NEURON BASICS
The basic cell that makes up the nervous system.
What is a neuron?
The two main parts of the central nervous system
What are the brain and spinal cord?
The outermost layer of the brain responsible for higher thinking.
What is the cortex?
The “master gland” that controls other endocrine glands.
What is the pituitary gland?
Inherited traits passed down from parents.
What is nature?
Branch-like structures that receive messages from other neurons.
What are dendrites?
Neurons that carry messages to the brain from the senses.
What are afferent (sensory) neurons?
This part of the hindbrain controls vital functions such as breathing and heart rate.
What is the medulla?
Hormone released by the pineal gland that regulates sleep.
What is melatonin?
Environmental influences like parenting and culture.
What is nurture?
The electrical charge that travels down the axon.
What is an action potential?
The system responsible for voluntary movement.
What is the somatic nervous system?
This limbic system structure is responsible for fear responses.
What is the amygdala?
Which hormone helps the body regulate blood sugar levels
What is insulin
A gene that only shows its effect when paired with another identical gene
What is a recessive gene?
Fatty substance that insulates the axon and speeds up neural impulses.
What is the myelin sheath?
The division of the autonomic nervous system responsible for fight-or-flight.
What is the sympathetic nervous system?
The lobe of the brain responsible for vision.
What is the occipital lobe?
The three stages of the General Adaptation Syndrome.
What are alarm, resistance, and exhaustion?
The number of chromosomes humans normally have.
What is 46?
The gap between two neurons where neurotransmitters travel.
What is the synaptic gap (synapse)?
The ability of the brain to change structure and function after experience or injury.
What is neuroplasticity?
Damage to this area causes fluent speech that makes no sense
What is Wernicke’s area?
The field that studies how psychological factors affect the immune system.
What is psychoneuroimmunology?
A developmental disorder caused by an extra chromosome 21.
What is Down syndrome?