CH 4.2 Key Terms Flashcards
apoptosis
a programmed mechanism of cell death
differentiates
to develop the axon and dendrites that give a neuron its distinctive properties
far transfer
improvement of a skill due to practice at a dissimilar skill
fetal alcohol syndrome
a condition resulting from prenatal exposure to alcohol and marked by hyperactivity, impulsiveness, decreased alertness, varying degrees of cognitive impairment, motor problems, heart defects, and facial abnormalities
migrate
move brain neurons or glia
focal hand dystonia
(musician’s cramp) a disorder where one or more fingers is in constant contraction or where moving one finger independently of others is difficult
nerve growth factor (NGF)
a protein that promotes the survival and growth of axons in the sympathetic nervous system and certain axons in the brain
myelination
process by which glia produce the insulating fatty sheaths that accelerate transmission in many vertebrate axons
neural Darwinism
principle of competition among axons
neurotrophin
a chemical that promotes the survival and activity of neurons NGF. See Nerve growth factor
stem cells
undifferentiated cells that divide and produce daughter cells that develop more specialized properties
proliferation
production of new cells
synaptogenesis
formation of synapses
