Chapter 3 Key Terms

Question 1

action potential

Answer 1

electrical signal that moves down the neuron’s axon

Question 2

agonist

Answer 2

a drug that mimics or strengthens the effects of a neurotransmitter

Question 3

allele

Answer 3

specific version of a gene

Question 4

antagonist

Answer 4

drug that blocks or impedes the normal activity of a given neurotransmitter

Question 5

autonomic nervous system

Answer 5

controls our internal organs and glands (involuntary functions)

Question 6

axon

Answer 6

major extension of the soma

Question 7

broca’s area

Answer 7

a region in the left hemisphere that is essential for language production

Question 8

central nervous system

Answer 8

brain and spinal cord

Question 9

CT scan

Answer 9

imaging technique with multiple x-rays of a given area

Question 10

corpus callosum

Answer 10

a thick band of neural fibers connecting the brain’s two hemispheres

Question 11

dendrite

Answer 11

branch-like extension of the soma that receives incoming signals from other neurons

Question 12

EEG

Answer 12

recording electrical activity of the brain via electrodes on the scalp

Question 13

epigenetics

Answer 13

study of gene-environment interactions, how the same genotype lead to different phenotypes

Question 14

frontal lobe

Answer 14

part of the cerebral cortex involved in reasoning, motor control, emotion, and language (front of brain)

Question 15

genotype

Answer 15

genetic makeup of an individual

Question 16

hemisphere

Answer 16

right or left half of the brain

Question 17

hippocampus

Answer 17

structure in the temporal lobe associated with learning and memory

Question 18

homeostasis

Answer 18

state of equalibrium

Question 19

lateralization

Answer 19

concept that each hemisphere of the brain is associated with specialized functions

Question 20

MRI

Answer 20

magnetic fields used to produce a picture of the tissue being imaged

Question 21

membrane potential

Answer 21

the difference in charge across the neuronal membrane

Question 22

mutation

Answer 22

sudden, permanent change in a gene

Question 23

myelin sheath

Answer 23

fatty substance that insulates axons

Question 24

neuron

Answer 24

cells in the nervous system that act as information processors, essential for all tasks of the nervous system

Question 25

plasticity

Answer 25

ability to change and adapt

Question 26

neurotransmitter

Answer 26

chemical messenger of the nervous system

Question 27

occipital lobe

Answer 27

part of the cerebral cortex associated with visual processing (back of the brain)

Question 28

parasympathetic nervous system

Answer 28

associated with routine, day-to-day operations of the body, calms body to conserve energy

Question 29

parietal lobe

Answer 29

part of cerebral cortex involved in processing various sensory and perceptual info (top/middle of brain)

Question 30

peripheral nervous system

Answer 30

connects the brain and spinal cord to the muscles, organs, and senses in the body

Question 31

phenotype

Answer 31

individuals inheritable physical characteristics

Question 32

psychotropic medication

Answer 32

drugs that treat psychiatric symptoms by restoring neurotransmitter balance

Question 33

receptor

Answer 33

protein on the cell surface where neurotransmitters attach

Question 34

resting potential

Answer 34

the state of readiness of a neuron membranes potential between signals

Question 35

semipermeable membrane

Answer 35

cell membrane that allows smaller molecules or molecules w/o an electrical charge to pass through it, while stopping larger or highly charged molecules

Question 36

soma

Answer 36

cell body

Question 37

somatic nervous system

Answer 37

relays sensory and motor information to and from the CNS (voluntary muscles)

Question 38

sympathetic nervous system

Answer 38

involved in stress-related activities and functions (arouses body to expend energy)

Question 39

synaptic cleft

Answer 39

small gap between two neurons where communication occurs

Question 40

synaptic vesicle

Answer 40

storage site for neurotransmitters

Question 41

temporal lobe

Answer 41

part of cerebral cortex associated with hearing, memory, emotion, and some aspects of language (sides of brain)

Question 42

terminal button

Answer 42

axon terminal containing synaptic vesicles

Question 43

thalamus

Answer 43

sensory relay for the brain

Question 44

theory of evolution by natural selection

Answer 44

states that organisms that are better suited for their environments will survive and reproduce compared to those poorly suited for their environments

Question 45

threshold of excitation

Answer 45

level of charge in the membrane that causes the neuron to become active

Question 46

Wernicke area

Answer 46

important for speech comprehension