CH 3.1 Key Terms

Question 1

amygdala

Answer 1

temporal lobe structure important for evaluating emotional information

Question 2

autonomic nervous system

Answer 2

part of the PNS that controls the heart, intestines, and other organs

Question 3

basal ganglia

Answer 3

a group of subcortical forebrain structures lateral to the thalamus

Question 4

brainstem

Answer 4

the medulla, pons, midbrain, and central structure of the forebrain

Question 5

gray matter

Answer 5

areas of the nervous system that are densely packed with cell bodies and dendrites

Question 6

cerebellum

Answer 6

highly folded hindbrain structure that is important for behaviors that depend on accurate timing

Question 7

central nervous system (CNS)

Answer 7

the brain and the spinal cord

Question 8

dorsal

Answer 8

located toward the back

Question 9

dorsal root ganglia

Answer 9

clusters of sensory neurons outside the spinal cord

Question 10

hypothalamus

Answer 10

small area near the base of the brain, ventral to the thalamus

Question 11

cranial nerves

Answer 11

nerves that control sensations from the head, muscle movements in the head, and much of the parasympathetic output to the organs

Question 12

cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)

Answer 12

a clear fluid similar to blood plasma produced by choroid plexus in the brain ventricles

Question 13

hindbrain

Answer 13

the posterior part of the brain

Question 14

hippocampus

Answer 14

a large structure located toward the posterior of the forebrain, between the thalamus and the cerebral cortex

Question 15

inferior colliculus

Answer 15

swelling on the surface of the tectum that contributes to hearing

Question 16

limbic system

Answer 16

interlinked structures that form a border around the brainstem

Question 17

medulla

Answer 17

hindbrain structure located just above the spinal cord; could be regarded as an enlarged extension of the spinal cord MEG.

Question 18

meninges

Answer 18

membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord

Question 19

midbrain

Answer 19

middle part of the brain

Question 20

nucleus basalis

Answer 20

a forebrain structure that lies on the ventral surface; receives input from the hypothalamus and basal ganglia; sends axons to areas in the cerebral cortex

Question 21

parasympathetic nervous system

Answer 21

system of nerves that facilitate vegetative, nonemergency responses by the body’s organs

Question 22

peripheral nervous system (PNS)

Answer 22

nerves outside the brain and spinal cord

Question 23

pons

Answer 23

hindbrain structure that lies anterior and ventral to the medulla

Question 24

somatic nervous system

Answer 24

part of the PNS that consists of the axons conveying messages from the sense organs to the CNS and from the CNS to the muscles

Question 25

spinal cord

Answer 25

part of the CNS; it communicates with all the sense organs and muscles except those of the head

Question 26

thalamus

Answer 26

a pair of structures in the center of the forebrain

Question 27

substantia nigra

Answer 27

A midbrain structure that gives rise to a pathway releasing dopamine

Question 28

superior colliculus

Answer 28

swelling on either side of the tectum; important to visual processing

Question 29

sympathetic nervous system

Answer 29

a network of nerves that prepare the organs for vigorous activity

Question 30

tectum

Answer 30

roof of the midbrain

Question 31

tegmentum

Answer 31

intermediate level of the midbrain

Question 32

ventral

Answer 32

toward the stomach

Question 33

ventricles

Answer 33

four fluid-filled cavities within the brain

Question 34

white matter

Answer 34

area of the nervous system consisting of myelinated axons