Chapter 2

Question 1

Behavior

Answer 1

A collection of coordinated movements that are internally generated, often in response to external stimuli

Question 2

Neuroplasticity

Answer 2

The nervous system’s potential to modify itself physically or chemically in response to environmental change and to compensate for age-related changes and injury

Question 3

Phenotypic plasticity

Answer 3

An individual’s capacity to develop into a range of phenotypes

Question 4

Somatic nervous system (SNS)

Answer 4

Part of the PNS that includes the cranial and spinal nerves to and from the muscles, joints, and skin, which produce movement, transmit incoming sensory input, and inform the CNS about the position and movement of body parts

Question 5

Automatic nervous system (ANS)

Answer 5

Part of the PNS that regulates the functioning of internal organs and glands

Question 6

Enteric nervous system (ENS)

Answer 6

Mesh of neurons embedded in the lining of the gut, running from the esophagus through the colon; controls the gut

Question 7

Afferent

Answer 7

Conducting toward a CNS structure

Question 8

Efferent

Answer 8

Conducting away from a CNS structure

Question 9

Meninges

Answer 9

Three layers of protective tissue - dura matter, arachnoid, and pia matter - that encase the brain and spinal cord

Question 10

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)

Answer 10

Clear solution of sodium, chloride, and other ions that is produced in the ventricles inside the brain and circulates around the brain and spinal cord until it is absorbed beneath the arachnoid layer in the subarachnoid space

Question 11

Cerebral cortex

Answer 11

Heavily folded and layered tissue that forms the outer structure of the forebrain; composed of neocortex and allocortex

Question 12

Frontal lobe

Answer 12

Part of the cerebral cortex, which performs the brain’s executive functions, such as decision making, and voluntary movement; lies anterior to the central sulcus and beneath the frontal bone of the skull

Question 13

Parietal lobe

Answer 13

Part of the cerebral cortex that directs movements toward a goal or to perform a task, such as grasping an object; lies posterior to the central sulcus and beneath the parietal bone at the top of the skull

Question 14

Temporal lobe

Answer 14

Part of the cerebral cortex that includes hearing, language, musical abilities, facial recognition, memory, and emotional processing; lies below the lateral fissure, beneath the temporal bone at the side of the skull

Question 15

Occipital lobe

Answer 15

Part of the cerebral cortex where visual scene processing begins; the most posterior part of the neocortex, it lies beneath the occipital bone

Question 16

Gyri (sing. gyrus)

Answer 16

Small protrusions or bumps formed by the folding of the cerebral cortex

Question 17

Sulci (sing. sulcus)

Answer 17

Grooves in brain matter; most are in the neocortex or cerebellum

Question 18

Stroke

Answer 18

Sudden appearance of neurological symptoms as a result of severely reduced blood flow in the brain

Question 19

Gray matter

Answer 19

Areas of the nervous system composed predominantly of neuronal cell bodies that collect and modify information and capillary blood vessels that support this activity

Question 20

White matter

Answer 20

Areas of the nervous system containing fat-rich, myelin-sheathed neuronal axons that form the connections between neurons

Question 21

Ventricles

Answer 21

Cavities in the brain that make and contain CSF

Question 22

Corpus callosum

Answer 22

Band of white matter containing about 200 million nerve fibers, which connects the two cerebral hemispheres to provide a route for direct communication between them

Question 23

Nuclei (sing. nucleus)

Answer 23

A group of neurons forming a cluster that can be identified using special stains

Question 24

Nerve

Answer 24

Large collection of axons coursing together outside the CNS

Question 25

Tract

Answer 25

Large collection of axons coursing together inside the CNS

Question 26

Brainstem

Answer 26

Central structure of the brain (including the hindbrain, midbrain, thalamus, and hypothalamus) that is responsible for most life-sustaining behavior

Question 27

Hindbrain

Answer 27

Evolutionarily the oldest part of the brain; contains the pons, medulla, reticular formation, and cerebellum, the structures that coordinate and control most voluntary and involuntary movements

Question 28

Reticular formation

Answer 28

Midbrain area in which nuclei and fiber pathways are mixed, producing a netlike appearance; associated with sleep-wake behavior and behavioral arousal

Question 29

Midbrain

Answer 29

Central part of the brain; contains neural circuits for hearing and seeing as well as for orienting movements

Question 30

Tectum

Answer 30

Roof (area above the ventricle) of the midbrain; its functions are sensory processing, particularly visual and auditory, and the production of orienting movements

Question 31

Tegmentum

Answer 31

Floor (area below the ventricle) of the midbrain; a collection of nuclei with movement-related, species-specific, and pain perception functions

Question 32

Diencephalon

Answer 32

The between brain, which integrates sensory and motor information on its way to the cerebral cortex

Question 33

Hypothalamus

Answer 33

Diencephalon structure that contains many nuclei associated with temperature regulation, eating, drinking, and sexual behavior

Question 34

Forebrain

Answer 34

Evolutionarily the most recent addition to the brain; coordinates advanced cognitive functions such as thinking, planning, and language; contains the allocortex, neocortex, and basal ganglia

Question 35

Allocortex

Answer 35

Part of the cerebral cortex (outer bark), composed of three or four layers; plays a role in controlling motivational and emotional states as well as in certain forms of memory

Question 36

Thalamus

Answer 36

Diencephalon structure through which information from all sensory systems is organized, integrated, and projected into the appropriate regions of the neocortex

Question 37

Neocortex

Answer 37

Most recently expanded outer layer (new bark) of the forebrain, composed of about six layers of gray matter. Its name is a misnomer, as it actually arose at the same time during evolution as other forms of the cortex. It is also called isocortex because it almost always contains six layers, with a few exceptions

Question 38

Limbic system

Answer 38

A conceptual system controlling affective and motivated behaviors and certain forms of memory, with key anatomy lying between the neocortex and brainstem; includes the cingulate cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus, among other structures

Question 39

Vomeronasal organ (VNO)

Answer 39

Collection of neurons that detect pheromones; this organ plays a role in reproduction and social behavior in many mammals, although its specific function in humans is disputed

Question 40

Cytoarchitectonic map

Answer 40

Map of the neocortex based on the organization, structure, and distribution of the cells

Question 41

Basal ganglia

Answer 41

Subcortical forebrain nuclei that coordinate voluntary movements of the limbs and body; connected to the thalamus and to the midbrain

Question 42

Parkinson disease

Answer 42

Disorder of the motor system correlated with a loss of dopamine from the substantia nigra and characterized by tremors, muscular rigidity, and a reduction in voluntary movement

Question 43

Tourette syndrome

Answer 43

Disorder of the motor system characterized by involuntary vocalizations (sometimes including curse words and grunting sounds) and odd, involuntary movements of the body, especially of the face and head

Question 44

Cranial nerves

Answer 44

The 12 nerve pairs that control sensory and motor functions of the head, neck, and internal organs

Question 45

Vertebrae (sing. vertebra)

Answer 45

The bones that form the spinal column

Question 46

Dermatome

Answer 46

Body segment corresponding to a segment of the spinal cord

Question 47

Law of Bell and Magendie

Answer 47

Sensory fibers are dorsal/posterior and motor fibers are ventral/anterior, with an exception

Question 48

Sympathetic division

Answer 48

Part of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body for action, such as mediating the involuntary fight-or-flight response to alarm by increasing heart rate and blood pressure

Question 49

Parasympathetic division

Answer 49

Part of the automatic nervous system that acts in opposition to the sympathetic division - for example, preparing the body to rest and digest by reversing the alarm response or stimulating digestion

Question 50

Neuronal circuit

Answer 50

A series of neurons interconnected by synapses that subserve a function when activated

Question 51

Excitation

Answer 51

Increase in the activity of a neuron or brain area

Question 52

Inhibition

Answer 52

Decrease in the activity of a neuron or brain area