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16 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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epigenetics |
the study of changes in gene expression caused by certain base pairs in DNA, or RNA, being "turned off" or "turned on" again, through chemical reactions |
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epigenome |
a record of the chemical changes to the DNA and histone proteins of an organism; these changes can be passed down to an organism's offspring. Changes to the epigenome can result in changes to the structure of chromatin and changes to the function of the genome |
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agonist |
a drug or poison that increases the activity of one or more neurotransmitters |
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antagonist |
a drug or poison that decreases activity of one or more neurotransmitters |
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neurons |
cells that transmit information within the nervous system |
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neurotransmitter |
a naturally occurring chemical in the nervous system that specializes in transmitting information between neurons |
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synapse |
the microscopic gap between neurons across which neurotransmitters travel to carry their messages to other neurons |
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axon |
the long, singular fiber projecting out of the cell body of a neuron whose function is to conduct the neural impulse from the cell body to the axon terminals triggering chemical communication with other neurons |
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dendrites |
fibers projecting out of the cell body of a neuron whose function is to receive information from other neurons |
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myelin sheath |
an insulating layer covering an axon that allows for faster neural impulses |
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sensory neurons |
neurons in the peripheral nervous system that carry information to the central nervous system from sensory receptors, muscles, and glands |
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motor neurons |
neurons in the peripheral nervous system that carry movement commands from the central nervous system out to the rest of the body |
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sympathetic nervous system |
the part of the autonomic nervous system that is in control when we are highly aroused, as in an emergency, and need to prepare for defensive action |
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parasympathetic nervous system |
the part of the autonomic nervous system that returns the body to its normal resting state after having been highly aroused, as in an emergency |
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How Neurons Communicate |
-partly electrical partly chemical |
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nurture vs nature |
Rats: Highly nurtured rat pups tend to grow up to be calm adults, while rat pups who receive little nurturing tend to grow up to be anxious. |
