ch3 vocab*

Question 1

Dendrites

Answer 1

neuron’s branching extensions that receive and integrate messages

Question 2

Myelin sheath

Answer 2

enables greater transmission speed as neural impulses hop from one node to the next

Question 3

Axon

Answer 3

neuron extension that passes message through its branches to other neurons

Question 3

Action potential

Answer 3

a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon

Question 4

Refractory period

Answer 4

a brief resting pause that occurs after a neuron has fired

Question 5

Reuptake

Answer 5

travel across the synapse and bind to receptor sites on the receiving neuron

Question 6

Agonist

Answer 6

molecule that increases a neurotransmitter’s action

Question 7

All-or-none response

Answer 7

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

Question 8

Interneuron

Answer 8

neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally

Question 8

Endorphins

Answer 8

natural, opiate-like neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure

Question 9

Acetylcholine

Answer 9

best-understood neurotransmitters has role in learning and memory

Question 10

Neurotransmitter

Answer 10

chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps sending neurons

Question 11

Threshold

Answer 11

level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse

Question 12

Antagonist

Answer 12

a substance that interferes with or inhibits the physiological action of another

Question 12

Soma

Answer 12

cell body

Question 13

Synapse

Answer 13

junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite

Question 13

Axon terminals

Answer 13

where action potential comes to a screeching halt

Question 14

Central nervous system

Answer 14

brain and spinal cord

Question 15

Sympathetic nervous system

Answer 15

division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body

Question 16

Hormones

Answer 16

chemical messengers that travel through the bloodstream, and affect other tissues

Question 17

pituitary gland

Answer 17

regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands

Question 18

Sensory (afferent) neurons

Answer 18

carry information from the body’s tissues and sensory receptors to brain and spinal cord

Question 18

autonomic nervous system

Answer 18

peripheral nervous system part controls the glands and the muscles of internal organs

Question 19

Adrenal glands

Answer 19

secrete hormones that help arouse the body in times of stress

Question 20

Motor (efferent) neurons

Answer 20

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

Question 21

Endocrine system

Answer 21

set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream

Question 22

Nerves

Answer 22

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

Question 23

EEG (Electroencephalogram)

Answer 23

amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity across the brain’s surface

Question 24

PET scan

Answer 24

detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain does a given task

Question 25

Hypothalamus

Answer 25

helps govern the endocrine system via pituitary gland, linked to emotion and award

Question 25

Cerebellum

Answer 25

the “little brain” at the rear of the brainstem,muscle movement, balance

Question 26

Hippocampus

Answer 26

helps process for storage explicit (conscious) memories of facts and events

Question 27

limbic system

Answer 27

neural system (including the amygdala, hypothalamus, and hippocampus)

Question 28

Lesion

Answer 28

naturally or experimentally caused destruction of brain tissue

Question 28

Brainstem

Answer 28

responsible for automatic survival functions

Question 29

fMRI

Answer 29

a technique for reveal blood flow and brain activity

Question 29

Medulla

Answer 29

base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing

Question 30

Amygdala

Answer 30

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

Question 31

Pons

Answer 31

sleep and arousal

Question 32

Frontal lobes

Answer 32

portion of the cerebral cortex involved in making plans and judgments

Question 32

CAT scan

Answer 32

series of X-ray photographs taken from different angles and combined by computer

Question 33

Plasticity

Answer 33

brain’s ability to change, especially during childhood

Question 34

occipital lobes

Answer 34

includes areas that receive information from the visual fields

Question 34

Parietal lobes

Answer 34

receives sensory input for touch and body position

Question 35

Cerebral cortex

Answer 35

brain’s outer surface of interconnected neural cells

Question 36

Glial cells

Answer 36

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

Question 37

Motor cortex

Answer 37

area at the rear of the frontal lobes that control voluntary movements

Question 38

Association areas

Answer 38

involves high mental functions like learning, thinking, and speaking

Question 39

Sensory cortex

Answer 39

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

Question 40

Aphasia

Answer 40

impairment of language