Chapter 3 Key Terms - 3.1 And 3.2

Front 1

Action potential

Back 1

Excitation that travels along an axon at a constant strength no matter how far it must travel.

Front 2

Autonomic nervous system

Back 2

section of the nervous system that controls the functioning of the internal organs such as the heart

Front 3

Axon

Back 3

single, long, thin straight fiber that transmits information from a neuron to another neuron or to muscle cells.

Front 4

Binding problem

Back 4

question of how separate brain areas combine forces to provide a unified perception of a single object.

Front 5

Cell body

Back 5

Part of the neuron that contains the nucleus of the cell

Front 6

Central nervous system

Back 6

brain and spinal cord

Front 7

Cerebellum

Back 7

Latin for "little brain" - the hind brain structure that is active in the control of movement, especially for complex, rapid motor skills and behaviors that require precise timing.

Front 8

Cerebral cortex

Back 8

Outer surface of the forebrain

Front 9

Corpus callosum

Back 9

large set of axons connecting the right and left hemispheres of the cerebral cortex and thus enabling the two hemispheres to communicate with each other.

Front 10

Dendrite

Back 10

one of the widely branching structures of a neuron that receives transmissions from other neurons.

Front 11

Dopamine

Back 11

neurotransmitter that promotes activity levels and facilitates movement

Front 12

Electroencephalograph (EEG)

Back 12

device that measures and amplifies the slight electrical changes on the scalp that reflect brain activity.

Front 13

Endocrine system

Back 13

the set of glands that produce hormones and release them into the bloodstream

Front 14

Epilepsy

Back 14

condition characterized by abnormal rhythmic activity of the brain neurons

Front 15

Evolutionary explanation

Back 15

an explanation that relates behavior to the evolutionary history of the species

Front 16

Frontal lobe

Back 16

Portion of each cerebral hemisphere at the anterior pole with sections that control movement and certain aspects of memory

Front 17

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)

Back 17

technique that uses magnetic detectors outside the head to measure the amounts of hemoglobin with and without oxygen in different parts of the brain and thereby provides an indication of current activity levels in various brain areas.

Front 18

Glia

Back 18

cell of the nervous system that insulates neurons, removes dead waste materials (dead cells) and performs other supportive functions.

Front 19

Hemisphere

Back 19

left or right half of the brain

Front 20

Hormone

Back 20

chemical released by glands and conveyed by the blood to other parts of the body where it alters activity

Front 21

Magnetoencephalography (MEG)

Back 21

Device that records rapid magnetic changes during brain activity

Front 22

Medulla

Back 22

structure that is located in the hind brain and is an elaboration of the spinal cord; controls many muscles in the head and several life preserving functions such as breathing

Front 23

Neuron

Back 23

cells of the nervous system that receive information and transmit it to other cells by conducting electrochemical impulses

Front 24

Neurotransmitter

Back 24

chemicals that are stored in the terminal of an axon and that when released activate receptors of other neurons

Front 25

Occipital lobe

Back 25

rear portion of each cerebral hemisphere critical for vision

Front 26

Parietal lobe

Back 26

portion of each cerebral hemisphere; the main receiving area for the sense of touch and for the awareness of one's own body and perception of the location of one's own body in space.

Front 27

Parkinson's Disease

Back 27

condition that affects about 1% of people over the age of 50. The main symptoms are difficulty initiating voluntary movement, slowness of movement, tremors, rigidity, and depressed mood.

Front 28

Peripheral nervous system

Back 28

bundles of axons that convey messages between the spinal cord and the rest of the body

Front 29

Physiological explanation

Back 29

an explanation that describes the mechanism that produces a behavior

Front 30

Pons

Back 30

structure adjacent to medulla that receives sensory input from the head and controls many muscles in the head.

Front 31

Positron Emisson Tomography (PET)

Back 31

technique that provides a high resolution image of brain activity by recording radioactivity emitted from injected chemicals

Front 32

Postsynaptic neuron

Back 32

neuron on the receiving end of ha synapse

Front 33

Prefrontal cortex

Back 33

area of the anterior portion of the frontal lobes critical for planning movements and for certain aspects of memory

Front 34

Primary motor cortex

Back 34

strip in the posterior (rear) part of the frontal cortex that controls fine movements such as hand and finger movements

Front 35

Primary somatosensory cortex

Back 35

strip in the anterior (forward) part of the parietal lobe that receives most touch sensations and other information about the body

Front 36

Reflex

Back 36

rapic automatic response to stimuli

Front 37

Resting potential

Back 37

electrical polarization that ordinarily occurs across the membrane of an axon that is not undergoing an action potential

Front 38

Spinal cord

Back 38

part of the central nervous system that communicates with sensory neurons and motor neurons below the level of the head

Front 39

Stem cells

Back 39

undifferentiated cells

Front 40

Synapse

Back 40

specialized junction between one neuron and another; at this point, one neuron releases a neurotransmitter which either excites or inhibits the next neuron

Front 41

Temporal lobe

Back 41

portion of each cerebral hemishpere; the main processing area for hearing, complex aspects of hearing, and certain aspects of emotional behavior

Front 42

Terminal bouton

Back 42

bulge at the end of an axon from which the axon releases a chemical called the neurotransmitter