intentional movements

Front 41

Cerebral cortex

Back 41

The outermost layer of the brain, visible to the naked eye and divided into two hemispheres

Front 42

Cerebral cortex

Back 42

The outermost layer of the brain, visible to the naked eye and divided into two hemispheres

Front 43

Corpus callosum

Back 43

A thick band of nerve fibers that connects large areas of the cerebral cortex on each side of the brain and supports communication of information across the hemispheres

Front 44

Occipital lobe

Back 44

A region of the cerebral cortex that processes visual information

Front 45

Parietal lobe

Back 45

A region of the cerebral cortex whose functions include processing information about touch

Front 46

Parietal lobe

Back 46

A region of the cerebral cortex whose functions include processing information about touch

Front 47

Temporal lobe

Back 47

A region of the cerebral cortex responsible for hearing and language

Front 48

Frontal lobe

Back 48

A region of the cerebral cortex that has specialized areas for movement abstract thinking, planning, memory, and judgement

Front 49

Association areas

Back 49

Areas of the cerebral cortex that are composed of neurons that help provide sense and meaning to information registered in the cortex

Front 50

Mirror neurons

Back 50

Neurons that are active when and animal performs and behavior, such as reaching for or manipulating an object, and are also activated when another animal observes that animal performing the same behavior

Front 51

Gene

Back 51

The major unit of heredity transmission

Front 52

Chromosomes

Back 52

Strands of DNA wound around each other in a double-helix configuration

Front 53

Epigenetics

Back 53

Environmental influences that determine whether or not genes are expressed, or the degree to which they are expressed, without altering the basic DNA sequences that constitute the genes themselves