Biological Bases of Behavior : Vocab

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

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

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

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

gaps in the myelin sheath

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

a period of inactivity after a neuron has fired

the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse

The process during the action potential when sodium is rushing into the cell causing the interior to become more positive.

the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron

chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons

feel good hormone, gives pleasure feeling (nostalgia) Excess: ADHD Shortage: parkinsons

mood & sleep, produces melatonin; carries messages from nerve cells to brain; influence digestion, nausea, etc Excess: severe serotonin syndrome Shortage: depression, anxiety

primary inhibitory, blocks impulses for nerve cells Excess: hypersomnia Shortage: epilepsy, autism, schizophrenia

learning and memory, energy source for brain cells Excess: death, parkinsons, alzheimer's

involved in all body's movements, slows heart rate, contracts smooth muscles Shortage: dementia, alzheimer's

increases alertness, constricts blood vessels, affects sleep-wake cycle Excess: pheochromocytoma Shortage: ADHD

a molecule that, by binding to a receptor site, stimulates a response

a molecule that, by binding to a receptor site, inhibits or blocks a response

brain and spinal cord

connects the CNS to the rest of the body

carry signals from the body's sensory receptors to the brain

carry signals from brain to the body

within the brain they process info

enables control of skeletal muscles

controls functions like gland activity, digestion, heartbeat, etc

amps you up in response to a stressor

calms you down when stressor is over

set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream

releases hormones related to growth but tells other glands to release sex and stress hormones

near the kidneys, releases (nor)epinephrine that gives us fight or flight response

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

the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing

helps coordinate movement

Location: stretches from spinal cord through brainstem and thalamus a relay network where neurons cross and is responsible for arousal (attention)

Location: in the core associated with emotion and aggression

Location: near thalamus processes conscious memories, translates immediate experiences and transfers them to long term memory

Location: atop the brainstem in the core "relay center" every sensory input except smell is routed through it

Location: below thalamus contains pleasure centers (releases dopamine), responsible for 4 F's: fighting, fleeing, feeding, and mating

Location: rear of the skull behind brainstem, below occipital lobe processes sensory inputs, enables motor coordination and associated with non-verbal learning, sense of balance

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

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

cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons

location: behind the forehead involved in speaking, muscle movement, thinking, planning, making judgements, and inhibiting behavior

location: top rear of skull involved in processing of physical touch, helps give us our sense of body positions, helps facilitate language

location: far back of skull involved in visual processing

location: right inside and above the ears responsible for processing hearing, involved in facial recognition

connects the hemispheres and transfers messages between them

location: rear of frontal lobes controls voluntary "big" movements

location: front of parietal lobes processes sensory inputs (especially touch)

Location: near the rear of the left frontal lobe responsible for language production (written, spoken, signed)

Location: in left temporal lobe responsible for language comprehension

Location: all over cerebral cortex involved in cognitive tasks, learning, memory, reasoning, speaking, etc

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