Ap Biology (Nervous Systems: 48.5)

Front 1

ventricle

Back 1

A space in the vertebrae brain, filled with cerebrospinal fluid.

Front 2

cerebrospinal fluid

Back 2

Blood-derived fluid that surrounds, protects against infections, nourishes, and cushions the brain and spinal cord.

Front 3

central canal

Back 3

The narrow cavity in the center of the spinal cord that is continuous with the fluid-filled ventricles of the brain.

Front 4

white matter

Back 4

Tracts of axons within the CNS.

Front 5

gray matter

Back 5

Regions of dendrites and clusters of neuron cell bodies within the CNS.

Front 6

cranial nerve

Back 6

A nerve that leaves the brain and innervates an organ of the head or upper body.

Front 7

spinal nerve

Back 7

In the vertebrate peripheral nervous system, a nerve that carries signals to and from the spinal cord.

Front 8

somatic nervous system

Back 8

The branch of the motor division of the vertebrate peripheral nervous system composed of motor neurons that carry signals to skeletal muscles in response to external stimuli.

Front 9

autonomic nervous system

Back 9

A subdivision of the motor nervous system of vertebrates that regulates the internal environment; consists of the sympathetic, parasympathetic, and enteric divisions.

Front 10

sympathetic division

Back 10

One of three divisions of the autonomic nervous system of vertebrates; generally increases energy expenditure and prepares the body for action.

Front 11

parasympathetic division

Back 11

One of three divisions of the autonomic nervous system of vertebrates; generally enhances body activities that gain and conserve energy, such as digestion and reduced heart rate.

Front 12

enteric division

Back 12

Complex network of neurons in the digestive tract, pancreas, and gallbladder; normally regulated by the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions of the autonomic nervous system.

Front 13

forebrain

Back 13

One of three ancestral and embryonic regions of the vertebrate brain; develops into the thalamus, hypothalamus, and cerebrum.

Front 14

midbrain

Back 14

One of three ancestral and embryonic regions of the vertebrate brain; develops into sensory integrating and relay centers that send sensory information to the cerebrum.

Front 15

hindbrain

Back 15

One of three ancestral and embryonic regions of the vertebrae brain; develops into the medulla oblongata, pons, and cerebellum.

Front 16

cerebrum

Back 16

The dorsal portion of the vertebrate forebrain, composed of right and left hemispheres; the integrating center for memory, learning, emotions, and other highly complex functions of the central nervous system.

Front 17

cerebral cortex

Back 17

The surface of the cerebrum; the largest and most complex part of the mammalian brain, containing sensory and motor nerve cell bodies of the cerebrum; the part of the vertebrate brain most changed through evolution.

Front 18

brainstem

Back 18

Collection of structures in the adult brain, including the midbrain, the pons, and the medulla oblongata; functions in homeostasis, coordination of movement, and conduction of information to higher brain centers.

Front 19

medulla oblongata

Back 19

The lowest part of the vertebrate brain, commonly called the medulla; a swelling of the hindbrain dorsal to the anterior spinal cord that controls autonomic, homeostatic functions, including breathing, heart and blood vessel activity, swallowing, digestion, and vomiting.

Front 20

pons

Back 20

Portion of the brain that participates in certain automatic, homeostatic functions, such as regulating the breathing centers in the medulla.

Front 21

reticular formation

Back 21

A system of neurons, containing over 90 separate nuclei, that passes through the core of the brainstem.

Front 22

cerebellum

Back 22

Part of the vertebrate hindbrain located dorsally; functions in unconscious coordination of movement and balance.

Front 23

epithalamus

Back 23

A brain region, derived from the diencephalon, that contains several clusters of capillaries that produce cerebrospinal fluid.

Front 24

thalamus

Back 24

One of two integrating centers of the vertebrate forebrain. Neurons with cell bodies in here relay neural input to specific areas in the cerebral cortex and regulate what information goes to the cerebral cortex.

Front 25

hypothalamus

Back 25

The ventral part of the vertebrate forebrain; functions in maintaining homeostasis, especially in coordinating the endocrine and nervous systems; secretes hormones of the posterior pituitary and releasing factors that regulate the anterior pituitary.

Front 26

biological clock

Back 26

An internal timekeeper that controls an organism's biological rhythms. Marks time with or without environmental cues but often requires signals from the environment to remain tuned to an appropriate period.

Front 27

suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN)

Back 27

A pair of structures in the hypothalamus of mammals that functions as a biological clock.

Front 28

cerebral hemisphere

Back 28

The right or left side of the vertebrate brain.

Front 29

basal nuclei

Back 29

A cluster of nuclei deep within the white matter of the cerebrum.

Front 30

neocortex

Back 30

In the mammalian brain, the outermost region of the cerebral cortex.

Front 31

corpus callosum

Back 31

The thick band of nerve fibers that connect the right and left cerebral hemispheres in placental mammals, enabling the hemispheres to process information together.