Myers' Psychology for AP®, 2E, Module 10

adrenal glands

[ah-DREEN-el] a pair of endocrine glands that sit just above the kidneys and secrete hormones (epinephrine and norepinephrine) that help arouse the body in times of stress. (p. 91)

autonomic nervous system (ANS)

[aw-tuh-NAHM-ik] the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs (such as the heart). Its sympathetic division arouses; its parasympathetic division calms. (p. 87)

central nervous system (CNS)

the brain and spinal cord. (p. 86)

endocrine system

[EN-duh-krin] the body's "slow" chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream. (p. 90)

hormones

chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands, travel through the bloodstream, and affect other tissues. (p. 90)

interneurons

neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs. (p. 87)

motor (efferent) neurons

neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands. (p. 86)

nerves

bundled axons that form neural "cables" connecting the central nervous system with muscles, glands, and sense organs. (p. 86)

nervous system

the body's speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems. (p. 86)

parasympathetic nervous system

the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy. (p. 87)

peripheral nervous system (PNS)

the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system (CNS) to the rest of the body. (p. 86)

pituitary gland

the endocrine system's most influential gland. Under the influence of the hypothalamus, the pituitary regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands. (p. 91)

reflex

a simple, automatic response to a sensory stimulus, such as the knee-jerk response. (p. 89)

sensory (afferent) neurons

neurons that carry incoming information from the sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord. (p. 86)

somatic nervous system

the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's skeletal muscles. (Also called the skeletal nervous system.) (p. 87)

sympathetic nervous system

the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations. (p. 87)