brain anatomy

Question 0

axon

Answer 0

the extension of a neuron, ending in branching, terminal fibers through which messages pass to other neurons

Question 1

afferent nerve fibers

Answer 1

cary impulses toward the central nervous system

Question 2

cerebellum

Answer 2

the “little brain” attached to the real of the brainstem; it helps coordinate voluntary movement and balance

Question 3

dendrites

Answer 3

receive messages from other cells

Question 4

endocrine system

Answer 4

collection of glands of an organism that secrete hormones directly into the circulatory system to be carried towards a distant target organ

Question 5

hormones

Answer 5

chemical messengers, mostly those manufactured by the endocrine glands, that are produced in one tissue and affect another

Question 6

limbic system

Answer 6

a doughnut-shaped system of neural structures at the border of the brainstem and cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions such as fear and aggression and drives

Question 7

motor neurons

Answer 7

neurons that carry outgoing information from the central nervous system to the muscles and glands

Question 8

parasympathetic nervous system

Answer 8

the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy

Question 9

recessive gene

Answer 9

gene that produces its characteristic phenotype only when its allele is identical

Question 10

soma

Answer 10

cell body

Question 11

synapse

Answer 11

a structure that permits a neuron to pass an electrical or chemical signal to another cell

Question 12

thalamus

Answer 12

the brain’s sensory switchboard, located on top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replied to the cerebellum and medulla

Question 13

neurotransmitters

Answer 13

chemical messengers that traverse the synaptic gaps between neurons

Question 14

brain stem

Answer 14

the oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; the brainstem is responsible for automatic survival functions

Question 15

agonists

Answer 15

a drug molecule that is similar enough to the neurotransmitter to mimic its effects

Question 16

basal ganglia

Answer 16

associated with a variety of functions including; control of voluntary motor movements, procedural learning, routine behaviors, eye movements, cognition and emotion

Question 17

cingulate cortex

Answer 17

an integral part of the limbic system, which is involved with emotion formation and processing, learning, and memory

Question 18

efferent fibers

Answer 18

carry nerve impulses away from the central nervous system

Question 19

gilal cells

Answer 19

primary function is to nourish the nerve cell

Question 20

hypothamamus

Answer 20

a neural structure lying below the thalamus; it directs several maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temperature), helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion

Question 21

medulla

Answer 21

the base of the brainsteam; controls heartbeat and breathing

Question 22

nucleus accumbens

Answer 22

pleasure including laughter, reward, and reinforcement learning, as well as fear, aggression, impulsivity, addiction, and the placebo effect

Question 23

peripheral nervous system

Answer 23

the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous sytem to the rest of the body

Question 24

resting potential

Answer 24

neuron that is not firing (at rest)

Question 25

somatic nervous system

Answer 25

the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body’s skeletal muscles

Question 26

refractory period

Answer 26

recovery time

Question 27

myelin sheath

Answer 27

around axon, essential for the proper functioning of the nervous system

Question 28

antagonist

Answer 28

drugs that block the effects of neurotransmitters by occupying their receptor sites

Question 29

central nervous system

Answer 29

enables our humanity- our thinking, feeling, and acting

Question 30

corpus collosum

Answer 30

connects the left and right hemispheres

Question 31

EEG

Answer 31

an amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain’s surface

Question 32

lesioning

Answer 32

tissue destruction

Question 33

orbitofrontal cortex

Answer 33

decision making

Question 34

pituitary gland

Answer 34

growth hormones

Question 35

sensory neurons

Answer 35

neurons that carry incoming information from the sense receptors to the central nervous system