Chapter 1
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) - Wound to the brain that results from a blow to the head
Spinal cord - Part of the central nervous system encased within the vertebrae (spinal
column); provides most of the connections between the brain and the rest of the body
Central nervous system (CNS) - The brain and spinal cord, which together mediate behavior
Peripheral nervous system (PNS) - All of the neurons in the body outside the brain and
spinal cord; provides sensory and motor connections to and from the central nervous
system.
Neuron - Specialized nerve cell engaged in information processing
Cerebrum (forebrain) - Major structure of the forebrain that consists of two mirror image
hemispheres (left and right) and is responsible for most conscious behavior.
Hemisphere - Literally, half a sphere, referring to one side of the cerebrum
Brainstem - Central structure of the brain responsible for most unconscious behavior
Cerebellum - Major brainstem structure specialized for learning and coordinating
movements; assists the cerebrum in generating many behaviors.
Embodied behavior - Theory that the movements we make and the movements we perceive
in others are central to communication with others.
Locked-in syndrome - Condition in which a patient is aware and awake but cannot move or
communicate verbally because of complete paralysis of nearly all voluntary muscles
except the eyes.
Psyche - Synonym for mind, an entity once proposed to be the source of human behavior.
Mind - Proposed nonmaterial entity responsible for intelligence, attention, awareness, and
consciousness.
Mentalism - Explanation of behavior as a function of the nonmaterial mind.
Dualism - Philosophical position that both a nonmaterial mind and a material body contribute
to behavior.
Mind-body problem - Difficulty of explaining how a nonmaterial mind and a material body
interact.
Materialism - Philosophical position that behavior can be explained as a function of the
nervous system without recourse to the mind.
Natural selection - Darwin’s theory for explaining how new species evolve and how existing
species change over time. Differential success in the reproduction of different
characteristics (phenotypes) results from the interaction of organisms with their
environment.
Species - Group of organisms that can interbreed.
Phenotype - Set of individual characteristics that can be seen or measured.
Genotype - Particular genetic makeup of an individual.
Epigenetics - Differences in gene expression related to environment and experience.
Minimally conscious state (MCS) - C ondition in which a person can display some
rudimentary behaviors, such as smiling or uttering a few words, but is otherwise no
conscious.
Persistent vegetative state (PVS) - C ondition in which a person is alive but unaware, unable
to communicate or to function independently at even the most basic level.
Clinical trial - Consensual experiment directed toward developing a treatment
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) - N eurosurgery in which electrodes implanted in the brain
stimulate a targeted area with a low-voltage electrical current to facilitate behavior.
,Common ancestor - Forebear of two or more lineages or family groups; ancestral to both
groups.
imple nervous system that has no center but consists of neurons that receive
Nerve net - S
sensory information and connect directly to other neurons that move muscles.
Bilateral symmetry - B ody plan in which organs or parts present on both sides of the body
are mirror images in appearance. For example, the hands are bilaterally symmetrical
whereas the heart is not.
Segmentation - Division into a number of parts that are similar; refers to the idea that many
animals, including vertebrates, are composed of similarly organized body segments.
Ganglia - Collection of nerve cells that function somewhat like a brain.
Chordate - Animal that has both a brain and a spinal cord.
Cladogram - Phylogenetic tree that branches repeatedly, suggesting a taxonomy of
organisms based on the time sequence in which evolutionary branches arise.
Chapter 2
Neuroplasticity - T he nervous system’s potential for physical orchemicalchangetoadapt to
environmental change and to compensate for injury
Phenotypic plasticity - A n individual’s capacity to develop into more than one phenotype.
Somatic nervous system (SNS) - Part of the PNS that includes the cranial and spinal nerves
to and from the muscles, joints, and skin, which produce movement, transmit
incoming sensory input and inform the CNS about the position and movement of
body parts.
Autonomic nervous system (ANS) - P art of the PNS that regulates the functioning of internal
organs and glands.
Enteric nervous system (ENS) - Mesh of neurons embedded in the lining of the gut, running
from the esophagus through the colon; controls the gut.
onducting toward a CNS structure
Afferent - C
Efferent - C onducting away from a CNS structure
Meninges - Three layers of protective tissue, dura mater, arachnoid, and pia mater, that
encase the brain and spinal cord.
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) - Clear solution of sodium chloride and other salts that fills the
ventricles inside the brain and circulates around the brain and spinal cord beneath
the
arachnoid layer in the subarachnoid space.
Cerebral cortex - Thin, heavily fold film of nerve tissue composed of neurons that is the outer
layer of the forebrain. Also called neocortex. Cortex is latin for bark.
Temporal lobe - P art of the cerebral cortex that functions in connection with hearing,
language, and musical abilities; lies below the lateral fissure, beneath the temporal
bone at the side of the skull.
Frontal lobe - Part of the cerebral cortex often generally characterized as performing the
brain’s executive functions, such as decision making; lies anterior to the central
sulcus and beneath the frontal bone of the skull.
Parietal lobe - Part of the cerebral cortex that directs movements toward a goal or to perform
a task, such as grasping an object; lies posterior to the central sulcus and beneath
the parietal bone at the top of the skull.
Occipital lobe - Part of the cerebral cortex where visual processing begins; lies at the back of
, the brain and beneath the occipital bone.
Gyri ( sing. gyrus) - A small protrusion or bump formed by the folding of the cerebral cortex.
Sulci (sing. sulcus) - A groove in brain matter; most are in the neocortex or cerebellum.
Stroke - S udden appearance of neurological symptoms as a result of severely interrupted
blood flow.
Gray matter - A reas of the nervous system composed predominantly of cell bodies and
capillary blood vessels that either collect and modify information or supper this
activity.
White matter - A reas of the nervous system rich in fat-sheathed neural axons that form the
connections between brain cells.
Ventricle - One of four cavities in the brain that contain CSF to cushion the brain; may play a
role in maintaining brain metabolism.
Corpus callosum - B and of white matter containing about 200 million nerve fibers that
connects the two cerebral hemispheres to provide a route for direct communication
between them.
Nuclei (sing. nucleus) - A group of cells forming a cluster that can be identified with special
stains to form a functional grouping.
Nerve - L arge collection of axons coursing together outside the CNS.
Tract - Large collection of axons coursing together in the CNS.
Brainstem - C entral structure of the brain, including the hindbrain, midbrain, thalamus and
hypothalamus, that is responsible for most unconscious behavior.
Hindbrain - Evolutionarily the oldest part of the brain; contains the pons, medulla reticular
formation, and cerebellum, structures that coordinate and control most voluntary and
involuntary movement.
Reticular formation - M idbrain area in which nuclei and fiber pathways are mixed, producing
a netlike appearance; associated with sleep-wake behavior and behavioral arousal.
Midbrain - Central part of the brain; contains neural circuits for hearing and seeing as well as
orienting movements.
Tectum - R oof (area above the ventricle) of the midbrain; its functions are sensory
processing, particularly visual and auditory, and the production of orienting
movement.
Tegmentum - F loor (area below the ventricle) of the midbrain; a collection of nuclei with
movement-related, species-specific, and pain perception functions.
Orienting movement - Movement related to sensory inputs, such as turning the head to see
the source of a sound.
Diencephalon - The between brain, which integrates sensory and motor information on its
way to the cerebral cortex.
Hypothalamus - Diencephalon structure that contains many nuclei associated with
temperature regulation , eating, drinking and sexual behavior.
Thalamus - Diencephalon structure through which information from all sensory systems is
integrated and projected into the appropriate region of the neocortex.
Forebrain - Evolutionary the newest part of the brain; coordinates advanced cognitive
functions such as thinking, planning, and language; contains the limbic system, basal
ganglia, and neocortex.
Neocortex (cerebral cortex) - M ost recently evolved outer layer (new bark) of the forebrain,
composed of about six layers of gray matter; constructs our reality.
