Chapter 4: The Brain And Nervous System

Front 1

Central nervous system (CNS)

Back 1

The portion of the nervous system consisting of the brain and spinal cord.

Front 2

Spinal cord

Back 2

A collection of neurons and supportive tissue running from the base of the brain down the center of the back, protected by a column of bones (the spinal column).

Front 3

Peripheral nervous system (PNS)

Back 3

All portions of the nervous system outside the brain and spinal cord; it includes sensory and motor nerves.

Front 4

Sensory nerves

Back 4

Carry messages from special receptors in the skin, muscles, and other internal and external organs to the spinal cord, which send them along to the brain.

Front 5

Motor nerves

Back 5

Carry orders from the central nervous system to muscles, glands, and internal organs.

Front 6

Somatic nervous system

Back 6

The subdivision of the peripheral nervous system that connects to sensory receptors and to skeletal muscles; sometimes called the skeletal nervous system.

Front 7

Autonomic nervous system

Back 7

The subdivision of the peripheral nervous system that regulates the internal organs and glands.

Front 8

Sympathetic nervous system

Back 8

The subdivision of the autonomic nervous system that mobilizes bodily resources and increases the output of energy during emotion and stress.

Front 9

Parasympathetic nervous system

Back 9

The subdivision of the autonomic nervous system that operates during relax states and that conserves energy.

Front 10

Neuron

Back 10

A cell that conducts electrochemical signals; the basic unit of the nervous system; also called a nerve cell.

Front 11

Glia

Back 11

Cells that support, nurture, and insulate neurons, remove debris when neurons die, enhance the formation and maintenance of neural connections, and modify neuronal functioning.

Front 12

Dendrites

Back 12

A neurons branches that receive information from other neurons and transmit it toward the cell body.

Front 13

Cell body

Back 13

The part of the neuron that keeps it alive and determines whether or not it will fire.

Front 14

Axon

Back 14

A neurons extending fibers that conducts impulses away from the cell body and transmits them to other neurons.

Front 15

Axon terminals

Back 15

Where axons divide at the end into branches.

Front 16

Myelin sheath

Back 16

A fatty insulation that may surround the axon of a neuron.

Front 17

Nodes

Back 17

Constructions in axon's covering that divides into segments, which make it look like a string of link sausages.

Front 18

Nerve

Back 18

A bundle of nerve fibers (axons and sometimes dendrites) in the peripheral nervous system.

Front 19

Neurogenesis

Back 19

The production of new neurons from immature stem cells.

Front 20

Stem cells

Back 20

Immature cells that renew themselves and have the potential to develop into mature cells; given an encouraging environment, stem cells from early embryos can develop into any cell type.

Front 21

Synaptic cleft

Back 21

A minuscule space where the axon terminal of one neuron nearly touches a dendrite or the cell body of another.

Front 22

Synapse

Back 22

The site where transmission of a nerve impulse from one nerve cell to another occurs; it includes the axon terminal, the synaptic cleft, and receptor sites in the membrane of the receiving cell.

Front 23

Action potential

Back 23

A brief change in electrical voltage that occurs between the inside and outside of an axon when a neuron is stimulated; it serves to produce an electrical impulse.

Front 24

Synapse

Back 24

The site where transmission of a nerve impulse from one nerve cell to another occurs; it includes the axon terminal, the synaptic cleft, ans receptor sites in the membrane of the receiving cell.

Front 25

Neurotransmitter

Back 25

A chemical substance that is released by a transmitting neuron at the synapse and that alters the activity of a receiving neuron.

Front 26

Receptor cites

Back 26

Special molecules in the membrane of the receiving neuron's dendrites.

Front 27

Excitatory effects

Back 27

When the charge reaches a critical level, the neuron will fire.

Front 28

Inhibitory effects

Back 28

Other neurotransmitters will cause an increase in the negative charge, making the neuron less likely to fire.

Front 29

Serotonin

Back 29

Affects neurons involved in sleep, appetite, sensory perception, temperature regulation, pain suppression, and mood.

Front 30

Dopamine

Back 30

Affects neurons involved in voluntary movement, attention, learning, memory, emotion, pleasure and reward, and possibly responses to novelty.

Front 31

Acetylcholine

Back 31

Affects neurons involved in muscle action, arousal, vigilance, memory, and emotion.

Front 32

Norepinephrine

Back 32

Affects neurons involved in increasing heart rate and the slowing of intestinal activity during stress, and neurons involved in learning, memory, dreaming, waking from sleep, and emotion.

Front 33

GABA

Back 33

The major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain.

Front 34

Glutamate

Back 34

The major excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain; it is released by about 90% of the brain's neurons.

Front 35

Hormones

Back 35

Chemical substances, secreted by organs called glands, that affect the functioning of other organs.

Front 36

Endocrine glands

Back 36

Internal organs that produce hormones and release them into the bloodstream.

Front 37

Melatonin

Back 37

A hormone, secreted by the pineal gland, that is involved in the regulation of daily biological rhythms.

Front 38

Oxytocin

Back 38

A hormone, secreted by the pituitary gland, that stimulates uterine contractions during childbirth, facilitates the ejection of milk during nursing, and seems to promote, in both sexes, attachment and trust in relationships.

Front 39

Adrenal hormones

Back 39

Hormones that are produced by the adrenal gland's and that are involved in emotion and stress.

Front 40

Cortisol

Back 40

Increases blood sugar levels and boost energy; produced by the outer part of each adrenal gland.

Front 41

Sex hormones

Back 41

Hormones that regulate the development and functioning of reproductive organs and that stimulate the development of male and female sexual characteristics; they include androgens, estrogen, and progesterone.

Front 42

Neuromodulators

Back 42

Neurochemicals that modulate the functioning of neurons and neurotransmitters.

Front 43

Serotonin transporter

Back 43

A protein that acts like a garbage collector, picking up serotonin from the synaptic cleft after it has been released and transporting it back to the sending neuron for recycling.

Front 44

Endorphins

Back 44

Chemical substances in the nervous system that are similar in structure and action to opiates; they are involved in pain reduction, pleasure, and memory and are known technically as endogenous opioid peptides.

Front 45

Lesion method

Back 45

The removal or disabling of a brain structure to gain better understanding of its functioning; this method is only used in animals.

Front 46

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

Back 46

A method of stimulating the brain cells, using a powerful magnetic field produced by a wire coil placed on a persons head; it can be used by researchers to temporarily inactivate neural circuits.

Front 47

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)

Back 47

A technique that applies a very small electric current to stimulate or suppress activity in parts of the cortex; it enables researchers to identify the functions of a particular area.

Front 48

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

Back 48

A recording of neural activity detected by electrodes.

Front 49

Event-related potentials (ERP)

Back 49

A technique that isolates the neural activity associated with a specific stimulus(event).

Front 50

PET scan (positron-emission tomography)

Back 50

A method for analyzing biochemical activity in the brain, for example by using injections of a glucose-like substance containing a radioactive element.

Front 51

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)

Back 51

A method for studying body and brain tissue, using magnetic fields and special radio receivers.

Front 52

Functional MRI (fMRI)

Back 52

A type of magnetic resonance imaging used to study brain activity associated with specific thoughts and behaviors.

Front 53

Localization of function

Back 53

Specialization of particular brain areas for a particular functions.

Front 54

Brain stem

Back 54

The part of the brain at the top of the spinal cord, consisting of the medulla and the pons.

Front 55

Pons

Back 55

Is structure in the brain stem involved in, among other things, sleeping, waking, and dreaming.

Front 56

Medulla

Back 56

A structure in the brain stem responsible for certain automatic functions, such as breathing and heart rate.

Front 57

Reticular activating system (RAS)

Back 57

A dense network of neurons found in the core of the brainstem; it arouses the cortex and screens incoming information.

Front 58

Cerebellum

Back 58

A brain structure that regulates movement and balance, is involved and remembering simple skills and acquired reflexes, and plays a role in cognitive and emotional learning.

Front 59

Thalamus

Back 59

A brain structure that relays sensory messages to the cerebral cortex.

Front 60

Olfactory bulb

Back 60

The sense of smells switching station, it lies near areas involved in emotion, often the cause of memories being tied to a certain smell from your past.

Front 61

Hypothalamus

Back 61

A brain structure involved in emotions and drives vital to survival; it regulates the autonomic nervous system.

Front 62

Homeostasis

Back 62

Maintaining a steady bodily state.

Front 63

Pituitary gland

Back 63

A small endocrine gland at the base of the brain that releases many hormones and regulates other endocrine glands.

Front 64

Limbic system

Back 64

Structures in this region are heavily involved in emotions that we share with other beings. Often called the emotional brain.

Front 65

Amygdala

Back 65

A brain structure involved in the arousal and regulation of emotion and the initial emotional response to sensory information.

Front 66

Hippocampus

Back 66

A brain structure involved in the storage of new information in memory.

Front 67

Cerebrum

Back 67

The largest brain structure, consisting of the upper part of the brain; divided into two hemispheres, it is in charge of most sensory, motor, and cognitive processes.

Front 68

Cerebral hemispheres

Back 68

The two halves of the cerebrum.

Front 69

Corpus callosum

Back 69

The bundle of nerve fibers connecting the two cerebral hemispheres.

Front 70

Lateralization

Back 70

Specialization of the two cerebral hemispheres for particular operations.

Front 71

Cerebral cortex

Back 71

A collection of several thin layers of cells covering the cerebrum; it is largely responsible for higher mental function.

Front 72

Gray matter

Back 72

Cell bodies in many parts of the brain that produce a grayish tissue.

Front 73

White matter

Back 73

Long myelin-covered accent prevail, providing the White ash colored tissue.

Front 74

Occipital lobes

Back 74

Lobes at the lower back part of the brains cerebral cortex; they contain areas that receive visual information.

Front 75

Visual cortex

Back 75

The part of the cerebral cortex that plays an important role in processing visual information. It is located in the occipital lobe.

Front 76

Parietal lobes

Back 76

Lobes at the top of the Brains cerebral cortex; they contain areas that receive information on pressure, pain, touch, and temperature as well as handle attention and awareness of spatial relationships.

Front 77

Somatosensory cortex

Back 77

Receives information about pressure, pain, touch, and temperature from all over the body. Located in the parietal lobe's.

Front 78

Temporal lobes

Back 78

Lobes at the sides of the brains cerebral cortex; they contain areas involved in hearing, memory, perception, emotion, and (in the left lobe typically) language comprehension.

Front 79

Auditory cortex

Back 79

Where sound is processed. Located in the temporal lobe's.

Front 80

Wernicke's area

Back 80

Where language comprehension takes place. Located in the left temporal lobe.

Front 81

Frontal lobes

Back 81

Lobes at the front of the brains cerebral cortex; they contain areas involved in short term memory, higher order thinking, initiative, social judgment, and (in the left lobe typically) speech production.

Front 82

Motor cortex

Back 82

Issues orders to the 600 muscles of the body that produce voluntary movement. Located in the frontal lobe's.

Front 83

Broca's area

Back 83

Handles speech production. Located in the left frontal lobe.

Front 84

Association cortex

Back 84

They are involved in higher mental processes. Have been called silent areas.

Front 85

Prefrontal cortex

Back 85

The most forward part of the frontal lobe's. It is associated with such complex abilities as reasoning, decision-making, and planning.

Front 86

Split-brain surgery

Back 86

Cutting the connection between the two halves of the brain so the spread of electrical activity from one side to the other would stop. This surgery generally proved successful; seizures were often reduced or disappeared in patients.

Front 87

Visual field

Back 87

Everything in the left and right side of the scene before you. Pretty much what you see.

Front 88

Plasticity

Back 88

The brains ability to change and adapt in response to experience, through neurogenesis, or by re-organizing or growing new neural connections.

Front 89

Culture

Back 89

A program of shared rules, values, symbols, communication systems, and conventions that governs the behavior of members of a community.

Front 90

Cultural neuroscience

Back 90

Examines how the links between neural and cultural forces can create different patterns of behavior, perception, and cognition.

Front 91

Neuroethics

Back 91

A field that studies the implications of neuroscience for human self-understanding, ethics, and policy.