The Biology of Mind

Question 1

amygdala

Answer 1

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

Question 1

sympathetic nervous system

Answer 1

the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations.

Question 2

central nervous system (CNS)

Answer 2

the brain and spinal cord.

Question 3

PET (positron emission tomography) scan

Answer 3

a visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task.

Question 4

split brain

Answer 4

a condition resulting from surgery that isolates the brain’s two hemispheres by cutting the fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) connecting them.

Question 5

biological perspective

Answer 5

concerned with the links between biology and behavior. Includes psychologists working in neuroscience, behavior genetics, and evolutionary psychology. These researchers may call themselves behavioral neuroscientists, neuropsychologists, behavior geneticists, physiological psychologists, or biopsychologists.

Question 5

dendrites

Answer 5

a neuron’s bushy, branching extensions that receive messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body.

Question 5

neuron

Answer 5

a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system.

Question 6

synapse

Answer 6

the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron. The tiny gap at this junction is called the synaptic gap or synaptic cleft.

Question 7

reticular formation

Answer 7

a nerve network that travels through the brainstem and plays an important role in controlling arousal.

Question 8

neurotransmitters

Answer 8

chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons. When released by the sending neuron, neurotransmitters travel across the synapse and bind to receptor sites on the receiving neuron, thereby influencing whether that neuron will generate a neural impulse.

Question 9

limbic system

Answer 9

neural system (including the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus) located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions and drives.

Question 10

axon

Answer 10

the neuron extension that passes messages through its branches to other neurons or to muscles or glands.

Question 10

hormones

Answer 10

chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands, travel through the bloodstream, and affect other tissues.

Question 11

myelin [MY-uh-lin] sheath

Answer 11

a fatty tissue layer segmentally encasing the axons of some neurons; enables vastly greater transmission speed as neural impulses hop from one node to the next.

Question 12

interneurons

Answer 12

neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs.

Question 13

lesion

Answer 13

tissue destruction. A brain lesion is a naturally or experimentally caused destruction of brain tissue.

Question 13

reuptake

Answer 13

a neurotransmitter’s reabsorption by the sending neuron.

Question 15

fMRI (functional MRI)

Answer 15

a technique for revealing bloodflow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. fMRI scans show brain function.

Question 16

thalamus

Answer 16

the brain’s sensory switchboard, located on top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla.

Question 17

plasticity

Answer 17

the brain’s ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience.

Question 18

corpus callosum

Answer 18

the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them.

Question 19

endocrine system

Answer 19

the body’s “slow” chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream.

Question 21

action potential

Answer 21

a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon.

Question 22

electroencephalogram (EEG)

Answer 22

an amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain’s surface. These waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp.

Question 23

neurogenesis

Answer 23

the formation of new neurons.

Question 23

reflex

Answer 23

a simple, automatic response to a sensory stimulus, such as the knee-jerk response.

Question 24

nerves

Answer 24

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

Question 25

occipital lobes

Answer 25

portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes areas that receive information from the visual fields.

Question 26

endorphins

Answer 26

“morphine within”-natural, opiatelike neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure.

Question 26

somatic nervous system

Answer 26

the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body’s skeletal muscles. Also called the skeletal nervous system.

Question 28

nervous system

Answer 28

the body’s speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems.

Question 30

autonomic nervous system (ANS)

Answer 30

the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs (such as the heart). Its sympathetic division arouses; its parasympathetic division calms.

Question 31

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)

Answer 31

a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images of soft tissue. MRI scans show brain anatomy.

Question 32

parietal lobes

Answer 32

portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; receives sensory input for touch and body position.

Question 34

motor cortex

Answer 34

an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements.

Question 37

glial cells (glia)

Answer 37

cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons; they may also play a role in learning and thinking.

Question 38

sensory neurons

Answer 38

neurons that carry incoming information from the sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord.

Question 39

parasympathetic nervous system

Answer 39

the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy.

Question 40

association areas

Answer 40

areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions; rather, they are involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking.

Question 41

temporal lobes

Answer 41

portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory areas, each receiving information primarily from the opposite ear.

Question 42

pituitary gland

Answer 42

the endocrine system’s most influential gland. Under the influence of the hypothalamus, the pituitary regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands.

Question 43

peripheral nervous system (PNS)

Answer 43

the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system (CNS) to the rest of the body.

Question 44

cerebellum

Answer 44

the “little brain” at the rear of the brainstem; functions include processing sensory input and coordinating movement output and balance.

Question 45

medulla

Answer 45

the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing.

Question 46

frontal lobes

Answer 46

portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgments.

Question 47

adrenal glands

Answer 47

a pair of endocrine glands that sit just above the kidneys and secrete hormones (epinephrine and norepinephrine) that help arouse the body in times of stress.

Question 48

sensory cortex

Answer 48

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

Question 49

motor neurons

Answer 49

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

Question 50

brainstem

Answer 50

the oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; the brainstem is responsible for automatic survival functions.

Question 51

cerebral cortex

Answer 51

the intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the cerebral hemispheres; the body’s ultimate control and information-processing center.