Unit 2 pt 1

Question 1

A nerve cell; basic building block of the nervous system

Answer 1

neuron

Question 2

Part of the neuron that contains the nucleus; the cells life support center

Answer 2

cell body

Question 3

Neurons often bushy, branching extensions that recieve and integrate messages, conducting impulses towards the cell body

Answer 3

dendrites

Question 4

electrical wire that carries a signal sent from the nucleus

Answer 4

axon

Question 5

a fatty tissue layer segmentally encasing the axon of some neurons; enables vastly greater transmission

Answer 5

myelin sheath

Question 6

cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons

Answer 6

glial cells

Question 7

a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon

Answer 7

action potential

Question 8

the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse

Answer 8

threshold

Question 9

a period of inactivity after a neuron has fired

Answer 9

refractory period

Question 10

a neuron’s reaction of either firing (with a full-strength response) or not firing.

Answer 10

all or none response

Question 11

the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron

Answer 11

synapse

Question 12

chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons

Answer 12

neurotransmitters

Question 13

a neurotransmitter’s reabsorption by the sending neuron

Answer 13

reuptake

Question 14

“morphine within”–natural, opiatelike neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure.

Answer 14

endorphins

Question 15

a molecule that, by binding to a receptor site, stimulates a response

Answer 15

agonist

Question 16

the body’s speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems

Answer 16

nervous system

Question 17

brain and spinal cord

Answer 17

central nervous system

Question 18

the sensory and motor neurons that connect the CNS to the rest of the body

Answer 18

peripheral nervous system

Question 19

bundled axons that form neural “cables” connecting the central nervous system with muscles, glands, and sense organs

Answer 19

nerves

Question 20

neurons that carry incoming information from the sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord

Answer 20

sensory neurons

Question 21

neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands

Answer 21

motor neurons

Question 22

neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs

Answer 22

interneurons

Question 23

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

Answer 23

somatic nervous system

Question 24

the part of the nervous system responsible for control of the bodily functions not consciously directed, such as breathing, the heartbeat, and digestive processes.

Answer 24

autonomic nervous system

Question 25

the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations

Answer 25

sympathetic nervous system

Question 26

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

Answer 26

parasympathetic nervous system

Question 27

a simple, automatic response to a sensory stimulus, such as the knee-jerk response

Answer 27

reflex

Question 28

the body's "slow" chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream

Answer 28

endocrine system

Question 29

chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands, travel through the bloodstream, and affect other tissues

Answer 29

hormones

Question 30

a pair of endocrine glands that sit just above the kidneys and secrete hormones (epinephrine and norepinephrine) that help arouse the body in times of stress.

Answer 30

adrenal glands

Question 31

The endocrine system's most influential gland. Under the influence of the hypothalamus, the pituitary regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands.

Answer 31

pituitary gland

Question 32

An amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain's surface. These waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp.

Answer 32

EEG

Question 33

a brain imaging technique that measures magnetic fields from the brain's natural electrical activity

Answer 33

MEG

Question 34

a series of x-ray photographs taken from different angles and combined by computer into a composite representation of a slice through the body

Answer 34

CT scan

Question 35

a visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task

Answer 35

PET scan

Question 36

a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images that distinguish among different types of soft tissue; allows us to see structures within the brain

Answer 36

MRI

Question 37

A technique for revealing blood flow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans.

Answer 37

fMRI

Question 38

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

Answer 38

brainstem

Question 39

the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing

Answer 39

medulla

Question 40

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

Answer 40

thalamus

Question 41

a nerve network that travels through the brainstem and thalamus and plays an important role in controlling arousal

Answer 41

reticular formation

Question 42

the "little brain" at the rear of the brainstem; functions include processing sensory input and coordinating movement output and balance

Answer 42

cerebellum

Question 43

neural system located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions and drives

Answer 43

limbic system

Question 44

two lima bean-sized neural clusters in the limbic system; linked to emotion.

Answer 44

amygdala

Question 45

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 and reward.

Answer 45

hypothalamus

Question 46

A neural center located in the limbic system that helps process explicit memories for storage.

Answer 46

hippocampus

Question 47

Fabric of interconnected neuron cells. Higher order thinking. Takes meaning and puts it to focus. The body's ultimate control and information-processing center.

Answer 47

cerebral cortex

Question 48

portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgements

Answer 48

frontal lobe

Question 49

portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; receives sensory input for touch and body position

Answer 49

parental lobe

Question 50

portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes areas that receive information from the visual fields

Answer 50

occipital lobe

Question 51

portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory areas, each receiving information primarily from the opposite ear

Answer 51

temporal lobe

Question 52

an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements

Answer 52

motor cortex

Question 53

area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations

Answer 53

somatosensory cortex

Question 54

areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions; rather, they are involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking

Answer 54

association areas

Question 55

the brain's ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience

Answer 55

plasticity

Question 56

the formation of new neurons

Answer 56

neurogenesis

Question 57

the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them

Answer 57

corpus callosum

Question 58

a condition resulting from surgery that isolates the brain's two hemispheres by cutting the fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) connecting them

Answer 58

split brain

Question 59

our awareness of ourselves and our environment

Answer 59

consciousness

Question 60

study of the physical changes in the brain and nervous system during thinking

Answer 60

cognitive neuroscience

Question 61

the principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks

Answer 61

dual processing

Question 62

a condition in which a person can respond to a visual stimulus without consciously experiencing it

Answer 62

blindsight

Question 63

the processing of many aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain's natural mode of information processing for many functions, including vision. Contrasts with the step-by-step (serial) processing of most computers and of conscious problem solving.

Answer 63

parallel processing

Question 64

the processing of one aspect of a problem at a time; used when we focus attention on new or complex tasks

Answer 64

sequential processing

Question 65

the study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior

Answer 65

behavior genetics

Question 66

the genetic transfer of characteristics from parents to offspring

Answer 66

heredity

Question 67

every nongenetic influence, from prenatal nutrition to the people and things around us

Answer 67

environment

Question 68

threadlike structures made of DNA molecules that contain the genes

Answer 68

chromosomes

Question 69

A complex molecule containing the genetic information that makes up the chromosomes.

Answer 69

DNA

Question 70

the biochemical units of heredity that make up the chromosomes; a segment of DNA capable of synthesizing a protein

Answer 70

genes

Question 71

the complete instructions for making an organism, consisting of all the genetic material in that organism's chromosomes

Answer 71

genome

Question 72

Twins who develop from separate eggs. They are genetically no closer than brothers and sisters, but they share a fetal environment

Answer 72

fraternal twins

Question 73

twins who develop from a single fertilized egg that splits in two, creating two genetically identical organisms

Answer 73

identical environment

Question 74

the passing of genetic traits from parent to offspring

Answer 74

heredity

Question 75

the interplay that occurs when the effect of one factor (such as environment) depends on another factor (such as heredity)

Answer 75

interaction

Question 76

the subfield of biology that studies the molecular structure and function of genes

Answer 76

molecular genetics

Question 77

the study of how the structure and function of genes interact with our environment to influence behavior

Answer 77

molecular behavioral genetics

Question 78

the study of environmental influences on gene expression that occur without a DNA change

Answer 78

epigenetics

Question 79

the study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection

Answer 79

evolutionary psychology

Question 80

the principle that, among the range of inherited trait variations, those contributing to reproduction and survival will most likely be passed on to succeeding generations

Answer 80

natural selection

Question 81

a random error in gene replication that leads to a change

Answer 81

mutation

Question 82

culturally modeled guide for how to act in various situations

Answer 82

social script

Question 83

a molecule that inhibits or blocks a neurotransmitter's action

Answer 83

anatagonist

Question 84

tissue destruction. A brain lesion is a naturally or experimentally caused destruction of brain tissue

Answer 84

lesion