Psychobiology

Front 1

The Central Nervous System (CNS)

Back 1

The part of the vertebrate nervous system located within the skull and spine.

Front 2

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

Back 2

The part of the vertebrate nervous system located outside the skull and spine.

Front 3

Cervical region

Back 3

The section of the spine that provides the flexible framework of the neck or cervix; it lies between the skull and the thoracic region

Front 4

Thoracic region

Back 4

the section of the spine to which the ribs are attached; it lies between the cervical and the lumbar regions.

Front 5

Lumbar region

Back 5

The section of the spine that supports the small of the back; it lies between the thoracic region and the sacral region

Front 6

Sacral region

Back 6

The section of the spine to which the bones of the pelvis are attached; it lies adjacent to the lumbar region

Front 7

Brain

Back 7

The part of the CNS that is located in the skull

Front 8

Spinal Cord

Back 8

The part of the CNS that is located in the spine

Front 9

Somatic Nervous System

Back 9

The division of the peripheral nervous system that interacts with the external environment; it conducts sensory signals to the CNS from external receptors and receptors in joints and skeletal muscles, and it conducts motor signals from the CNS to skeletal muscles.

Front 10

Autonomic nervous system

Back 10

The division of the peripheral nervous system that participates in the regulation of the body's internal environment; it conducts sensory signals to the CNS from receptors in internal organs, and motor signals from the CNS back to the same internal organs.

Front 11

Spinal Gray Matter

Back 11

The H-shaped area of gray nervous tissue in the core of the spinal cord

Front 12

Spinal White matter

Back 12

The area of white nervous tissue in the spinal cord; it surrounds the spinal gray matter

Front 13

Dorsal roots

Back 13

The 31 pairs of sensory nerves that exit the spinal cord; they enter the spinal cord's dorsal surface

Front 14

Ventral roots

Back 14

The 31 pairs of motor nerves that exit the spinal cord; they project from the spinal cord's ventral surface

Front 15

Sympathetic Nervous system

Back 15

One of the two motor divisons of the autonomic nervous system; it tends to mobolize energy resources during periods of threat; sympathetic nerves project from the thoracic and lumbar regions of the spinal cord.

Front 16

Parasympathetic nervous system

Back 16

One of the two motor divisions of the autonomic nervous system, it tends to conserve energy during periods of quiescence; parasympathetic sacral region of the spinal cord.

Front 17

Pituitary gland

Back 17

The glad that hangs from the hypothalamus because it releases tropic hormones, it is often referred to as the master gland.

Front 18

Adrenal medulla

Back 18

The core of the adrenal glad; it is activated by the sympathetic nervous system, and in turn it secretes hormones whose effects are similar to those of the sympathetic nervous system

Front 19

Adrenal Cortex

Back 19

The outer layer of the adrenal gland; it releases hormones that regulate energy metabolism, mineral balance, and reproductive behavior

Front 20

Gonads

Back 20

The sex glads (i.e. ovaries in women and testes in men); they release hormones that influence both the development of female and male reproductive systems and the reproductive behavior of adults

Front 21

Hypothalamus

Back 21

The brain structure from which the pituitary is suspended; it secretes releasing hormones which stimulate the release of tropic hormones which stimulate the release of tropic hormones from the pituitary.

Front 22

Anterior

Back 22

Toward the nose end; also known as rostral

Front 23

Bilateral

Back 23

On both sides of the body

Front 24

Contralalteral

Back 24

From or to the opposite side of the body

Front 25

Coronal sections

Back 25

Slices of the brain that are cut in a coronal or frontal plan, that is cut approximately parallel to the surface of the face

Front 26

Cross Sections

Back 26

Sections that are cut at right angles to the long axis of any long narrow structure, for example, at right angles to the long axis of the spinal cord

Front 27

Dorsal

Back 27

Tward the surface of the back or top of the head

Front 28

Horizontal sections

Back 28

Slices of the brain that are cut in a horizontal plane, that is, cut prallel to the horizon when the subject is in an upright position

Front 29

Inferior

Back 29

Toward the central surface of the primate head

Front 30

Ipsilateral

Back 30

From or to the same side of the body

Front 31

Lateral

Back 31

Away from the midsagittal plane; toward the left or right

Front 32

Medial

Back 32

Toward the midsagittal plane

Front 33

Midsagittal section

Back 33

A sagittal section that is cut from the very midline of the brain

Front 34

Posterior

Back 34

Toward the tail end; also known as caudal

Front 35

Sagittal sections

Back 35

Slices of the brain that are cut in a sagittal plane, that is cut parallel to the vertical plane that divides the brain into left and right halves

Front 36

Superior

Back 36

Toward the dorsal surface of the primate head

Front 37

Unilateral

Back 37

On one side of the body

Front 38

Ventral

Back 38

toward the surface of the chest and stomach or bottom of the head

Front 39

Astrocytes

Back 39

Large star-shaped glial cells whosemay projections terminate on other astrocytes, bolld vessels, and neurons

Front 40

Axon

Back 40

The single long fiber that extends from a neuron's cell body; its function is to conduct neural signals from the cell body to other parts of the nervous system

Front 41

Axon hillock

Back 41

The cone-shaped structure between the cell body and axon

Front 42

Button

Back 42

The button-like terminal endings of the axon branches

Front 43

Cell body

Back 43

The metabolic center of the neuron; also called the soma

Front 44

Cell membrane

Back 44

the semipermeable membrane that encloses the cytoplasm of neurons and other cells; the wall of the cell

Front 45

cytoplasm

Back 45

The clear inner fluid of neurons and other cells

Front 46

Dendrites

Back 46

The short bushy fibers that branch out from the cell body; they constitute the major signal-receiving area of the neuron

Front 47

Dendritic spines

Back 47

Tiny protuberances on dendrites that are the location of many dendritic synapses

Front 48

G-protein

Back 48

A protein molecule that is activated inside a neuron when a neurotransmitter molecule binds to the receptor on its associated signal protein

Front 49

Golgi apparatus

Back 49

Systems of smooth plate-shaped membranous sacs in the cytoplasm of cells; they package proteins and other molecules in small membrane sacs

Front 50

Ion channels

Back 50

Specialized pores in the neuron cell membrane through which ions can pass; some are chemical-gated and some are voltage-gated

Front 51

Iontropic receptors

Back 51

Receptors that are associated with ion channels; when activated they typically induce rapid brief signals in the neuron by opening or closing the ion channel

Front 52

Macroglia

Back 52

Large glial cells such as oligodendrocytes, Schwann cells, and astrocytes

Front 53

Metabotropic receptors

Back 53

Receptors that are associated with signal proteins and G-proteins; when activated, they typically induce slow, long-lasting changes in the neuron by changing its internal chemistry

Front 54

Microglia

Back 54

Small glialcells; their function is phagocyosis