Neurotransmission
A neuron's branching extensions that receive messages
Dendrites
a simple, automatic response to a sensory stimulus, such as the knee-jerk response.
Reflex
tissue destruction, naturally or experimentally caused
Lesion
the brain’s ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience.
Plasticity
two small neural clusters in the limbic system; linked to emotion.
Amygdala
The neuron extension that passes messages to other neurons
Axon
The brain and spinal cord
The Central Nervous System
using magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images of soft tissue.
MRI
an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements.
Motor Cortex
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.
Brainstem
Fatty tissue layer that encases axons (allows for greater transmission speed)
Mylein Sheath
the sensory and motor neurons that connect the Central Nervous System to the rest of the body.
Peripheral Nervous System
a visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task.
PET scan
Portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking, muscle movements, and in making plans and judgments.
Frontal Lobes
located at the rear of the brainstem; functions include processing sensory input, coordinating movement output and balance, and enabling nonverbal learning and memory.
Cerebellum
Junction between the axon and dendrites
Synapse
the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body’s skeletal muscles.
Somatic Nervous System
recording of the waves of electrical activity sweeping across the brain’s surface.
Electroencephalogram (EEG)
portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; receives sensory input for touch and body position.
Parietal Lobes
the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing.
Medulla
A molecule that binds to a receptor site, stimulating a respoce
Agonist
the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs (such as the heart).
Autonomic Nervous System
a series of X-ray photographs combined by computer into a representation of a slice of the brain’s structure.
CT (computed tomography) scan
portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory areas, each receiving information primarily from the opposite ear.
Temporal Lobes
the brain’s sensory control center, located on top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla.
Thalamus