Chapter 3 Terms Flashcards
Neurons
Cells in the nervous system that communicate with one another to perform information-processing tasks.
Cell Body (or soma)
The part of a neuron that coordinates information-processing tasks and keep the cell alive.
Dendrite
The part of a neuron that receives information from other neurons and relays it to the cell body.
Axon
The part of a neuron that carries information to other neurons, muscles, or glands.
Synapse
The junction or region between the axon of one neuron and the dendrites or cell body of another.
Myelin Sheath
An insulating layer of fatty material.
Glial cells
Support cells found in the nervous system.
Resting Potential
The difference in electric charge between the inside and outside of a neuron’s cell membrane.
Action Potential
An electric signal that is conducting along a neuron’s axon to a synapse.
Refractory Period
The time following an action potential during which a new action potential cannot be initiated.
Terminal Buttons
Knoblike structures that branch out from an axon.
Neurotransmitters
Chemicals that transmit information across the synapse to a receiving neuron’s dedrites.
Receptors
Parts of the cell membrane that receive the neurotransmitter and initiate or prevent a new electrical signal.
Agonists
Drugs that increase the action of a neurotransmitter.
Antagonists
Drugs that block the function of a neurotransmitter.
Nervous System
An interacting network of neurons that conveys electrochemical information throughout the body.
Central Nervous System (CNS)
The part of the nervous system that us composed of the brain and spinal cord.
Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
The part of the nervous system that connects the central nervous system to the body’s organs and muscles.
Somatic Nervous System
A set of nerves that conveys information between voluntary muscles and the central nervous system.
Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)
A set of nerves that carries involuntary and automatic commands that control blood vessels, body organs, and glands.
Sympathetic Nervous System
A set of nerves that prepares the body for action in challenging or threatening situations. (Fight or Flight)
Parasympathetic Nervous System
A set of nerves that helps the body return to a normal resting state.
Spinal Reflexes
Simple pathways in the nervous system that rapidly generate muscle contractions.
Hindbrain
The area of the brain that coordinates information coming into and out of the spinal cord.
Medulla
An extension of the spinal cord into the skull that coordinates heart rate, circulation, and respirations.
Reticular Formation
A brain structure that regulates sleep, wakefulness, and levels of arousal.
Cerebellum
A large structure of the hindbrain that controls fine motor skills.
Pons
A brain structure that relays information from the cerebellum to the rest of the brain.
Subcortical Structures
Areas of the forebrain housed under the cerebral cortex near the center of the brain.
Thalamus
A subcortical structure that relays and filters information from the sense and transmits the information to the cerebral cortex.
Hypothalamus
A subcortical structure that regulates body temperature, hunger, thirst, and sexual behavior.
Hippocampus
A structure critical for creating new memories and integrating them into a network of knowledge so that they can be stored indefinitely in other parts of the cerebral cortex.
Amygdala
A brain structure that plays a central role in many emotional processes, particularly the formation of emotional memories.
Basal Ganglia
A set of subcortical structures that directs intentional movements.
Endocrine System
A network of glands that produce and secrete into the bloodstream chemical messages known as hormones, which influence a wide variety of basic functions, including metabolism, growth, and sexual development.
Pituitary Gland
The “master gland” of the body’s hormone-producing system, which releases hormones that direct the functions of many other glands in the body.
Cerebral Cortex
The outermost layer of the brain, visible to the naked eye and divided into two hemispheres.
Corpus Callosum
A thick band of nerve fibers that connects large areas of the cerebral cortex on each side of the brain and support communication of information across the hemispheres.
Occipital Lobe
A region of the cerebral cortex that processes visual information.
Parietal Lobe
A region of the cerebral cortex whose function include processing information about touch.
Temporal Lobe
A region of the cerebral cortex responsible for hearing and language.
Frontal Lobe
The region of the cerebral cortex that has specialized areas for movement, abstract thinking, planning, memory, and judgement.
Association Areas
Areas of the cerebral cortex that are composed of neurons that help provide sense and meaning to information registered in the cortex.
Mirror Neurons
Neurons that are active when an animal performs a behavior, such as reaching for or manipulating an object, and are also activated when another animal observes that animal performing the same behavior.
Gene
The major unit of hereditary transmission.
Chromosomes
The DNA is configured in a double helix; the chromosomes are not.
Epigenetics
The study of environmental influences that determine whether or not genes are expressed, or the degree to which they are expressed, without altering the basic DNA sequences that constitute the genes themselves.
