Anatomy of a Neuron
These bushy fibers receive information from other neurons and conduct it toward the cell body.
What are dendrites?
An undersupply of this neurotransmitter is linked to Alzheimer’s disease.
What is Acetylcholine (ACh)?
This "Master Gland" in the brain regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands.
What is the pituitary gland?
Located at the back of the head, this lobe is responsible for processing visual information.
What is the occipital lobe?
This brain imaging tool measures electrical waves across the brain's surface.
What is an EEG?
This fatty tissue layer insulates axons; its degeneration is a primary cause of Multiple Sclerosis.
What is the myelin sheath?
This "reward center" chemical is linked to Schizophrenia in oversupply and Parkinson’s in undersupply.
What is dopamine?
This division of the Autonomic Nervous System arouses the body for "fight or flight."
What is the sympathetic nervous system?
This limbic system structure is the primary center for processing emotions like fear and aggression.
What is the amygdala?
This large band of neural fibers connects the two brain hemispheres.
What is the corpus callosum?
This "all-or-none" electrical charge travels down the length of an axon.
What is an action potential?
Drugs called SSRIs target this neurotransmitter to treat depression.
What is serotonin?
This division of the Peripheral Nervous System specifically controls voluntary skeletal muscle movements.
What is the somatic nervous system?
This "sensory switchboard" directs incoming messages to the sensory cortex, except for smell.
What is the thalamus?
This field studies environmental influences on gene expression that occur without a DNA change.
What is epigenetics?
The tiny, microscopic gap between a sending neuron’s axon tip and a receiving neuron’s dendrite.
What is the synapse (or synaptic gap)?
This type of molecule excites a response by mimicking a neurotransmitter, like opiates mimicking endorphins.
What is an agonist?
These glands sit above the kidneys and release epinephrine during times of stress.
What are the adrenal glands?
Damage to this lobe, located behind the forehead, might impair your ability to make plans or judgments.
What is the frontal lobe?
This type of scan shows brain activity by tracking the brain's consumption of radioactive glucose.
What is a PET scan?
The state of a neuron when it is not firing, characterized by a negative charge inside the membrane.
What is resting potential?
This is the nervous system’s major inhibitory neurotransmitter; low levels can lead to seizures or insomnia.
What is GABA?
This part of the Central Nervous System is responsible for the reflex arc—automatic, involuntary responses.
What is the spinal cord?
This nerve network traveling through the brainstem is essential for controlling arousal and attention.
What is the reticular formation?
The proportion of variation among individuals that can be attributed to genes.
What is heritability?