8.2 Flashcards
Blind spot
the point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye, creating a “blind” spot because no receptor cells are located there.
Brain stem
the central trunk of the mammalian brain, consisting of the medulla oblongata, pons, and mid-brain, and continuing downward to form the spinal cord.
Central nervous system
The brain and spinal cord.
Cerebellum
A large structure of the hind-brain that controls fine motor skills.
Cerebrum
Area of the brain responsible for all voluntary activities of the body.
Chromosome
Any of the usually linear bodies in the cell nucleus that contain the genetic material.
Deoxyribonucleic acid
A nucleic acid molecule, usually a double stranded helix, in which each polynucleotide strand consists of nucleotide monomers with a deoxyribose sugar and the nitrogenous bases A T C G; capable of being replicated and determining the inherited structure of cell’s proteins.
Dominant trait
A genetic trait is considered dominant if it is expressed in a person who has only one copy of the gene associated with the trait.
Gel electrophoresis
The separation of nucleic acids or proteins.
Gene
A discrete unit of hereditary information consisting of a specific nucleotide sequence in DNA (or RNA, in some viruses).
Mutation
A rare change in the DNA of a gene, ultimately creating genetic diversity.
Nervous system
the body’s speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems.
Neuron
A nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system.
Noise-induced hearing loss
a type of nerve deafness caused by repeated exposure to extremely loud noises such as a gunshot, or to moderately loud noise that continues for long periods of time.
Optic nerve
Comprised of the axons of retinal ganglion cells, this carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain.
