Central nervous system (CNS)- - brain and spinal cord
Peripheral nervous system (PNS) - all nerve cells in the body that are not part of the
CNS
Somatic nervous system (SNS) - the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls
voluntary movement of skeletal muscles
Autonomic nervous system - 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.
Neurons - are powered by electrical impulses, and communicate with other nerve cells
through chemical signals.
Dendrites - branchlike extensions of the neuron that detect information from other
neurons (reception)
Cell body - the site in the neuron where information from thousands of other neurons is
collected and integrated (integration)
Axon - a long narrow outgrowth of a neuron by which information is transmitted to other
neurons (transmission)
Synapse - the gap between the axon of a "sending" neuron and the dendrites of a
"receiving" neuron and the site at which chemical communication occurs between
neurons
Action potential - a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon, and subsequently
causes the release of chemicals from the terminal buttons
Action potentials cause neurons to release chemicals from their terminal buttons
Myelin Sheath - A layer of fatty tissue segmentally encasing the fibers of many neurons;
enables vastly greater transmission speed of neural impulses as the impulse hops from
one node to the next.
Neurotransmitters - chemical substances that transmit signals from one neuron to
another
Receptors - in a receiving neuron
, All-or-none principle - When a neuron fires, it fires with the same potency eachtime;a
neuron either fires or not
Reuptake - The neurotransmitter is reabsorbed into the presynaptic terminal buttons
Agonists and Antagonists - substances that bind to a receptor and cause a partial
response that is not as strong as that caused by an agonist
Brain stem - control functions associated with survival, such as heart rate, breathing,
swallowing, vomiting, urination, and orgasm.
Cerebellum - is essential for coordinated movement and balance
cerebral cortex - It is the site of all thoughts, perceptions, and complex behaviors
Corpus callosum - a massive bridge of millions of axons, connects the hemispheres and
allows information to flow between them
Endocrine system - a communication system that uses hormones to influence thoughts,
behaviors, and actions
Hormones - Chemical substances, released from endocrine glands, that travel through
the bloodstream to targeted tissues; the tissues are subsequently influenced by the
hormones.
Pituitary gland - sends hormonal signals to other endocrine glands, controlling their
release of hormones.
Plasticity - a property of the brain that allows it to change as a result of experience or
injury.
Chromosomes - are the structures within the cell body that are made up of DNA
(deoxyribonucleic acid), segments of which comprise individual genes.
Genotype - the genetic constitution of an organism, which is determined at the moment
of conception
Phenotype - observable physical characteristics, which result from both genetic and
environmental influences
Sensation - the detection of external stimuli and the transmission of this information to
the brain
Perception - the processing, organization, and interpretation of sensory signals
Bottom-up processing - perception based on the physical features of the stimulus
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