Neurons
A nerve cell, the basic building block of the nervous system.
Neuron
natural, opiate-like neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure.
Endorphins
The body's speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems.
Nervous System
portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes areas that receive information from the visual fields
Occipital Lobes
the complete instructions for making an organism, consisting of all the genetic material in that organism's chromosomes.
genome
A neuron's bushy, branching extensions that receive messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body.
Dendrites
Chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands, travel through the bloodstream, and affect other tissues.
Hormones
neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs.
neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs.Interneurons
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
A technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer -generated images of soft tissue. MRI scans show brain anatomy.
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
The neuron extension that passes messages through its branches to other neurons or to muscles or glands.
Axon
A pair of endocrine glands that sit just above the kidneys and secrete hormones that help arouse the body in times of stress.
Adrenal Glands
the body's slow chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream.
Endocrine System
The oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; the brainstem is responsible for automatic survival functions.
Brain Stem
the base of the brainstem controls heart-beat and breathing
Medulla
A period of inactivity after a neuron has fired.
A period of inactivity after a neuron has fired.Refractory Period
The endocrine system's most influential gland. Under the influence of the hypothalamus, the pituitary regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands.
Pituitary Gland
Cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons; they may also play a role in learning and thinking.
Glial cells
areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions, rather, they are involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering thinking and speaking.
Association Areas
a neural structure lying below the thalamus; it directs several maintenance activities, helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland and is linked to emotion and reward.
Hypothalamus
A neural impulse, a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon.
A neural impulse, a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon.Action Potential
The brain's ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience.
Plasticity
a simple, automatic response to a sensory stimulus, such as the knee jerk response.
Reflex
Area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations.
Somatosensory Cortex
a condition resulting from surgery that isolates the brain's two hemispheres by cutting the fibers ) connecting them.
Split Brain