Heredity, Environment, &
Genetics
Genetics
The transmission of genetic information from biological parents to offspring.
Heredity
Region of the brain located in the frontal lobe, responsible for planning, executing, and controlling voluntary movements of the body.
Motor cortex
Nerve cells that transmit signals from the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) to muscles, glands, and organs, initiating and controlling voluntary and involuntary movements.
Motor Neurons
The process by which neurons communicate with each other through electrical and chemical signals.
Neural Transmission
Neurotransmitter that plays a crucial role in regulating mood, reward, motivation, and movement.
Dopamine
The inherited likelihood of developing specific traits or conditions due to genetic factors from biological parents.
Genetic Predisposition
Small, almond-shaped structure located deep within the brain's temporal lobes, involved in processing basic primitive emotions, particularly fear, aggression, and pleasure.
A division of the peripheral nervous system that regulates involuntary bodily functions, It operates automatically, without conscious control.
Autonomic Nervous System
The level of stimulation required to trigger an action potential in a neuron. It is the minimum amount of stimulation necessary to produce a response.
Threshold
Chemicals released by neurons that decrease the likelihood of an action potential occurring in the postsynaptic neuron.
Inhibitory Neurotransmitters
The process by which organisms with traits that are better suited to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce, passing on those advantageous traits to future generations.
Natural Selection
Curved structure located within the brain's temporal lobes, primarily responsible for forming and consolidating new memories (specifically long-term memories)
Hippocampus
Responsible for promoting relaxation and restoring the body to a calm state after experiencing stress or danger.
Parasympathetic Nervous System
Chronic autoimmune disorder that affects the neuromuscular junction, where nerve impulses are transmitted to muscles.
Myasthenia Gravis
The primary excitatory neurotransmitter in the CNS, playing a key role in synaptic transmission and neuronal communication. It is involved in various brain functions, including learning, memory, and neural plasticity.
Glutamate
The environmental influences and experiences that shape an individual's psychological development, behaviors, and cognitive processes.
Nurture "Environment"
Vital structure located at the base of the brainstem, regulating essential autonomic functions such as heartbeat, breathing, and blood pressure.
Medulla (oblongata)
Nerve cells that serve as connectors within the central nervous system, relaying signals between sensory neurons and motor neurons.
Interneurons
The stable, negative electrical charge that exists across the cell membrane of a neuron when it is not actively transmitting signals.
Resting Potential
Neurotransmitter involved in transmitting pain signals in the nervous system.
Substance p
The belief in improving the genetic quality of a human population by controlling reproduction to increase desirable traits and decrease undesirable ones.
Eugenics
A relay station in the brain that processes and relays sensory information, such as sight, sound, touch, and taste, to the cerebral cortex.
Thalamus
Division of the peripheral nervous system responsible for controlling voluntary movements and relaying sensory information from the body to the central nervous system.
Somatic Nervous System
Phase of action potential where the inside of the neuron becomes less negative compared to the outside due to the influx of positively charged ions, such as sodium ions, through ion channels in the cell membrane.
Depolarization
Neurotransmitter that functions as both a hormone and a neurotransmitter in the body. It is involved in the body's "fight or flight" response, regulating arousal, attention, and stress.
Norepinephrine