Unit 3 31 Words Flashcards
A complex molecule containing the genetic information that makes up chromosomes
DNA
Neural system located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions and drives
Limbic system
Every external influence, from prenatal nutrition to the people and things around us
Environment
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
Association areas
Chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands, travel through the bloodstream, and affect other tissues.
Hormones
Neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands.
Motor neurons
An amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity sweeping across the brain’s surface. These waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp.
EEG
An area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements.
Motor cortex
The sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system (CNS) to the rest of the body.
PNS
A molecule that, by binding to a receptor site, inhibits or blocks a response.
Antagonist
A visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task.
Pet scan
The interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition
Cognitive neuroscience
A condition resulting from surgery that isolates the brain’s two hemispheres by cutting the fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) connecting them.
Split brain
The subfield of biology that studies the molecular structure and function of genes.
Molecular genetics
The division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy.
Parasympathetic nervous system
